I've been using Microsoft Office for as long as I can remember, but recently I switched over to LibreOffice as my main productivity suite. So far, this free, open-source software has been covering all the bases, with tools like Writer (for documents), Calc (for spreadsheets), Impress (for presentations), and even Draw (for vector graphics and flowcharts). The only thing I really miss is the familiar Microsoft Office interface. To make the transition easier, I set up a theme in LibreOffice that mimics the Microsoft Office look. If you're planning to try LibreOffice on your new laptop or are just getting started with it, I'd recommend doing the same.
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Start by adding the Ribbon interface
That's what gives LibreOffice a modern touch
LibreOffice comes with a traditional menu-and-toolbar setup by default, the kind Microsoft and pretty much everyone else used back in the '90s. But since 2007, Microsoft Office has featured the Ribbon interface, which organizes tools into tabs and makes things easier to find. If you're used to Office, the old-school toolbar in LibreOffice might feel outdated and even a little inconvenient. The great thing about LibreOffice, though, is that you can customize it however you want.
So, the first step in making LibreOffice look more like Microsoft Office is getting that classic ribbon at the top of the screen. Start by opening any LibreOffice app. Since Writer is the tool I use the most, I'll open Writer.
With LibreOffice Writer open, click View > User Interface. This will open a popup window where you can select the UI option you want. Your best option is to go with either the Tabbed Compact or Tabbed UI option.
The difference between the two is that Tabbed UI has a tabbed view with large icons, while Tabbed Compact has a more modern layout, similar to recent Microsoft Office apps, featuring smaller icons and less text. If you want the tabbed UI to apply to all LibreOffice tools, click Apply to All. If not, click Apply to Writer.
LibreOffice Writer should now look a lot like Microsoft Word, with tabs you can switch between, like Home, Insert, Layout, and more.
Add Office-like icons
Change the fonts too, if you want
Even after switching to the Tabbed interface, LibreOffice still won't look exactly like Microsoft Office. It never will, but you can get pretty close by adopting Office-like icons. Assuming you've already switched to the Tabbed interface, click the hamburger icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. Select Options in the pop-up menu.
In the menu selection tree on the left, click View, then in Icon Theme, select the option to Add More Icons (it looks like a puzzle piece).
You'll see a bunch of themes here, but the one you want is called Colibre Icon Theme Legacy. Click the Install button below the theme. Go back to Icon Theme and use the dropdown to select Colibre - and you're all set.
You can also change the default fonts in LibreOffice. I kept the default Liberation Serif font since it works just fine for me, but if you prefer Microsoft Office's default font, Calibri, you can change that in the Options dialog we discussed earlier. LibreOffice also lets you take customization further by adjusting menus, toolbars, and other settings.
Why should you make LibreOffice look like Microsoft Office?
Microsoft's UI is simply better
Switching to LibreOffice from Microsoft Office can feel like a big change, especially if you've spent years with Microsoft's familiar interface. While LibreOffice has all the essential tools, its interface can feel cluttered and lacks the elegance of Microsoft's apps. Customizing LibreOffice to look like Microsoft Office can make the transition easier. You won't get an identical Microsoft Office look, but it'll be close.
It's worth noting that LibreOffice's interface can sometimes feel odd. For instance, switching from the toolbar interface to the Tabbed layout is easy through the User Interface submenu in the View menu. But once you're in the Tabbed layout, switching back gets confusing -- the User Interface option disappears from the View tab of the ribbon. Instead, you'll find it hidden in a submenu under the hamburger icon in the upper-right corner.
Explore more open-source productivity software
LibreOffice is one of the best Microsoft Office alternatives out there. Its interface may not be very modern, but you can tweak it to look a bit more like Office. Then again, you might not even mind the UI too much, since this office suite gives you a solid set of apps for free and works well with Microsoft Office files. If you're on the hunt for more open-source productivity software, check out eight of our favorite options.
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