Title: Why Apache OpenOffice: Free software
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![Why Apache OpenOffice: Free software](/why/images/why_free.png) # {.rfloatimg}

Apache OpenOffice is free software. That means you are free to download it, free to install it on as many PCs as you like, free to pass copies to as many people as you like. You may use OpenOffice for any purpose without restriction: private, educational, public administration, commercial... Free, really free.

  - **Free of charge**

    It's hard to believe that high quality, easy to use software like Apache OpenOffice can really be free. But thanks to contributions of time and money, from individuals and companies (large and small), OpenOffice is free for you to use today. Furthermore, the open-source license used by OpenOffice means this freedom can never be taken away. The OpenOffice community are delighted if you find our software of use. Please help us by telling people about Apache OpenOffice, and if you can, pass them on a copy. More people use OpenOffice as a result of personal recommendation than any other route.

  - **Freedom from worry**

    However, a free software license means much more than a one-off cost saving. It means you never need worry again whether your software is legal, or whether it will expire some day. For people responsible for a number of computers - from just a few in a small business, hundreds in a school, thousands in a corporation - this is a huge weight off the mind. No need for software audits, for keeping invoices for years, no worry about ending up in court because you misread some small print in a license agreement.

  - **We value your freedom**

    As part of a community dedicated to free software, we also value your freedom of choice. Apache OpenOffice will read and write files which can be used in other common office software. It was the first software in the world to fully support the ISO standard for office file formats which is being adopted by a growing number of software vendors. If you want to use other software, we want you to be free to do so. If you want to change your PC from Microsoft Windows to Apple Mac to Linux, we want you to be free to do so. If you like this approach, feel free to join the Apache OpenOffice community.