An introduction to the Open Document Format
The documents we create today, whether reports, spreadsheets or presentations, are essential for communicating, sharing and storing knowledge. However, the format in which these documents are saved often goes unnoticed. This is where the Open Document Format (ODF) comes in. ODF is a technical standard and a tool that ensures documents remain accessible, editable and usable over time without being tied to a specific vendor or product.
Approved by OASIS as an open standard document format in May 2005 and by ISO/IEC in May 2006, ODF has been around for over 20 years. Despite 20 years having passed, most productivity software users are not familiar with the format and therefore do not use it, as it is not as widespread as its proprietary counterpart, Microsoft OOXML.
This means that a huge number of documents — equivalent to over 100 zettabytes of data in 2025 — are subject to the commercial strategies of a company and completely beyond the control of their authors. These authors may suddenly find themselves unable to manage their own content unless they use specific software.
This also means that the enormous wealth of information contained in these documents does not contribute to the growth of collective intelligence because they are limited in terms of interoperability due to being tied to a single, specific, proprietary software.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s touted backward compatibility feature prevents true innovation in document formats because the presence of proprietary elements from old binary formats, which are not included in the ODF standard, forces documents to remain with technologies that have long been obsolete and incompatible with future developments.
What is ODF?
ODF is an open standard for saving and exchanging office documents. It includes text files (.odt), spreadsheets (.ods), presentations (.odp), and other types of documents, such as drawings (.odg). Developed by OASIS, an organisation that promotes structured information standards, it was approved by ISO/IEC as the international standard ISO/IEC 26300 in 2006.
Put simply, ODF is a universal language for documents, ensuring they can be read and written by any compatible software without locking users into a single ecosystem.
To understand the importance of ODF, it is helpful to know how proprietary formats work. When a document is saved in a Microsoft format, such as .docx, or an Apple format, such as .pages, it is often designed to work best with that company’s software only. Over time, this can cause problems such as limited compatibility, vendor lock-in, and the risk of obsolescence if the proprietary format is abandoned or changed significantly, as older documents may become unreadable.
ODF avoids these problems. It is completely open and free, meaning that anyone can implement it in their software, and users can switch between tools without losing access to their files.
ODF is not limited to text documents, but includes a wide range of office document types, including .odt (OpenDocument Text) for text documents such as reports, letters and books; .ods (OpenDocument Spreadsheet) for data analysis, tables and financial models; .odp (OpenDocument Presentation) for presentations with visual content; .odg (OpenDocument Graphics) for diagrams and vector graphics, as well as documents containing text and images; and .odf (OpenFormula) for formulas used in ODS spreadsheets.
Each of these document types is structured in such a way as to allow maximum compatibility while maintaining formatting and advanced software features.
How does ODF compare with Microsoft document formats?
| Feature | ODF | Microsoft (docx. xlsx, pptx) |
| Open Standard | Yes | No |
| Long Term Archiving | Solid Support | Risk of Format Changes Risk of Online Dependency |
| Offline Support | Fully Supported | Supported |
| Editable without Vendor Software | Yes | Limited |
Common misconceptions about ODF
It is not as feature-rich as .docx or .xlsx
False. ODF supports complex formatting, styles, images, tables, charts, macros and more. Its feature set is robust and evolving thanks to contributions from a global community of developers and users.
No one uses ODF
This is also false. In fact, millions of users worldwide use ODF-compatible software every day. LibreOffice alone has tens of millions of active users worldwide.
It doesn’t work with my existing documents
ODF-compatible software, such as LibreOffice, can open, edit and export many formats, including .docx and .xlsx. Switching to ODF is easy and you won’t lose access to your existing files.
The future of ODF
The growing importance of digital documents in every sector, including education, public administration and business, is bound to impact the adoption of the ODF format because users cannot continue to use a format that disadvantages them in every way. Furthermore, the number of countries adopting policies based on open standards and demanding transparency and control over their data is growing all the time, and this can only lead to increased adoption of ODF in the long term.
Documents should belong to their authors, not to a software vendor through the file format used. In the case of a country, documents should belong to its citizens. ODF is the only effective way to regain control and ensure that data remains open, accessible and future-proof. ODF embodies the principles of digital freedom, collaboration, and user empowerment.
Whether you are an individual seeking control over your digital life, a teacher aiming to share knowledge using open tools to ensure its long-term availability to the community, a public official seeking long-term transparency, or a politician representing citizens’ interests, ODF is the smart, sustainable choice.
DISCLAIMER: Artificial Intelligence has helped in putting together background data in a matter of seconds, thus dramatically reducing the time needed to draft the article. I have over 4GB of background documents on my online storage, and although I have read most of them, it is impossible for my humble brain to retain all information. Here, Artificial Intelligence helps a lot, especially a 70 years old guy.
