LibreOffice vs. LibreOffice Vanilla What is the difference between LibreOffice, as available for download from the LibreOffice web site, and LibreOffice Vanilla, as available from the macOS AppStore? And how do current version numbers compare?

I guess downloading an image from that web site is okay, but then macOS asks me to confirm the image as obtained from a mirror site with an unfamiliar name. This still makes sense on a technical level, but frankly I'd prefer to install via the AppStore, esp. since the admin password is involved.
The Document Foundation Wiki has a page about LibreOffice Vanilla for Mac, which explains the differences.

There are some differences in functionality. LibreOffice Vanilla for Mac omits some Java-based features. The upshot is that Base cannot use the HSQLDB engine, and is lacking some reporting features. Java-based extensions won't work either.

The wiki page includes a detailed list of build flags used to compile the Collabora versions, which provide further detail. (Caveat: it's a wiki, so this may not be up to date.)

Note that Collabora's post LibreOffice Vanilla: Fresh from the community to your Mac does not mention these functional differences.