Google Docs
4 alternatives - 4 medium
Why people leave Google Docs
- All documents stored on Google servers
- Requires Google account
- Limited offline functionality
- Privacy concerns with document scanning
Comparison
| App | Difficulty | RAM | Docker | Mobile | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collabora Online LibreOffice-based online office suite for collaborative document editing in the browser. | medium | 2GB | - | Active | ||
| CryptPad End-to-end encrypted collaboration suite with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. | medium | 1GB | - | Active | ||
| Grist Spreadsheet-database workspace for structured data, lightweight apps, and team collaboration. | medium | 1GB | - | Active | ||
| OnlyOffice Online office suite with document, spreadsheet, and presentation editors compatible with MS Office. | medium | 2GB | - | Active |
Detailed Look
Collabora OnlineTop Pick
LibreOffice-based online office suite for collaborative document editing in the browser.
Pros
- + Based on LibreOffice engine
- + Good Nextcloud integration
- + Real-time collaboration
- + Supports many document formats
Cons
- - Resource intensive
- - UI feels less polished than OnlyOffice
- - Can be slow with large documents
- - Mobile experience is limited
CryptPad
End-to-end encrypted collaboration suite with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.
Pros
- + End-to-end encrypted by design
- + No account required for basic use
- + Multiple app types built in
- + Strong privacy focus
Cons
- - Performance is slower than unencrypted alternatives
- - Limited formatting compared to Google Docs
- - Search is limited due to encryption
- - Smaller community
Grist
Spreadsheet-database workspace for structured data, lightweight apps, and team collaboration.
Pros
- + Combines spreadsheets with relational database structure
- + Good for internal trackers and lightweight apps
- + Self-hostable core with strong documentation
Cons
- - Less polished than hosted Airtable-style products
- - Advanced formulas and access rules have a learning curve
- - Mobile experience is not the primary focus
OnlyOffice
Online office suite with document, spreadsheet, and presentation editors compatible with MS Office.
Pros
- + Best MS Office compatibility of open source options
- + Real-time collaboration
- + Integrates with Nextcloud and Seafile
- + Clean modern interface
Cons
- - Resource intensive
- - 20 concurrent connection limit in free version
- - Closed-source components in some builds
- - Complex deployment
Can't decide? Compare Collabora Online, CryptPad, Grist side by side →