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Google Docs

3 alternatives — 3 medium

Why people leave Google Docs

  • All documents stored on Google servers
  • Requires Google account
  • Limited offline functionality
  • Privacy concerns with document scanning

Comparison

AppDifficultyRAMDockerMobileStatus
Collabora Online

LibreOffice-based online office suite for collaborative document editing in the browser.

medium2GB Active
CryptPad

End-to-end encrypted collaboration suite with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.

medium1GB Active
OnlyOffice

Online office suite with document, spreadsheet, and presentation editors compatible with MS Office.

medium2GB Active

Detailed Look

Collabora Online Top 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

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, OnlyOffice side by side →