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Collabora Online alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Collabora Online: needs a file platform like Nextcloud and some server know-how, and interface still feels closer to LibreOffice than modern web apps. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Collabora Online, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. ONLYOFFICE currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1ONLYOFFICE logoONLYOFFICEOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 566.5
2LibreOffice logoLibreOfficeOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 462.6
3CryptPad logoCryptPadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 559.6
4GoGoogle WorkspacePaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 457.2
5Etherpad logoEtherpadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. ONLYOFFICE logo

    1. ONLYOFFICETop pick

    Best for: Teams wanting self-hosted, Office-compatible editing inside Nextcloud or similar

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Collabora Online

    Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats.

    Pros

    • Very close .docx/.xlsx/.pptx compatibility
    • Free desktop editors on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Self-hostable server that integrates with Nextcloud, ownCloud and others

    Cons

    • Free community server has limits on simultaneous connections
    • Many editions and product names make choosing confusing
    • Advanced features sit in paid Enterprise editions
    Visit ONLYOFFICE Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ONLYOFFICE a good Collabora Online alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    AGPLv3 (core of Docs)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    DocSpace Startup, up to 3 admins
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    $20 per admin/month (DocSpace)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    Nextcloud, ownCloud, Seafile, SharePoint
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. LibreOffice logo

    2. LibreOffice

    Best for: People and organisations who want a full free office suite on their own computers

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Collabora Online

    The same engine as a free desktop suite if you don't need browser co-editing.

    Pros

    • Completely free with six apps, including a database and drawing tool
    • Runs offline on Windows, macOS and Linux with no account
    • Uses the open ODF standard while still reading and writing Office files

    Cons

    • Interface feels older than Microsoft 365 or Google Docs
    • Complex Office files can show layout differences
    • No built-in real-time co-editing
    Visit LibreOffice Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is LibreOffice a good Collabora Online alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MPL 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026libreoffice.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Latest version
    26.8.1
    Checked Oct 25, 2026libreoffice.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Apps included
    6 (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026libreoffice.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026libreoffice.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. CryptPad logo

    3. CryptPad

    Best for: Activists, journalists and organisations that need private collaborative documents

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Collabora Online

    Self-hostable editors with end-to-end encryption for sensitive documents.

    Pros

    • End-to-end encrypted documents with real-time collaboration
    • Free on public instances and fully self-hostable
    • Broad set of apps: docs, sheets, slides, forms, kanban, whiteboard

    Cons

    • Slower and less polished than Google Docs
    • No server-side search across encrypted content
    • Forgotten passwords can mean lost documents
    Visit CryptPad Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is CryptPad a good Collabora Online alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    End-to-end encryption
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Free account on public instances
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plans
    €5 to €100/month on CryptPad.fr
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Managed instance
    From €1.5K/year
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Developer
    XWiki, Paris
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Go

    4. Google Workspace

    Best for: Teams that want email, docs and video in one browser-based suite with easy sharing

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Collabora Online

    Fully hosted suite for teams that would rather not run servers.

    Pros

    • Real-time co-editing works smoothly with no files to sync
    • Email, calendar, storage and video in one admin console
    • Nothing to install; works on any computer with a browser

    Cons

    • Offline editing is limited to Chrome and Edge
    • Complex Office files can lose formatting on import
    • Per-user prices have risen as Gemini features were bundled in
    Visit Google Workspace Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Workspace a good Collabora Online alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage per user
    30 GB (Starter), 2 TB (Standard), 5 TB (Plus)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Annual discount
    16% with a 1-year commitment
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Chrome and Edge only
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Etherpad logo

    5. Etherpad

    Best for: Teams that want a self-hosted, real-time shared notepad they fully control

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Collabora Online

    Lightweight self-hosted real-time text editor for simple shared notes.

    Pros

    • Free, open source and simple to self-host
    • Author colours and a time slider make contributions clear
    • Large plugin library for extra features

    Cons

    • Basic formatting compared with a word processor
    • Plugins and authentication need admin setup
    • Interface looks plain out of the box
    Visit Etherpad Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Etherpad a good Collabora Online alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026etherpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Plugins
    290
    Checked Oct 25, 2026etherpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Requirements
    Node.js 24 or later
    Checked Oct 25, 2026etherpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026etherpad.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Collabora Online alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for most people

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats.

LibreOffice logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for a free option

LibreOffice

The same engine as a free desktop suite if you don't need browser co-editing.

CryptPad logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for open source

CryptPad

Self-hostable editors with end-to-end encryption for sensitive documents.

Etherpad logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for self-hosting

Etherpad

Lightweight self-hosted real-time text editor for simple shared notes.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for Mac

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for Windows

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for Linux

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats.

Go

Best Collabora Online alternative for iPhone and Android

Google Workspace

Fully hosted suite for teams that would rather not run servers.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Collabora Online alternative for working in the browser

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats.

Collabora Online alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Collabora Online?

ONLYOFFICE ranks first right now. Self-hosted alternative with an Office-like interface and native .docx formats. LibreOffice and CryptPad follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Collabora Online?

Yes. ONLYOFFICE (open source), LibreOffice (open source), CryptPad (open source) and Etherpad (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Collabora Online?

Yes: ONLYOFFICE, LibreOffice, CryptPad and Etherpad. ONLYOFFICE, CryptPad and Etherpad can also be self-hosted.

Which Collabora Online alternatives work on Linux?

ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Collabora Online?

The complaints we hear most: needs a file platform like Nextcloud and some server know-how; interface still feels closer to LibreOffice than modern web apps; production support requires a paid subscription.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Collabora Online, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.