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CryptPad alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave CryptPad: slower and less polished than Google Docs, and no server-side search across encrypted content. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces CryptPad, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Google Docs currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Google Docs logoGoogle DocsFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 470.3
2Proton Docs logoProton DocsFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +24 of 466.5
3ONLYOFFICE logoONLYOFFICEOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 562.6
4Collabora Online logoCollabora OnlineOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 459.6
5Etherpad logoEtherpadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
  1. Google Docs logo

    1. Google DocsTop pick

    Best for: Groups that write together and want sharing and comments to just work

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    70.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from CryptPad

    Faster, more polished collaboration if privacy from the host isn't a concern.

    Pros

    • Best-in-class real-time co-editing, comments and suggestion mode
    • Free with any Google account, nothing to install
    • Complete version history of every change

    Cons

    • Limited page-layout control for print-ready documents
    • Complex .docx files can lose formatting on import
    • Offline editing needs Chrome or Edge and setup in advance
    Visit Google Docs Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is Google Docs a good CryptPad alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Anyone with a Google account
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Word import
    Yes, plus PDF
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline browsers
    Chrome and Edge
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Proton Docs logo

    2. Proton Docs

    Best for: Privacy-minded people who want Google Docs-style collaboration with encryption

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from CryptPad

    Encrypted docs and sheets with polished apps, bundled with Proton Mail and Drive.

    Pros

    • End-to-end encrypted with real-time collaboration
    • Included free with a Proton account
    • Pairs with Proton Mail, Drive and Pass in one bundle

    Cons

    • Fewer formatting options and templates than Google Docs
    • Young product still adding features
    • Free plan storage is small
    Visit Proton Docs 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 Proton Docs a good CryptPad alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    End-to-end encryption
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026proton.me(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    5 GB storage
    Checked Oct 25, 2026proton.me(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $4.99/month (Drive Plus, 200 GB)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026proton.me(opens source in a new tab)
    Spreadsheets
    Proton Sheets, imports Excel files
    Checked Oct 25, 2026proton.me(opens source in a new tab)
  3. ONLYOFFICE logo

    3. ONLYOFFICE

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

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

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from CryptPad

    Self-hosted Office-compatible editors when encryption at rest is enough.

    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 ×0.387
    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 ONLYOFFICE a good CryptPad 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)
  4. Collabora Online logo

    4. Collabora Online

    Best for: Organisations that want self-hosted, real-time document editing with their own data control

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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from CryptPad

    Self-hosted LibreOffice-based co-editing with fuller office features.

    Pros

    • Real-time co-editing on infrastructure you control
    • Built on LibreOffice by one of its main contributors
    • Free development edition for home use and testing

    Cons

    • 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
    Visit Collabora Online 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 Collabora Online a good CryptPad alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free edition
    CODE, for home use and testing
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    £2.60 per user/month (on-premise, up to 99 users)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop apps
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Mobile apps
    iOS and Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.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

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from CryptPad

    Simpler self-hosted real-time text editor for 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 ×0.369
    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 Etherpad a good CryptPad 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 CryptPad alternative for…

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

Google Docs logo

Best CryptPad alternative for most people

Google Docs

Faster, more polished collaboration if privacy from the host isn't a concern.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best CryptPad alternative for a free option

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted Office-compatible editors when encryption at rest is enough.

Proton Docs logo

Best CryptPad alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Proton Docs

Encrypted docs and sheets with polished apps, bundled with Proton Mail and Drive.

Collabora Online logo

Best CryptPad alternative for open source

Collabora Online

Self-hosted LibreOffice-based co-editing with fuller office features.

Etherpad logo

Best CryptPad alternative for self-hosting

Etherpad

Simpler self-hosted real-time text editor for shared notes.

Proton Docs logo

Best CryptPad alternative for Mac

Proton Docs

Encrypted docs and sheets with polished apps, bundled with Proton Mail and Drive.

Proton Docs logo

Best CryptPad alternative for Windows

Proton Docs

Encrypted docs and sheets with polished apps, bundled with Proton Mail and Drive.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best CryptPad alternative for Linux

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted Office-compatible editors when encryption at rest is enough.

Google Docs logo

Best CryptPad alternative for iPhone and Android

Google Docs

Faster, more polished collaboration if privacy from the host isn't a concern.

Google Docs logo

Best CryptPad alternative for working in the browser

Google Docs

Faster, more polished collaboration if privacy from the host isn't a concern.

CryptPad alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to CryptPad?

Google Docs ranks first right now. Faster, more polished collaboration if privacy from the host isn't a concern. Proton Docs and ONLYOFFICE follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to CryptPad?

Yes. Google Docs (free), Proton Docs (free plan + paid), ONLYOFFICE (open source) and Collabora Online (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to CryptPad?

Yes: ONLYOFFICE, Collabora Online and Etherpad. ONLYOFFICE, Collabora Online and Etherpad can also be self-hosted.

Which CryptPad alternatives work on Linux?

ONLYOFFICE and Collabora Online run on Linux.

Why do people switch from CryptPad?

The complaints we hear most: slower and less polished than Google Docs; no server-side search across encrypted content; forgotten passwords can mean lost documents.

How is this list ranked?

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