AppBreakup
Submit an app

Google Docs alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Google Docs: limited page-layout control for print-ready documents, and complex .docx files can lose formatting on import. We ranked 7 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Google Docs, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Microsoft Word currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1ONLYOFFICE logoONLYOFFICEOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 559.6
2CryptPad logoCryptPadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 557.2
3Etherpad logoEtherpadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 453.6
  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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Docs

    Open-source online editor you can self-host, with tighter .docx fidelity.

    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 ×0.377
    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 ONLYOFFICE a good Google Docs 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. CryptPad logo

    2. CryptPad

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Docs

    Collaborative documents that are end-to-end encrypted, so the host can't read them.

    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 ×0.369
    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 CryptPad a good Google Docs 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)
  3. Etherpad logo

    3. Etherpad

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    53.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Docs

    Self-hosted, open-source real-time editor for teams that want to run their own.

    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 ×0.357
    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 Google Docs 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 Google Docs alternative for…

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

Microsoft Word logo

Best Google Docs alternative for most people

Microsoft Word

Stronger layout and the native .docx format, with a free web version too.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Google Docs alternative for a free option

ONLYOFFICE

Open-source online editor you can self-host, with tighter .docx fidelity.

Zoho Writer logo

Best Google Docs alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Zoho Writer

Free online word processor with similar co-editing plus offline desktop apps.

CryptPad logo

Best Google Docs alternative for open source

CryptPad

Collaborative documents that are end-to-end encrypted, so the host can't read them.

Etherpad logo

Best Google Docs alternative for self-hosting

Etherpad

Self-hosted, open-source real-time editor for teams that want to run their own.

Notion logo

Best Google Docs alternative for Mac

Notion

Docs plus databases and wikis in one workspace for teams outgrowing plain documents.

Proton Docs logo

Best Google Docs alternative for Windows

Proton Docs

Real-time collaborative docs with end-to-end encryption from Proton.

Zoho Writer logo

Best Google Docs alternative for Linux

Zoho Writer

Free online word processor with similar co-editing plus offline desktop apps.

Microsoft Word logo

Best Google Docs alternative for iPhone and Android

Microsoft Word

Stronger layout and the native .docx format, with a free web version too.

Microsoft Word logo

Best Google Docs alternative for working in the browser

Microsoft Word

Stronger layout and the native .docx format, with a free web version too.

Google Docs alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Google Docs?

Microsoft Word ranks first right now. Stronger layout and the native .docx format, with a free web version too. Zoho Writer and ONLYOFFICE follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Google Docs?

Yes. Microsoft Word (free plan + paid), Zoho Writer (free plan + paid), ONLYOFFICE (open source) and CryptPad (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Google Docs?

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

Which Google Docs alternatives work on Linux?

Zoho Writer and ONLYOFFICE run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Google Docs?

The complaints we hear most: 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.

How is this list ranked?

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