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Google Workspace alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Google Workspace: offline editing is limited to Chrome and Edge, and complex Office files can lose formatting on import. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Google Workspace, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Microsoft 365 currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1ONLYOFFICE logoONLYOFFICEOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 559.6
2Collabora Online logoCollabora OnlineOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 457.2
3CryptPad logoCryptPadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 555.3
  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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Workspace

    Open-source docs you can self-host, keeping files on your own servers.

    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 Workspace 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. Collabora Online logo

    2. 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

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Workspace

    LibreOffice-based online editing that you host yourself or with a European provider.

    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 ×0.369
    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 Collabora Online a good Google Workspace 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)
  3. CryptPad logo

    3. CryptPad

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Workspace

    End-to-end encrypted collaborative documents, free on public instances.

    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 ×0.363
    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 CryptPad a good Google Workspace 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)

The best Google Workspace alternative for…

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

Microsoft 365 logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for most people

Microsoft 365

Full desktop Office apps and Exchange email for teams that live in .docx and .xlsx.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for a free option

ONLYOFFICE

Open-source docs you can self-host, keeping files on your own servers.

Zoho Writer logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Zoho Writer

Zoho Workplace bundles mail, Writer and Sheet for less per user.

Collabora Online logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for open source

Collabora Online

LibreOffice-based online editing that you host yourself or with a European provider.

CryptPad logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for self-hosting

CryptPad

End-to-end encrypted collaborative documents, free on public instances.

Proton Docs logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for Mac

Proton Docs

Encrypted docs and sheets inside Proton's privacy-focused mail and drive bundle.

Microsoft 365 logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for Windows

Microsoft 365

Full desktop Office apps and Exchange email for teams that live in .docx and .xlsx.

Zoho Writer logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for Linux

Zoho Writer

Zoho Workplace bundles mail, Writer and Sheet for less per user.

Microsoft 365 logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for iPhone and Android

Microsoft 365

Full desktop Office apps and Exchange email for teams that live in .docx and .xlsx.

Microsoft 365 logo

Best Google Workspace alternative for working in the browser

Microsoft 365

Full desktop Office apps and Exchange email for teams that live in .docx and .xlsx.

Google Workspace alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Google Workspace?

Microsoft 365 ranks first right now. Full desktop Office apps and Exchange email for teams that live in .docx and .xlsx. Zoho Writer and ONLYOFFICE follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Google Workspace?

Yes. Microsoft 365 (free plan + paid), Zoho Writer (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 Google Workspace?

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

Which Google Workspace alternatives work on Linux?

Zoho Writer, ONLYOFFICE and Collabora Online run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Google Workspace?

The complaints we hear most: 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.

How is this list ranked?

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