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6 self-hosted options

Open-source alternatives to Google Docs

The best open-source alternative to Google Docs is Nextcloud (AGPL-3.0, 37,298 GitHub stars). Etherpad stands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license, and Docs stands out for a permissive MIT license.

About Google Docs: Google's browser-based word processor with real-time collaboration.

Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily

Top picks

  1. Rank 1:

    Nextcloud

    nextcloud/server

    Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.

    Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026

    FeaturedFile Sync & StoragePHP

    Stands out for the most GitHub stars.

  2. Rank 2:

    Etherpad

    ether/etherpad

    Highly customizable online editor providing collaborative editing in real-time.

    Active · last commit Oct 25, 2026

    Office SuitesTypeScriptDocker

    Stands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license.

  3. Rank 3:

    Docs

    suitenumerique/docs

    Collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.

    Active · last commit Oct 25, 2026

    Note-taking & EditorsPython

    Stands out for a permissive MIT license.

At a glance

Google Docs alternatives compared

Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.

Google Docs alternatives compared, data as of 2026-10-26
AppStands out forLicenseGitHub starsCommits (12 mo)Last commitDocker image
Nextcloudthe most GitHub starsAGPL-3.037,2988,041Oct 26, 2026No
Etherpada permissive Apache-2.0 licenseApache-2.018,5961,036Oct 25, 2026Yes
Docsa permissive MIT licenseMIT16,9461,162Oct 25, 2026No
CryptPadits JavaScript codebaseAGPL-3.08,0281,005Oct 23, 2026Yes
HedgeDoca published Docker imageAGPL-3.07,492593Oct 25, 2026Yes
ONLYOFFICE–AGPL-3.07,05428Oct 22, 2026Yes

Full list

All 6 Google Docs alternatives

Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.

  1. 1

    Nextcloud

    Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.

    Stands out for the most GitHub stars. Nextcloud has 37,298 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,041 commits in the last year.

  2. 2

    Etherpad

    Highly customizable online editor providing collaborative editing in real-time.

    Stands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license. Etherpad has 18,596 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,036 commits in the last year.

  3. 3

    Docs

    Collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.

    Stands out for a permissive MIT license. Docs has 16,946 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 1,162 commits in the last year.

  4. 4

    CryptPad

    Collaboration suite built to enable collaboration, synchronizing changes to documents in real time.

    Stands out for its JavaScript codebase. CryptPad has 8,028 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,005 commits in the last year.

  5. 5

    HedgeDoc

    Realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms, formerly known as CodiMD and HackMD CE.

    Stands out for a published Docker image. HedgeDoc has 7,492 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 593 commits in the last year.

  6. 6

    ONLYOFFICE

    Office suite that enables you to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place.

    ONLYOFFICE has 7,054 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 28 commits in the last year.

FAQ

Google Docs alternatives: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

Is there a free alternative to Google Docs?

Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Google Docs without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.

Can I self-host an alternative to Google Docs with Docker?

Yes. 4 of the 6 apps here publish a Docker image, including Etherpad, CryptPad and HedgeDoc, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.

Which Google Docs alternative is the most actively developed?

Nextcloud (AGPL-3.0), with 8,041 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.

How is this list ranked?

Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.