3 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel
The best open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel are ONLYOFFICE, Grist and Teable.
About Microsoft Excel: Microsoft's spreadsheet application for calculations, charts and data analysis.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Microsoft Excel without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
ONLYOFFICE
ONLYOFFICE/DocumentServer
Office suite that enables you to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place.
Office SuitesShellDocker - Rank 2:
Grist
gristlabs/grist-core
Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).
Office SuitesTypeScriptDocker - Rank 3:
Teable
teableio/teable
Next-gen Airtable alternative with a Postgres-backed spreadsheet UI.
Database ManagementTypeScriptDocker
Why switch
Why teams move off Microsoft Excel
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Microsoft Excel's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 3 Microsoft Excel alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
ONLYOFFICE
Office suite that enables you to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place.
Office SuitesDocker - 2
Grist
Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).
Office SuitesDocker - 3
Teable
Next-gen Airtable alternative with a Postgres-backed spreadsheet UI.
Database ManagementDocker
What is the best open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel?
ONLYOFFICE is the most popular open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel, with 6,970 GitHub stars. Grist and Teable are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Excel?
Yes. All 3 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Microsoft Excel replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft Excel?
Yes. ONLYOFFICE, Grist and Teable ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Microsoft Excel?
Start by exporting your data from Microsoft Excel, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.