7 Best European Alternatives to Google Docs (2026), Compared

The best European alternative to Google Docs is Infomaniak kSuite (Switzerland): Docs, Grids and Points give you documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the browser with real-time co-editing, comments and 15 GB of free cloud storage, hosted in Infomaniak’s own Swiss data centres. If privacy is the reason you are leaving, pick Proton Docs – also Swiss, free, and end-to-end encrypted, so not even Proton can read what you write.

I wrote this ranking for people and small teams who like how Google Docs works – open a link, type together, leave comments, never press save – but no longer want their documents with Google LLC, a US company. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are free with a Google account, and Google says it does not use the content of Docs, Sheets and Slides for ads. Your files still sit on Google’s own network in the US company’s hands, and your free 15 GB is shared across Google’s services. I compared ten browser-based document editors from Europe and kept seven. For each one you get who is behind it, where your documents live, what it costs and what you lose compared with Google Docs.

What are the best European alternatives to Google Docs?

If you only have a minute: these are the European online editors I would switch to from Google Docs, in order. Each one is reviewed in detail below.

1. Infomaniak kSuite (Switzerland) – Docs, Grids and Points with real-time co-editing, mail and cloud storage, free to start. Best for most people leaving Google Docs.
2. Proton Docs (Switzerland) – end-to-end encrypted documents and spreadsheets with live cursors, comments and suggestions. Best for private writing.
3. CryptPad (France) – encrypted documents, sheets and slides in the browser, usable without an account. Best free encrypted option for groups.
4. Nextcloud Office (Germany) – Google Drive and Docs on your own server or a European host, with Euro-Office or Collabora. Best for control.
5. IONOS Nextcloud Workspace (Germany) – managed Nextcloud with Euro-Office and 1 TB per user in German data centres. Best for small businesses.
6. Collabora Office (UK, office in Hamburg) – Collabora Online co-editing on your own server from €3 per user a month. Best for IT teams.
7. ONLYOFFICE (Latvia) – DocSpace rooms with Office-like editors, free for 3 admins, with an ownership story to read first. Best for Office look-alike editing.

Google Docs alternatives compared

Prices from public pricing pages. Affiliate links and sponsored placements are labelled.

“Data hosted in” shows where each service runs, based on DNS records and an ASN lookup (25 Oct 2026). For Nextcloud and Collabora Online you choose the host yourself; docs.google.com resolves to Google’s own network (AS15169).

How I compared the Google Docs alternatives

I looked at ten browser-based document editors from the EU, Switzerland and the UK and kept seven. The order is driven by how much of Google Docs you keep after switching – documents, spreadsheets and presentations in a browser tab, editing together in real time, sharing by link, a free start – then by privacy and sovereignty, then by price. Concretely, I weighed five things:

• Feature match with Google Docs – documents, spreadsheets and presentations, live co-editing, comments and suggestions, sharing with people outside the service, mobile access.
• Jurisdiction and ownership – where the company is registered, who owns it and on whose servers your documents are stored.
• Privacy – end-to-end encryption, open-source code and whether you can host it yourself.
• Price – free plans for individuals and the cost per user for a team.
• What users say – ratings on Trustpilot, read together with the number of reviews and what the profile covers.

I left out Zoho Writer (India) and Dropbox Paper (USA) because they are not European, and Skiff (USA), which Notion bought and shut down in 2024. Docs from La Suite numérique, the open-source editor built by the French and German governments, is excellent, but the official service is a workspace for public servants that you sign in to with ProConnect – you can only use it by hosting it yourself. The same goes for openDesk, which is sold to the public sector. mailbox.org has a browser office in its Standard plan, but its office page does not promise real-time co-editing, so it did not make the list. Tuta has no document editor. All data comes from the vendors’ own product, pricing, support and legal pages and from Trustpilot, checked on 25 October 2026.

The best European alternatives to Google Docs, reviewed

Each editor gets the same treatment: who is behind it, what users say, what it replaces from Google Docs and what it doesn’t, its pros and cons, and my opinion.

1. Infomaniak kSuite

The closest European match for Google Docs and Drive – online Docs, Grids and Points with real-time co-editing, from Geneva

Infomaniak is a Swiss hosting company from Geneva, founded in 1994, whose main shareholder is the Infomaniak Foundation. kSuite bundles mail, kDrive cloud storage, calendar, chat, video meetings and an online office suite. Infomaniak says the service is hosted and developed in Switzerland, in its own data centres on its own network (AS29222), and that your files are not analysed.

What users say. Infomaniak has 3.9/5 from 2,068 reviews on Trustpilot, but that profile covers all Infomaniak products, not only the office editors. Users praise the all-in-one suite, the price and the move away from big tech; the main complaint is slow support.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. kDrive is Google Drive, and Docs, Grids and Points – built into the kDrive web and mobile apps – are Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. Infomaniak says you can work on documents in real time, discuss them in a built-in chat, add comments and approve other people’s changes with a revision tool, and invite contacts to read, edit or review. Editing works on phones and tablets, and you can install the suite on a computer for offline work that syncs when you reconnect. Documents are saved in Microsoft formats such as DOCX and XLSX. What you lose: nothing is end-to-end encrypted; Infomaniak advises converting LibreOffice files (ODT, ODS, ODP) before editing them online; the free plan needs a mobile phone number; and Infomaniak’s Google Drive import guide uses the rclone tool and is not available on the personal plans, so you download and upload your files yourself.

Facts: HQ Switzerland (Geneva) · founded 1994 · free my kSuite: 15 GB kDrive and 20 GB mail · paid personal plan from CHF 19/year (CHF 1.60/month) with at least 1 TB · business kSuite from CHF 1.76/user/month (excl. VAT) · editors for DOCX, XLSX, PPTX · web, desktop, iOS and Android · phone number required for the free plan.

Switching from Google Docs: easy – export your files from Google as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, upload them to kDrive and keep working in the browser.

My take: kSuite is the move I would make if I wanted everything Google Docs does, in the same browser-tab way, without a US company. It has all three editors, live co-editing, comments and mobile apps, and the free plan lets you start today. It is first because it keeps the most of Google; if encryption matters more to you than slides, go one place down. Best for: households and small teams that want Google Docs and Drive in Switzerland. Not for: people who want their documents end-to-end encrypted.

Visit infomaniak.com →

2. Proton Docs

Google Docs with end-to-end encryption – live cursors, comments and suggestions, free with a Proton account

Proton Docs and Proton Sheets are made by Proton AG in Geneva, Switzerland, founded in 2014 and majority-owned by the non-profit Proton Foundation. Docs launched on 3 July 2024 as part of Proton Drive, built together with the team from Standard Notes. Both editors run inside Proton Drive on Proton’s own network in Switzerland (AS62371).

What users say. Proton’s main Trustpilot profile has 2.1/5 from 1,802 reviews. It is titled Proton Mail but covers other Proton products too; frequent complaints are slow support and account locks. There is no separate profile for Docs.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. Proton Docs feels like Google Docs: you see who is in the document and where their cursor is, leave threaded comments, and suggest edits that the owner accepts or rejects. You can invite people by email or link to view or edit, and they do not need a Proton account. Proton Sheets adds collaborative spreadsheets with formulas and charts, and imports Excel and Google Sheets files. The difference is encryption: Proton says every keystroke and cursor movement is end-to-end encrypted and that it cannot see your content or even file names. What you lose: there is no presentation app; the editors are simpler than Google’s; opening a Word file creates a new copy in Proton’s own format; and offline editing is not mentioned on Proton’s pages.

Facts: HQ Switzerland (Geneva) · founded 2014 · Docs launched July 2024 · free plan: 5 GB with Docs and Sheets · Drive Plus $4.99/month (200 GB) · Proton Unlimited $12.99/month (500 GB, adds Mail, VPN, Pass) · Docs opens DOCX, TXT, MD, HTML and downloads as DOCX, PDF, HTML, TXT, MD · no presentations · 30-day money-back guarantee.

Switching from Google Docs: easy for text and simple spreadsheets – download as DOCX or XLSX from Google and open the files in Proton Drive; not an option for slides.

My take: Proton Docs is the closest thing to Google Docs where the provider genuinely cannot read your work. Live cursors, comments, suggestions and link sharing all work the way you expect. It sits second only because it has no slides and the editors are simpler; for writing and simple spreadsheets I would pick it over kSuite if privacy is the reason you are leaving. Best for: writers, freelancers and small teams who share sensitive documents. Not for: anyone who needs Google Slides.

Visit proton.me →

3. CryptPad

Encrypted documents, spreadsheets and slides in the browser – open source, from Paris, no account needed

CryptPad is developed by XWiki SAS, a Paris company that has made open-source software for more than 20 years. Since 2016 CryptPad has been funded mainly by French and European research grants (67%), with 25% from subscriptions and 8% from donations. The flagship instance cryptpad.fr runs on OVH in France (AS16276), and you can host CryptPad yourself.

What users say. CryptPad has 3.6/5 on Trustpilot, but with only one review in the last 12 months – far too few to mean anything.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. CryptPad has Document, Sheet and Presentation apps plus rich text pads, Kanban boards, forms (a Google Forms replacement), diagrams and a whiteboard, all encrypted in your browser so the server cannot read them. You can co-edit by sharing a link, and you can even use it without registering: CryptPad says no personal information is needed. A free account needs only a username and password, no email, and keeps your documents permanently. Its Document and Sheet apps are integrations of ONLYOFFICE and import and export DOCX, ODT, XLSX and ODS. What you lose: guest documents are deleted after three months of inactivity, macros and plugins are disabled, there are no mobile or desktop apps, and the editors are slower and more cluttered than Google’s.

Facts: HQ France (Paris) · funded since 2016 · free on cryptpad.fr and other public instances · paid plans on cryptpad.fr €5 to €100/month · own instance from €1,500/year · formats: DOCX, ODT, XLSX, ODS · open source (AGPL-3) · browser only.

Switching from Google Docs: moderate – simple files import well, but you will rebuild complex sheets and forms.

My take: CryptPad is the most complete encrypted replacement for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms, it is EU-based and open source, and you can start without even creating an account. It sits third because the editing experience is clearly a step down from Google and Proton, and there are no apps for your phone. Best for: associations, activists and small groups that co-edit sensitive documents. Not for: teams that live in Google Sheets all day.

Visit cryptpad.org →

4. Nextcloud Office

Your own Google Drive and Docs on a server you or a European host control – with Euro-Office or Collabora

Nextcloud is made by Nextcloud GmbH, Hauptmannsreute 44a, Stuttgart (HRB 227086), managed by Frank Karlitschek. Since Nextcloud Hub 26 Spring (9 June 2026) its document suite, Nextcloud Office, can run on Euro-Office, an engine that Nextcloud, IONOS and partners such as XWiki and OpenProject forked from the open-source ONLYOFFICE code; Collabora Online remains an option. You choose where Nextcloud runs – the company’s own website is on Hetzner (AS24940).

What users say. Nextcloud has 2.7/5 from 51 reviews on Trustpilot. Users praise self-hosting, privacy and the app ecosystem; complaints are about sync problems, the desktop client and how hard self-hosting can be.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. You get documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the browser with real-time co-editing, next to Nextcloud Files (Google Drive), Talk (Meet) and Calendar – Google Workspace on a server you control. Nextcloud says it supports DOCX, XLSX, PPTX and ODF, and there are Nextcloud desktop and mobile apps for your files. What you lose: you need a Nextcloud server – your own, or an account with a hosting provider; Nextcloud itself does not sell a simple personal plan. Euro-Office has no desktop or mobile editing apps yet, and Nextcloud’s published Enterprise prices start at 100 users, with the office component extra.

Facts: HQ Germany (Stuttgart) · Euro-Office stable since 9 June 2026 · self-hosting: free server download and All-in-One image · free single-user accounts from providers (2 GB or more) · Enterprise from €71.29/user/year (net, min. 100 users), Office extra · formats: DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODF · open source.

Switching from Google Docs: moderate – easy with a hosting provider, harder if you run the server yourself.

My take: Nextcloud Office is how you rebuild Google Workspace with no dependency on a single company: files, chat and live documents, on a server you or a European host run. Euro-Office makes the editors feel modern. It sits fourth because you need a server or provider before you can type a word – if you want that done for you, look at IONOS next. Best for: tech-savvy households, clubs and companies with IT help. Not for: people who just want to open a link and type.

Visit nextcloud.com →

5. IONOS Nextcloud Workspace

Managed Nextcloud with Euro-Office and 1 TB per user, run by a German hosting giant in German data centres

IONOS Nextcloud Workspace is sold by IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, Montabaur, Germany (HRB 24498). IONOS started as 1&1 in 1988, took its current name in 2020, has been listed on the stock exchange since February 2023 and is a member of the United Internet group. It says it operates 31 data centres. Nextcloud Workspace runs on the IONOS Cloud; IONOS’s German FAQ says the data is hosted exclusively in German data centres, and the product site is on IONOS’s own network (AS8560).

What users say. IONOS has 4.3/5 from 23,017 reviews on Trustpilot, but that claimed profile covers all IONOS products, mostly web hosting and domains. Users praise friendly, quick support; complaints are about billing after cancellation and long hold times.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. This is Google Workspace for a company, without the setup: Nextcloud files, chat and calendar plus Euro-Office in the browser, where IONOS says documents, spreadsheets and presentations can be edited together in real time. It handles DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, ODS and ODP, and every user gets 1 TB of storage with versioning. What you lose: there is no free plan and no personal plan – IONOS markets it to SMEs and the public sector; prices are per user per 30 days, billed by the hour, and exclude VAT. The English-language IONOS site contradicts the German FAQ by mentioning US data centres, so EU buyers should order from the German site and confirm the location in the contract.

Facts: HQ Germany (Montabaur) · founded 1988 as 1&1 · €7.56/user/30 days for 1–24 users, €6.39 from 25 users, €5.59 with a 1-year savings plan (all excl. VAT) · 1 TB per user · editor: Euro-Office · formats: DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODF · German data centres per the German FAQ · no free plan.

Switching from Google Docs: moderate – no server to run, but you move a company’s files and accounts.

My take: If your company runs on Google Workspace and you want the Nextcloud route without hiring an admin, this is the shortest path: Euro-Office, 1 TB per user and German data centres from one German vendor. It sits fifth because it is for businesses only and costs more per user than kSuite. Best for: small and medium businesses replacing Google Workspace. Not for: individuals and families.

Visit cloud.ionos.de →

6. Collabora Office

Browser co-editing on your own server with Collabora Online – from a British company with an office in Hamburg

Collabora Online and the Collabora Office apps are made by Collabora Productivity Ltd, a division of the software consultancy Collabora, with offices in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and Hamburg, Germany. The UK is outside the EU – keep that in mind if EU jurisdiction matters to you. Collabora calls itself the single largest contributor of commits to the LibreOffice codebase. Its website is on Hetzner in Germany (AS24940); Collabora Online itself runs wherever you or a partner host it.

What users say. Collabora has no reviews on Trustpilot yet.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. Collabora Online is LibreOffice in the browser: documents, spreadsheets and presentations with co-editing, plugged into Nextcloud or another file platform on your own server. It edits DOCX, XLSX and PPTX as well as ODF, and the free Collabora Office apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS cover offline work. What you lose: there is no hosted account you can simply sign up for – Collabora Online is on premise or through partners; Collabora does not promise perfect Word or Excel fidelity; and the company is British.

Facts: HQ United Kingdom (Cambridge), office in Hamburg · Collabora Online for Business €3/user/month (up to 99 users) · Development Edition: free, for testing and home use · desktop app: free · Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android · based on LibreOffice.

Switching from Google Docs: hard for individuals, moderate for teams with someone to run the server.

My take: Collabora Online is the engine behind many European clouds, and at €3 per user a month it is cheap for a business that already runs its own servers. For someone leaving Google Docs on their own it is the wrong tool, and the company is in the UK, which is why it sits sixth. Best for: IT teams that want cheap co-editing on their own server. Not for: anyone who wants to sign up and start typing.

Visit collaboraonline.com →

7. ONLYOFFICE

DocSpace rooms with Office-like editors, free for small teams – with a holding company in Singapore and a US cloud

ONLYOFFICE is made by Ascensio System SIA, registered in Riga, Latvia, where the company says its intellectual property has always been held. Its holding company, ONLYOFFICE Capital Group Pte. Ltd., is registered in Singapore, and founder and CEO Lev Bannov is based in Istanbul. Heise reports that ONLYOFFICE has Russian roots, which Nextcloud cited when it created the Euro-Office fork; ONLYOFFICE then ended its partnership with Nextcloud. ONLYOFFICE said in 2021 that its European cloud runs on AWS in Frankfurt, and its website runs on Amazon CloudFront.

What users say. ONLYOFFICE has 2.8/5 from 20 reviews on Trustpilot. Users like the intuitive interface; complaints are about crashes and lost work, installers and slow enterprise support.

What it replaces from Google Docs – and what it doesn’t. ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is a cloud where you create rooms, invite people and co-edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations in editors built around DOCX, XLSX and PPTX. The free Startup plan covers 3 admins and 2 GB, and free desktop and mobile apps connect to it. What you lose: sovereignty – a Latvian company under a Singapore holding, on a US cloud provider; the business plan costs $20 per admin a month; and the licence dispute over Euro-Office is unresolved.

Facts: Registered in Latvia (Riga) · holding in Singapore · DocSpace Startup: free (3 admins, 2 GB) · DocSpace Business $20/admin/month · Desktop Editors: free · web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android · European cloud on AWS Frankfurt (2021 statement).

Switching from Google Docs: easy – export your files as DOCX, XLSX and PPTX and upload them to a room.

My take: On editing quality alone ONLYOFFICE would be near the top. It is last because moving from Google to a company with a Singapore holding on Amazon’s cloud does not solve much if sovereignty is your reason. If you like these editors, Euro-Office inside Nextcloud or IONOS gives you the same code base under European control. Best for: small teams that only care about polished editors. Not for: anyone leaving Google for sovereignty reasons.

Visit onlyoffice.com →

What European online office suites cost compared with Google Docs

Google Docs is free for individuals and Google Workspace is paid per user for businesses. Three of the European options are free to start as well, and for teams the cheapest European plans cost less per user than Workspace Starter.

Prices as shown on each vendor’s pricing page on 25 October 2026, in the currency shown there, billed monthly unless noted. Google shows a 50% introductory discount on Workspace from 8 November 2026; the standard price is listed here. Proton’s Drive Professional card does not list Docs and Sheets.

How to switch from Google Docs to a European online office

1. Download your files. Use Google Takeout to export all of Drive at once, or File > Download in a single document and choose a file type – Microsoft formats such as DOCX and XLSX open in every editor on this list.
2. Start with the documents you share. Move the files you co-edit with others first, and send collaborators the new link instead of the Google one.
3. Check your spreadsheets. Formulas, scripts and add-ons from Google Sheets are what most often break – open your most complex sheets first and fix them before you delete anything.
4. Recreate forms and sharing. None of these suites opens Google Forms, so rebuild them in CryptPad Forms or your new suite, and set sharing rights again.
5. Keep the Google account for a while. Old links in emails still point to Google Docs; delete the files only when nobody uses them any more.

Google Docs alternatives: FAQ

My verdict: which European online office to switch to

Most people leaving Google Docs should start with Infomaniak kSuite: it replaces Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive in one Swiss account, keeps real-time co-editing and comments, and costs nothing to try. If the reason you are leaving is privacy, choose Proton Docs – it feels like Google Docs, but Proton cannot read a word. Groups that want something free, open source and encrypted, with forms and slides, should use CryptPad, and businesses that want their own cloud should look at Nextcloud Office, or IONOS Nextcloud Workspace if they want it managed in Germany.

Whatever you choose, export your Drive with Google Takeout, move the shared documents first, and keep your Google account until the last old link has gone quiet.