Best Free & Open Source Alternatives to Google Sheets

Grist is an open-source modern spreadsheet and database hybrid that combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with the power of a relational database. It allows users to structure their data as linked tables, write Python formulas, and create highly customizable views including grids, cards, charts, and calendars — all without writing SQL.

Unlike Google Sheets, Grist handles relational data natively, making it ideal for project tracking, CRM systems, inventory management, and any data that naturally fits into multiple linked tables. It supports granular access rules, allowing teams to restrict what data different users can see at the row or column level. Its formula language is Python, making it accessible to technical users who need more power than standard spreadsheet formulas offer.

Licensed under Apache-2.0 and with over 10,000 GitHub stars, Grist is actively developed and can be self-hosted via Docker. It is available as a managed cloud service at getgrist.com, and the open-source core is a complete, fully-featured product suitable for individuals and teams.

Collabora Online is an open-source, browser-based office suite built on LibreOffice that enables real-time collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. It is designed to be integrated into self-hosted platforms such as Nextcloud, ownCloud, and other file sync and share solutions.

Collabora provides exceptional document compatibility, supporting virtually all Microsoft Office file formats and preserving complex formatting from existing documents. Users can collaborate simultaneously with live cursors and presence indicators, and all edits are saved back to the host platform. It supports spell checking, track changes, macros, and advanced formatting features expected in professional office software.

As the commercial offering from Collabora Productivity, the open-source CODE (Collabora Online Development Edition) is available under a browser-based license and can be deployed via Docker. It is the leading open-source alternative for organizations needing a privacy-respecting, self-hosted replacement for Google Docs.

CryptPad is a unique open-source collaboration suite that combines real-time editing with end-to-end encryption. Unlike most cloud office tools, CryptPad ensures that the server never has access to the content of your documents — all encryption and decryption happens in the browser. This zero-knowledge architecture makes it one of the most privacy-respecting alternatives to Google Docs.

CryptPad includes tools for collaborative documents (rich text), spreadsheets, presentations, code editing, forms, whiteboards, and Kanban boards — all available in one unified platform. Documents can be organized in drives and shared securely with teams using cryptographic access controls.

Licensed under AGPL-3.0, CryptPad can be self-hosted and is also available as a managed service at cryptpad.fr. It is actively maintained by a team committed to privacy-first collaboration software and is widely used by journalists, activists, and privacy-conscious organizations.

ONLYOFFICE is a free and open-source office suite that provides a web-based platform for creating, editing, and collaborating on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real time. It offers a familiar interface similar to Microsoft Office and supports a wide range of file formats including .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.

The suite includes collaborative editing with track changes, comments, version history, and granular access permissions. ONLYOFFICE can be integrated directly into platforms like Nextcloud, Seafile, and ownCloud, making it a powerful self-hosted alternative to Google Workspace tools. It supports formulas, charts, pivot tables, and mail merge for advanced productivity workflows.

Licensed under AGPL-3.0, ONLYOFFICE DocumentServer is fully self-hostable via Docker and is trusted by organizations worldwide. It also offers a desktop application and mobile apps, rounding out a complete productivity suite for teams that want to leave Google Docs and Sheets behind.