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Open source / Microsoft 365

Open-source alternatives to Microsoft 365

LibreOffice and Nextcloud are open source: free to download and run on your own server. Microsoft 365 costs from $7 a month.

LibreOffice

Open source (MPL-2.0) · Free office suite: documents, spreadsheets and presentations

LibreOffice is a free desktop office suite with Writer (documents), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw, Base and Math. It opens and saves Microsoft Office files.

  • Writer, Calc and Impress
  • Draw, Base and Math
  • Opens Microsoft Office formats
  • Windows, macOS and Linux
  • No account needed

Free to download and use on Windows, macOS and Linux under the MPL-2.0 licence.

See LibreOfficeLibreOffice vs Microsoft 365Source code (opens in a new tab)

Nextcloud

Open source (AGPL-3.0) · Self-hosted files, calendars, contacts and collaboration

Nextcloud stores and syncs files, contacts and calendars on a server you choose, with sharing and hundreds of add-on apps such as mail, video chat and office documents.

  • File sync and sharing
  • Calendar and contacts
  • Hundreds of add-on apps
  • Encryption and two-factor sign-in
  • Run it yourself or with a provider

Free to download and run on your own server under the AGPL-3.0 licence; you pay only for your hosting.

See NextcloudSource code (opens in a new tab)

Before you switch

  • Free to use, not free to run. The licence costs nothing, but self-hosting needs a server (often $5 to $40 a month) and someone to install updates and keep backups.
  • Open core means the main product is open source but some features, usually for larger teams, need a paid licence.
  • Hosted versions exist for many of these, run by the makers. They cost money but save the upkeep, and you can still move to your own server later.
  • Licences differ. MIT and Apache allow almost anything. GPL and AGPL require you to share changes you make to the code; for normal business use, that rarely matters.

More open-source alternatives