# OnlyOffice review

An open-source office suite (AGPL 3.0) for editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, with a self-hosted DocSpace collaboration platform priced per admin, not per user.

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 15, 2026.

> **OnlyOffice** is an open-source office suite: document, spreadsheet, and presentation editors plus PDF form tools, distributed under the AGPL 3.0 license with source code on GitHub.

OnlyOffice ships in three forms: free desktop editors for Windows, macOS, and Linux; a self-hosted Community Server anyone can run on their own infrastructure at no cost; and DocSpace, a hosted collaboration platform that charges only for admin seats while inviting unlimited regular users for free. Real-time co-editing tracks changes at the character level, and built-in AI assistants handle content generation, translation, and text extraction from scanned documents. Notable deployments include UNESCO and the Red Cross, and the company reports more than 21 million users. The self-hostable AGPL core is what separates OnlyOffice from Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, which offer no equivalent on-premises option.

## Facts

- Website: https://onlyoffice.com
- Pricing: Free tier · paid from $20/mo (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
- License: Open core
- Platforms: web, windows, macos, linux, ios, android
- Best for: organizations that need Microsoft Office-compatible editing but want the option to self-host on their own servers under an open-source license
- Standout feature: AGPL 3.0-licensed source code that organizations can audit and self-host, combined with a DocSpace pricing model that charges only for admin seats while unlimited regular users join free.
- Biggest weakness: Business Cloud pricing is per-admin rather than per-user, which can be confusing to compare against competitors, and users switching from Microsoft Office report formatting fidelity issues on complex documents with heavy macros or advanced layout.
- Third-party ratings: Capterra 4.5/5 (324 reviews)
- Categories: [Office Suites & Docs](https://findalternative.to/categories/office-suites)

## Pricing snapshot

| Plan | Price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Startup (DocSpace) | $0/mo | Free; up to 3 admins, unlimited users and guests, 2GB storage per space, up to 12 rooms. |
| Business Cloud | $20/mo | Per admin, unlimited users free; discounted from a regular $30/admin/month; 250GB storage per admin, unlimited rooms. |
| Enterprise (on-premises) | Custom | Custom pricing, billed per connection; unlimited storage, admins, users, and rooms; self-hosted deployment. |

## Pros and cons

- Pro: AGPL 3.0 source code available on GitHub; fully self-hostable for organizations that need to keep data on-premises.
- Pro: DocSpace charges only for admin seats, with unlimited regular users invited free.
- Pro: Native apps across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus 40+ third-party integrations including Nextcloud and Moodle.
- Pro: Real-time co-editing with character-level change tracking and built-in AI content tools.
- Con: Complex documents with advanced Word/Excel formatting or macros can lose fidelity when opened in ONLYOFFICE.
- Con: Enterprise on-premises pricing is not published; requires a sales conversation.
- Con: Per-admin pricing model on Business Cloud takes more effort to compare against per-user competitors.
- Con: DocSpace's interface is less polished than Google Workspace or Notion for non-technical teams.

## AI summary

- ONLYOFFICE is distributed under the AGPL 3.0 open-source license.
- DocSpace Business Cloud costs $20/admin/month (discounted from $30), with unlimited regular users free.
- The free Startup DocSpace plan supports up to 3 admins and 2GB storage.
- ONLYOFFICE reports over 21 million users, including UNESCO and the Red Cross.
- Best for: Organizations that need Microsoft Office-compatible editing with the option to self-host under an open-source license.
- Pricing: Free self-hosted Community Server and DocSpace Startup plan; Business Cloud starts at $20/admin/month.
- Top alternatives: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, LibreOffice
- Limitation: Complex Word/Excel formatting can lose fidelity compared to Microsoft Office.
- Limitation: Enterprise on-premises pricing is not published.
- Limitation: Per-admin pricing model requires extra comparison work against per-user competitors.

## Alternatives

5 vetted alternatives to OnlyOffice: https://findalternative.to/onlyoffice — top picks: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, LibreOffice

## Comparisons

- https://findalternative.to/compare/microsoft-365-vs-onlyoffice

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