Collabora Online vs Google Docs

Collabora Online

• Organizations that must keep documents on their own servers
• Nextcloud, ownCloud or OpenCloud users adding document editing
• Software vendors embedding an office editor in their own product
• Home users and small teams running the free CODE edition

Google Docs

• People and teams who draft and review documents together in a browser
• Organizations that already pay for Google Workspace
• Collecting edits and comments from collaborators outside the company

Collabora Online

• Collabora does not host the product: you run the server yourself or go through one of its hosting partners.
• It only edits documents, so it has to be paired with another product that handles file storage and user access.
• The free CODE edition has no SLA or long-term support, and the vendor does not recommend it for business or production use.
• Business stops at 99 users, at $3.40 per user a month on a yearly subscription; 100 or more users need an Enterprise quote.

Google Docs

• There is no standalone paid Docs plan; the business version comes only as part of Google Workspace, with Gmail, Drive and Meet.
• Gemini in Docs and eSignature are not in Business Starter; both start at Business Standard, $14 per user / month on a 1-year commitment.
• Offline editing on a computer works only in Chrome or Microsoft Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension installed.
• Google lists Docs for web browsers, Android, iPhone and iPad; no Windows or Mac desktop app is listed.

Collabora Online

Writer, Calc, Impress and Draw

Four browser-based editors cover text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and drawings, with pivot tables and charts in Calc and Visio files opening in Draw.

Collaborative editing

Several people can edit one document together. The FAQ sets no formal limit and calls 20 people in a session normal, and external users without an account are not charged for.

Microsoft and OpenDocument formats

Opens and saves DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, the older DOC, XLS and PPT formats and the OpenDocument equivalents, and offers PDF download.

Deployment on your own servers

The server runs on a Linux system, a virtual machine or a Docker container, so documents stay on infrastructure you control. Large Kubernetes deployments scale through the COOL Controller.

Integration through WOPI

Ready integrations cover Nextcloud, ownCloud, OpenCloud, Moodle, Alfresco, SharePoint and Mattermost, and other web applications connect by implementing the WOPI protocol.

Admin console

An admin console shows the users connected, the documents open and their resource usage, and can pass monitoring data to external services.

Google Docs

Co-editing, comments and version history

Several people can edit one document at the same time, leave comments and assign action items. Earlier versions can be opened and restored, and sharing settings control who can view, comment or edit.

Smart chips and building blocks

Typing @ inserts people, files, calendar events and dropdown menus, or building blocks such as meeting notes, email drafts and review trackers.

Document tabs and pageless mode

A document can be split into tabs for each part of a project or report, and pageless mode removes page breaks for continuous writing.

Gemini in Docs

Drafts and restyles documents from prompts, drawing on a user's Drive, Gmail and Chat. Among Business editions it starts at Business Standard; Starter does not include it.

Word and PDF files

Microsoft Word documents can be edited directly without making a copy, or converted to Docs format. PDF files can be imported and worked on as well.

Offline editing

Documents can be opened, created and edited without a connection. On a computer this requires Chrome or Microsoft Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension.

Collabora Online

• Collabora Online Development EditionFree

  Self-hosted rolling release, updated about once a month, for testing, home use and small teams. No SLA or long-term support.

• Collabora Online for Business$3.40

  per user / month, on a yearly subscription

  Up to 99 users, self-hosted, with long-term support, a service level agreement, signed security updates and a customer portal.

• Collabora Online for EnterpriseCustom

  100 or more users with volume discounts, adding roadmap input, integration support, customization, and the desktop version and mobile support.

Google Docs

• Personal Google Account$0

  Create, edit and share documents in a browser or the mobile apps, with comments, version history and offline access.

• Business Starter$7

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)

  Google Workspace with Docs and 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Gemini in Docs and eSignature are not included.

• Business Standard$14

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)

  2 TB of pooled storage per user. The lowest Business edition with Gemini in Docs and eSignature with Docs and PDFs.

• Business Plus$22

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)

  Everything in Standard with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, plus Vault, eDiscovery and advanced endpoint management.

• EnterpriseCustom

  No minimum or maximum user count, with data loss prevention, context-aware access and data regions; priced through Google sales.

Collabora Online

• Education

  Special pricing for educational institutions

  The subscriptions page asks educational institutions to get in touch for special pricing. No rate is published.

• Nonprofit

  Special pricing for NGOs

  The subscriptions page asks NGOs that want to deploy Collabora to get in touch for special pricing. No rate is published.

• Other savings

  Multi-year contract discounts

  Subscriptions are priced yearly, and the vendor says discounts for three-year contracts are available on request.

Google Docs

• Annual discount

  Save 16% with a 1-year commitment

  Business Starter is $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan against $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.

• Nonprofit

  Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0

  Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.

• Education

  Education Fundamentals at no charge

  Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Docs, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.