ONLYOFFICE vs Polaris Office (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ONLYOFFICE grades higher than Polaris Office: 3.4 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ONLYOFFICE grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. Polaris Office grades higher on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ONLYOFFICE
Open-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs
Polaris Office
Word, sheet, slide and PDF editor with an AI agent called NOVA
Which one is for you
Pick ONLYOFFICE if
- Fits if you want to host your own office suite or use free desktop editors
- Works for teams on Nextcloud, Box, Moodle or Odoo that need document editing there
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying on the free cloud plan, which stops at 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB
- Skip it if you need SAML SSO, LDAP, branding, a custom domain or an audit trail for free, as the free cloud plan has none
- Watch out: the free cloud plan is labeled a limited-time offer, and every admin seat on Business is billed at $20 a month
- Pricey if you self-host with support, as Docs Enterprise is $33 a connection a year with at least 50, so $1,650 for a 1-year license
- Watch out: a 1-year Docs Enterprise license stops working when it ends, and a lifetime one loses free updates after three years
Pick Polaris Office if
- Fits if you want Word, sheet and slide files on a phone and a laptop for a few dollars
- Works for people who open HWP files as well as DOCX
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want the full editor free, because the web version has limited features
- Pricey if you want AI: $10.83 a month, or $33.33 for AI Pro
- Watch out: the 50% AI discounts last the first year only
- Not for you if you need PDF editing on the cheapest plan, since it starts on Pro at $5
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAONLYOFFICEVery good | 2.8GPAPolaris OfficeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CDocSpace Business is $20 an admin a month, above this category's $13 middle but nowhere near its dear end, and only admins are counted: users and guests are free. Self-hosted Docs Enterprise is another matter, $33 a connection a year with 50 minimum, so $1,650. | A$3.33 a month billed annually for Smart, under 60% of the category's $5.75 cheaper-quarter mark. PDF editing sits on Pro at $5. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: desktop editors for Windows, Linux and macOS, phone apps, and Community builds to host yourself, none of them metered. The free cloud plan stops at 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB, and the page calls it a limited-time offer. | CA free web version edits DOCX, PPTX, XLSX and HWP files, but with limited features, and AI needs a login. |
| Features | AEditors for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs, fillable PDF forms, co-editing down to the character with track changes and comparison, rooms with their own access rights and 40-plus connectors. What Collabora and CryptPad don't offer is AI pointed at a model you host yourself. | BWord, sheet, slide and PDF editing, cloud storage, link sharing and a perpetual licence option. The listing names no gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | BNo app rating on record, but the free desktop editor needs nothing set up: download it and start typing, no server and no account needed. DocSpace is more of a job, with rooms and access rights to arrange, and self-hosting more again. | CNo store rating on record. Plans, devices and a login to sort out, and the free web version is limited. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus more than 40 ready-made connectors for Nextcloud, Box, Moodle, Odoo and WordPress. | BWindows, Mac, Android, iPhone and web, but no API or integrations are listed. |
| Best for | an office suite you can host or use in the cloud | cheap document editing on every device |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ONLYOFFICE and Polaris Office. How we grade
Where they differ
- ONLYOFFICE is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Polaris Office can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Polaris Office also covers pDF editing.
At a glance
| ONLYOFFICE | Polaris Office | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $20 per admin / month for the DocSpace Business cloud plan | $3.33 per month, billed annually (Smart) |
| Free plan | DocSpace Startup cloud plan: up to 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB of storage, with unlimited users and guests. Desktop editors, mobile apps and self-hosted Community builds are also free. | Polaris Web Office: basic document editing in the browser for free; AI features need a login. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Ascensio System SIA | Polaris Office Corp. |
| Price read from | onlyoffice.com | polarisoffice.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ONLYOFFICE
- The free DocSpace Startup plan stops at 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB, and lacks SAML SSO, LDAP, branding, a custom domain and the audit trail.
- DocSpace Business is paid per admin at $20 a month; users and guests are free, but each admin seat is billed.
- Docs Enterprise is licensed by connections, from $33 per connection a year with at least 50, so the smallest 1-year license is $1,650.
- A 1-year Docs Enterprise license stops working when it ends; a lifetime license keeps running but loses free updates after its support period.
Polaris Office
- The free web version has limited features; AI features there need a login.
- Prices were read from the annual view of the plan table; monthly-billed prices were not readable.
- AI plans show a 50% first-year discount; the larger figure is the regular annual-billed monthly rate.
- Subscriptions list minimum systems of Windows 10, macOS 11, Android 7.0 and iOS 16.
Key features
ONLYOFFICE
- Document, sheet and slide editors
- Online editors for text documents, spreadsheets and presentations, which the vendor describes as highly compatible with Microsoft Office and OpenDocument formats.
- PDF editor and fillable forms
- Build fillable PDF forms and have them filled in online, read and edit PDFs, and convert documents to Markdown, HTML or e-books.
- Real-time co-editing
- Co-edit in character-level or paragraph-level mode, track changes, compare documents, leave comments and mentions, and chat or call from inside the editor.
- DocSpace rooms
- DocSpace sorts files into rooms with their own access rights: collaboration, public, form-filling and custom rooms, and virtual data rooms.
- AI assistants and agents
- AI tools generate documents, slides and forms, fill in forms, rewrite and translate text, and take voice input. Any AI model can be connected, including a fully local one.
- Connectors and self-hosting
- More than 40 ready-made connectors add the editors to platforms such as Nextcloud, Box, Moodle, Odoo and WordPress, and the server can run on your own infrastructure.
Polaris Office
- Word, sheet, slide and PDF editing
- Creates and edits documents, spreadsheets, slides and PDFs, and opens HWP files, on desktop, mobile and in the browser.
- NOVA AI agent
- Chats about your documents, analyzes tables and charts, drafts content and edits files; use is metered in monthly credits on the AI plans.
- Polaris Drive cloud storage
- Syncs documents across devices: 10 GB on Smart, 100 GB on Pro, with document history of 15 or 90 days.
- Link sharing and co-editing
- Share a document with a link and edit it together in real time, according to the subscription page.
- PDF tools
- Smart exports to PDF; Pro adds editing, merging, splitting and filling PDF forms.
- Perpetual license option
- Windows, Mac and iOS editions can be bought once for a single device, with no sign-in and offline use.
Plans
ONLYOFFICE
Community and free appsFree
Docs Community and DocSpace Community builds for self-hosting, desktop editors for Windows, Linux and macOS, and iOS and Android apps.
DocSpace Startup$0
Cloud plan with up to 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB of storage, and unlimited users and guests. The page labels it a limited-time offer.
DocSpace Business$20
per admin / month
Cloud plan with unlimited rooms, 250 GB per admin, SSO, branding, automatic backups and audit trail. Users and guests join free.
Docs Home$149
per server / year for 10 users
Self-hosted Docs for an individual or household working across devices, with 10 editing users.
Docs Enterprise$33
per connection / year; from 50 connections, self-hosted
Self-hosted editors to connect to another platform, licensed by connections for 1 year or for life, with a choice of support levels.
DocSpace EnterpriseCustom
On-premises DocSpace paid per connection, with unlimited admins and rooms, multi-space management and support under an SLA.
Polaris Office
Web Office$0
Browser editing of DOCX, PPTX, XLSX and HWP files with limited features and no install.
Smart$3.33
per month, billed annually
Edit Word, slide and sheet files, export to PDF, 3 PCs and 6 mobile devices, 10 GB of Polaris Drive.
Pro$5.00
per month, billed annually
Smart plus PDF edit, merge, split and form fill, 5 PCs and 10 mobile devices, 100 GB of Polaris Drive.
AI$10.83
per month, billed annually
Pro plus NOVA with 3,000 AI credits a month and 10 GB of knowledge storage; $5.42 a month for the first year.
AI Pro$33.33
per month, billed annually
AI plan with 15,000 credits a month, 50 GB of knowledge storage and scheduled tasks; $16.67 a month for year one.
Ways to pay less
ONLYOFFICE
- Nonprofit
Free DocSpace cloud for nonprofits and schools
Nonprofits and schools can request a free DocSpace cloud with 2 GB of storage and up to 20 admins. It requires an ONLYOFFICE banner on their website or a post about the partnership.
- Education
Discounted rate for educational institutions
The pricing FAQ says educational institutions can get a discount by contacting ONLYOFFICE sales. No figure is published.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license for Docs Enterprise
Docs Enterprise can be bought with a lifetime license instead of a 1-year one. The version bought keeps working forever, and free updates run for three years.
Polaris Office
- Other savings
50% off the first year of AI plans
The AI and AI Pro plans show half price for the first year when billed annually, at $5.42 and $16.67 a month.
- Annual discount
Up to 16% off with annual billing
The plan table says annual billing saves up to 16% compared with monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ONLYOFFICE or Polaris Office?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Polaris Office is cheaper to start with: $3.33 a month, against $20 a month for ONLYOFFICE. ONLYOFFICE starts at $20 per admin / month for the DocSpace Business cloud plan, and Polaris Office starts at $3.33 per month, billed annually (Smart).
Which has a free plan, ONLYOFFICE or Polaris Office?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ONLYOFFICE and Polaris Office have a free plan.
Which platforms do ONLYOFFICE and Polaris Office run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ONLYOFFICE lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.