The ONLYOFFICE Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about ONLYOFFICE in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
ONLYOFFICE
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among docs and wiki tools, read from ONLYOFFICE’s own pages.
Made by Ascensio System SIA · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from ONLYOFFICE’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on ONLYOFFICE’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.4
GPA, above 48 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade
ONLYOFFICE is an open-source office suite with online editors for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, fillable forms and PDFs, built for real-time co-editing. The editors come inside ONLYOFFICE DocSpace, a room-based collaboration platform offered in the cloud or on-premises, or can be connected to platforms such as Nextcloud, Box and Moodle. Free desktop and mobile apps cover offline work.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about ONLYOFFICE, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No app rating on record, but the free desktop editor needs nothing set up: download it and start typing, no server and no account needed.
- 1
Best for an office suite you can host or use in the cloud
ONLYOFFICE is an office suite with documents, spreadsheets, slides, forms and PDFs that several people can edit at once, in the cloud, on your own server or in free desktop and mobile apps.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per admin / month for the DocSpace Business cloud plan.
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 3.4 GPA, above 48 of 51
That is against the other docs and wiki tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace ONLYOFFICE you would be making a spreadsheet engine with its formulas. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
ONLYOFFICE at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per admin / month for the DocSpace Business cloud plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Ascensio System SIA
- Category
- Docs & Wikis
- Our grade
- 3.4 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for an office suite you can host or use in the cloud
ONLYOFFICE is an office suite with documents, spreadsheets, slides, forms and PDFs that several people can edit at once, in the cloud, on your own server or in free desktop and mobile apps. The free cloud plan is 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB, and the page calls it a limited-time offer. The $20 Business price is shown as a markdown from $30 with no end date, and self-hosting with support starts at $1,500 a year.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | DocSpace Business is $20 an admin a month, above this category's $15 middle but nowhere near its dear end, and only admins are counted: users and guests are unlimited. The page shows it marked down from $30 with no end date. Self-hosted Docs Enterprise is another matter, from $1,500 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free 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. |
| Features | A | Editors 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. |
| Ease of use | B | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus more than 40 ready-made connectors for Nextcloud, Box, Moodle, Odoo and WordPress. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who ONLYOFFICE is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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 Business's $20 price is marked down from $30 with no end date
- Pricey if you self-host with support, as Docs Enterprise starts at $1,500 for a 1-year, 50-connection license
- Watch out: a 1-year Docs Enterprise license stops working when it ends, and a lifetime one loses free updates after support
Good to know
Good for
- Organizations that want to host their own office suite
- Teams on Nextcloud, Box, Moodle or Odoo that need document editing there
- Sharing files with clients in separate rooms with their own permissions
- People who want free desktop editors that work offline
Worth knowing
- 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 costs $20 per admin a month; the pricing page shows it as reduced from $30 and gives no end date for that price.
- Docs Enterprise is licensed by simultaneous connections, from $1,500 for a 1-year, 50-connection, on-premises license with Basic support.
- A 1-year Docs Enterprise license stops working when it ends; a lifetime license keeps running but loses free updates after its support period.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start. There is a free plan too
ONLYOFFICE has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per admin / month for the DocSpace Business cloud plan.
Free outright: desktop editors for Windows, Linux and macOS, phone apps, and Community builds to host yourself, none of them metered.
Community and free apps
Free
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. Shown reduced from a crossed-out $30.
Docs Enterprise
From $1,500
1-year license, 50 connections, on-premises, Basic support
Self-hosted editors to connect to another platform, licensed by simultaneous connections for 1 year or for life, with three support levels.
DocSpace Enterprise
Custom
On-premises DocSpace paid per connection, with unlimited admins and rooms, multi-space management and support under an SLA.
The 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.
Read from onlyoffice.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on onlyoffice.comEducation
Discounted rate for educational institutions
The DocSpace pricing FAQ says educational institutions other than schools can get a discounted rate. No figure is published.
Stated on onlyoffice.comLifetime 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, but free updates end with the support period chosen, 1 or 3 years.
Stated on onlyoffice.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Open-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, AI features, real-time collaboration, documents, spreadsheets, presentations.
What Collabora and CryptPad don't offer is AI pointed at a model you host yourself.
- 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, sheets, slides and forms, rewrite and translate text, and extract text from scanned PDFs. 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Nextcloud
- Box
- Moodle
- Odoo
- WordPress
- Trello
- Pipedrive
- Alfresco
Who makes ONLYOFFICE
ONLYOFFICE is an open-source office suite built by Ascensio System SIA, registered in Riga, Latvia, which holds the intellectual property. The editors can be downloaded and self-hosted for free, and the money comes from paid cloud plans, enterprise and developer licences, and support.
- Based
- Riga, Latvia, where Ascensio System SIA is registered, with teams in Istanbul, Belgrade, Yerevan, Shanghai and Dallasonlyoffice.com
- Ownership
- Part of a larger company. Its About page says the holding company is ONLYOFFICE Capital Group Pte. Ltd., registered in Singapore, which unites the group's offices under one brand. Ascensio System SIA in Riga holds the intellectual property.onlyoffice.com
- Team
- Its About page says the company has employees and contributors in more than 30 countries and works remote-first; it gives no headcount.onlyoffice.com
- Founders and leaders
- Lev Bannov, Founder and CEOonlyoffice.com
- Hiring
- Its vacancies page lists 10 openings, all remote: seven in sales, plus a customer care manager, a technical writer and a technical support specialist, across seven countries and regions.onlyoffice.com
- Affiliate program
- From 18% commission per sale at the start, rising with how long you stay in the program and how much you sell each month. It pays on renewals as well as the first sale, and payouts run through Rewardful.onlyoffice.com
- Lately
- Meet ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors 10.0: brand-new AI tools, redesigned start window, Odoo as a new cloud provider and more · Oct 13, 2026
- Meet ONLYOFFICE Docs 10.0: AI tools and modular apps, 50+ new features, 1,000 bug fixes, 35 fixed vulnerabilities, and more · Oct 10, 2026
- New Antidote plugin for ONLYOFFICE: check and improve your texts in English and French · Sep 1, 2026
- ONLYOFFICE connector v2.1.0 for Confluence Cloud released: new supported formats, dedicated space page, improved file browsing and more · Aug 18, 2026
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/51
Other docs and wiki tools it is graded above
ONLYOFFICE's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 48 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on features (A, above 48 of 51) and worst on value for money (C, above 10).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $16.50 for the category: 24 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. ONLYOFFICE’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 51
- AFree plan and trialAbove 39 of 51
- AFeaturesAbove 48 of 51
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 51
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 48 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. ONLYOFFICE is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace ONLYOFFICE you would be making a spreadsheet engine with its formulas. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 48 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade. It costs $240 a year. ONLYOFFICE is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Documents: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A spreadsheet engine with its formulas.
- A slide editor.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Nextcloud, Box and Moodle among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. ONLYOFFICE’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Collabora Online, Google Docs, Zoho Writer and CryptPad
The 4 tools ONLYOFFICE is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Collabora Online
Free plan · from $3.40/mo
Self-hosted, open-source office suite based on LibreOffice.
- 3.4GPA
Google Docs
Free plan · from $7/mo
Browser-based word processor, free with a Google Account.
- Only ONLYOFFICE lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Google Docs lists a browser extension.
- ONLYOFFICE is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.6GPA
Zoho Writer
Free plan · from $2.50/mo
Free online word processor with AI and document automation.
- Only Zoho Writer lists a browser extension.
- ONLYOFFICE is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- ONLYOFFICE also covers spreadsheets and presentations.
- 3.0GPA
CryptPad
Free plan · from €5/mo
End-to-end encrypted, open-source collaborative office suite.
- Only ONLYOFFICE lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- CryptPad is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- ONLYOFFICE also covers presentations.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is ONLYOFFICE free?
ONLYOFFICE has a free plan. DocSpace Startup cloud plan: up to 3 admins, 12 rooms and 2 GB of storage, with unlimited users and guests.
How much does ONLYOFFICE cost?
ONLYOFFICE lists 5 plans. Community and free apps: Free.
What platforms does ONLYOFFICE work on?
ONLYOFFICE is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does ONLYOFFICE offer any discounts?
ONLYOFFICE publicly lists the following: Free DocSpace cloud for nonprofits and schools; Discounted rate for educational institutions; Lifetime license for Docs Enterprise.
Is ONLYOFFICE open source?
Yes. ONLYOFFICE is open source, according to its own site.
What does ONLYOFFICE integrate with?
ONLYOFFICE's listing names Nextcloud, Box, Moodle, Odoo, WordPress, Trello, Pipedrive and Alfresco.
Does ONLYOFFICE have a student discount?
Discounted rate for educational institutions. The DocSpace pricing FAQ says educational institutions other than schools can get a discounted rate.
Who makes ONLYOFFICE?
ONLYOFFICE is made by Ascensio System SIA. Its About page says the holding company is ONLYOFFICE Capital Group Pte.
What are the alternatives to ONLYOFFICE?
The closest alternatives to ONLYOFFICE in our directory are Collabora Online, Google Docs, Zoho Writer and CryptPad.
How does ONLYOFFICE compare with other docs and wiki tools?
ONLYOFFICE's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 48 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is ONLYOFFICE good value for money?
ToolGPA grades ONLYOFFICE C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $16.50 for the category: 24 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of ONLYOFFICE?
To replace ONLYOFFICE you would be making a spreadsheet engine with its formulas.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from ONLYOFFICE’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ONLYOFFICE's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-26.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Ascensio System SIA. Prices change, so check onlyoffice.com before you buy.
- onlyoffice.com/docspace-prices
- onlyoffice.com/docs-enterprise-prices
- onlyoffice.com/
- onlyoffice.com/docs
- onlyoffice.com/all-connectors
- onlyoffice.com/download-community
- onlyoffice.com/nonprofit-organizations
- onlyoffice.com/free-cloud
- onlyoffice.com/about
- helpcenter.onlyoffice.com/docspace/faq.aspx
- helpcenter.onlyoffice.com/docspace/configuration/docspace-billing.aspx
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- ONLYOFFICE, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/onlyoffice
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "ONLYOFFICE: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/onlyoffice
Know someone choosing between docs and wiki tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/onlyoffice/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded docs and wiki tools after ONLYOFFICE, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Docs & Wikis Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 docs and wiki tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Writer Insider's GuideFree online word processor with AI and document automation3.6 GPA
- Google Docs Insider's GuideBrowser-based word processor, free with a Google Account3.4 GPA
- XWiki Insider's GuideOpen-source enterprise wiki with structured data and apps3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what ONLYOFFICE’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. ONLYOFFICE is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Ascensio System SIA. Prices and plans change: check onlyoffice.com before you buy.