Univer review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Embeddable spreadsheet, document and slide SDK
Black Friday: is there a Univer sale?
Univer report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for developers embedding spreadsheets, docs and slides in an app
Univer is an SDK developers embed to edit spreadsheets, documents and slides inside their own product, with an open-source core under Apache-2.0. Production use needs a licence from $99 a month or $1,000 a year, and it is not a spreadsheet for end users.
Who Univer is for
- Fits if you build a product that needs a spreadsheet editor inside it
- Makes sense if you need an Apache-2.0 core you can host yourself
Who Univer is not for
- Not for you if you want a spreadsheet to use, as it is a developer toolkit
- Pricey if you are small, since a production licence starts at $99 a month
- Tight if you stay on Freemium, as it adds watermarks and feature limits
- Watch out: a Business licence covers one main domain and its subdomains
- Watch out: licences run 1 to 12 months with no automatic renewal
Why Univer gets a 1.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyBusiness starts at $99 a month, or from $1,000 a year, against $12 in the middle of spreadsheet tools and $65 for the dearest tenth. Model services and infrastructure are extra.
- CFree plan and trialThe open-source core is free and the Freemium tier is for development and testing, with watermarks and 10 exports a month. Production use is paid.
- DFeaturesAn SDK for sheets, docs and slides, a server component and an AI SDK. It needs an application built around it, and the open core lacks charts, pivots and real-time collaboration.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. A developer installs the packages and writes the integration.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb components for React, Vue and Angular. No desktop or phone app is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Univer's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/univer#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/univer.svg" alt="Univer: 1.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Univer stands among spreadsheet and database tools
Univer's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 42 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 7 of 42) and worst on features (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $83.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $11.38 for the category: 33 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. 37 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 43 spreadsheet and database tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Univer’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 1 of 42, level with 7
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 42, level with 12
- DFeaturesAbove 0 of 42, level with 2
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 42, level with 4
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 42, level with 32
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 42 spreadsheet and database tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Univer, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Univer 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.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 40 of the 42 other spreadsheet and database tools grade higher. It costs $1,000 a year. Univer is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- A spreadsheet engine with its formulas.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, React, Vue and Angular among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Univer’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.
What is Univer?
Univer is an Office SDK that developers embed in their own products to edit spreadsheets, documents and slides, with a server component for collaboration and file conversion and an AI SDK for agents. The core is open source under Apache-2.0, and a commercial self-hosted edition adds features such as charts, pivot tables and real-time collaboration.
Worth knowing
- It is a developer SDK, not a ready-made spreadsheet app for end users.
- Production use requires Business or Enterprise; the Freemium tier adds watermarks and feature limits.
- A Business license covers one main domain and its subdomains; other domains need separate licenses.
- Model services and infrastructure costs are not included in the license fee.
Key features
- Spreadsheets, docs and slides SDK
- Web SDK embeds Office-style editing in a product; Business adds charts, pivot tables, printing and an advanced formula engine.
- Server SDK
- Handles real-time collaboration, history and Office file import and export in your own environment.
- AI SDK
- Lets agents read and edit Office content and collaborate with people. It includes no model; you connect your own.
- File formats
- Sheets import XLS, XLSX, CSV and TSV and export XLSX, CSV and TSV; the vendor warns unsupported elements may be dropped in conversion.
- Customizable interface
- A plugin architecture for toolbars, menus and components written in React, Vue 3 or Web Components.
Univer pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Univer has a free plan, and paid plans start at $99 per month, or from $1,000 per year billed annually.
- Starts at
- $99 per month, or from $1,000 per year billed annually
- Free plan
- Freemium: commercial SDK capabilities with watermarks and feature limits, for development and testing. Includes 10 exports a month.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | $0 | Watermarks and feature limits; meant for development and testing, with 10 exports a month. |
| Business | $99per month and up, or from $1,000 per year billed annually | Self-hosted Office SDK for production: 25+ editing connections, 5,000+ exports a month, one main domain and its subdomains. Licenses run 1 to 12 months with no automatic renewal. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited editing connections and exports, distributed deployment and advanced support. |
Read from univer.ai on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Univer before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountAnnual license from $1,000
The pricing page lists Business from $99 a month, or from $1,000 a year billed annually.
Stated on univer.ai
Works with
- React
- Vue
- Angular
Univer alternatives
- Univer vs GRID
Free trial
- Univer vs Google Sheets
Free plan · from $7/mo
- Univer vs Microsoft Excel
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
- Univer vs Grist
Free plan · from $8/mo
Common questions
Does Univer have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Univer is listed for Web.
Does Univer have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Univer is listed for Web.
Is Univer open source?
Yes. Univer is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does Univer have an API?
Yes. Univer offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.