Microsoft 365 vs ONLYOFFICE
A side-by-side look at Microsoft 365 (the paid SaaS) and ONLYOFFICE (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Microsoft 365 | ONLYOFFICE | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Office suite in the cloud — Word, Excel, PowerPoint. | Open source office suite with excellent MS Office compatibility. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Personal from $6.99/month. | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | iOS, Android |
Best for
Drop-in office suite with strong Word/Excel/PowerPoint compatibility.
ONLYOFFICE strengths
- High-fidelity Word/Excel/PowerPoint rendering — closest to MS Office of the OSS options.
- Integrates with Nextcloud, Seafile, WordPress, and more.
- Both desktop app and server editor available.
ONLYOFFICE weaknesses
- Document Server install is heavier than Collabora Online.
- Some advanced features require an enterprise license.
- Concurrent edit conflicts still occur occasionally.
What's the catch with Microsoft 365?
- Subscription-only model for full features.
- Heavy client, frequent updates.
- Cloud storage quota included but limited.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Microsoft 365: see Microsoft 365 alternatives, or learn more about ONLYOFFICE on its project page.
Recommended reading
When self-hosting goes wrong: seven failure modes and how to avoid them
An honest retrospective on the ways self-hosted setups break — not in theory, but in practice — and the small habits that prevent most of them.
Will the open source project you depend on still exist in three years?
Bus factor, maintainer burnout, funding models, and the signals that separate OSS projects that survive from those that quietly decay.
From SaaS to self-hosted: a 30-day migration playbook
A week-by-week plan to move one service off SaaS and onto your own server without breaking your team's workflow.