Free, open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel
Microsoft's spreadsheet app. 4 apps you can run yourself instead of Microsoft Excel, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
ONLYOFFICEBest match
Office suite that enables you to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place.
Collabora Online Development Edition
Collabora Online Development Edition (CODE) is a powerful LibreOffice-based online office that supports all major document, spreadsheet and presentation file formats, which you can integrate in your own infrastructure.
Grist
Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).
CryptPad
Collaboration suite built to enable collaboration, synchronizing changes to documents in real time.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONLYOFFICE | 6,999 | AGPL-3.0 | Node.js, Docker | |
| Collabora Online Development Edition | - | MPL-2.0 | C++ | |
| Grist | 11,944 | Apache-2.0 | Node.js, Python, Docker | |
| CryptPad | 8,005 | AGPL-3.0 | Node.js, Docker |
Why replace Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Microsoft Excel?
ONLYOFFICE is the closest open-source replacement for Microsoft Excel in our list. Collabora Online Development Edition and Grist are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft Excel?
Yes. All 4 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.