Self-hosted alternatives to Microsoft Word
Want word processing without handing your data to Microsoft Word? These 10 self-hosted apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $5/month.
About Microsoft Word: Microsoft's word processor.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etherpad | Active | 18.6k | Apache-2.0 | ✓ | 4 GB | $20/mo |
| Overleaf | Active | 18.3k | AGPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Docs | Active | 17k | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| CryptPad | Active | 8.1k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 4 GB | $20/mo |
| HedgeDoc | Active | 7.5k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| ONLYOFFICE | Active | 7.1k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 4 GB | $20/mo |
| plumio | Active | 142 | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Neverkin | Active | 22 | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Writing | Stale | 1.1k | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Collabora Online Development Edition | Unknown | – | MPL-2.0 | – | 4 GB | $20/mo |
The options in detail
1. Etherpad
Highly customizable online editor providing collaborative editing in real-time.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v3.3.15 (2026-11-04). Needs roughly 4 GB RAM. How to run it →
2. Overleaf
Web-based collaborative LaTeX editor.
Active Last commit 2026-09-17. Latest release v0.1.3 (2015-02-26). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
3. Docs
Collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v6.0.4 (2026-10-26). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
4. CryptPad
Collaboration suite built to enable collaboration, synchronizing changes to documents in real time.
Active Last commit 2026-10-28. 7 releases in the past year. Latest release 2026.10.0 (2026-10-21). Needs roughly 4 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. HedgeDoc
Realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms, formerly known as CodiMD and HackMD CE.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release 1.12.2 (2026-11-04). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
6. ONLYOFFICE
Office suite that enables you to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place.
Active Last commit 2026-10-26. Latest release v10.0.0 (2026-10-12). Needs roughly 4 GB RAM. How to run it →
7. plumio
Markdown notes taking app with live preview, document encryption, multi-user support, multi-organization capabilities and more.
Active Last commit 2026-11-03. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v2.11.0 (2026-08-11). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
8. Neverkin
Collaborative writing, worldbuilding and D&D-session-planning app. Tools for organizing your notes and stories.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v2.69.0 (2026-11-03). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
9. Writing
Lightweight distraction-free text editor, in the browser (Markdown and LaTeX supported). No lag when writing.
Stale Last commit 2022-08-10. Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
10. 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.
Unknown Needs roughly 4 GB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of Microsoft Word?
- Own your data — it lives on a server you control, with backups you decide on.
- Predictable cost — a small VPS often replaces per-seat pricing for a whole team or family.
- No lock-in — open-source licenses let you keep running the software even if a vendor disappears.
The trade-off: you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Pick an app marked Active (a commit in the last 90 days) and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
Browse related categories
Other alternatives guides
Microsoft Word is a trademark of its owner; this site is not affiliated with it. Listings come from the community-maintained awesome-selfhosted list.