European Alternatives to Google Docs
Google’s browser-based collaborative document editor. Below are 3 alternatives from companies headquartered in the United Kingdom, Estonia and France. 2 of them keep data in the EU only, and 2 have a free plan.
Headquartered in Europe
Every company listed here has its headquarters in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland, not just a data centre there.
Data location you can check
The pricing table shows whether each one keeps data in the EU only, offers an EU region, or does not say.
Outside the US CLOUD Act
US providers can be ordered to hand over data held in their European data centres. A European company with no US parent or US operations is outside that reach.
Compare Google Docs Alternatives
| Company | Headquarters | Data Residency | Founded | Pricing | Open Source | Employees | Funding | Replaces | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Collabora Online Open Source | Cambridge, United Kingdom | — | 2013 | Self-hosted core with paid support subscriptions | ✅ Yes | ~100 | Private open-source company | Google Docs, Microsoft 365 | Visit |
| Tallinn, Estonia | 🇪🇺 EU Only | 2018 | Free tier plus paid storage and collaboration plans | ❌ No | ~10 | Bootstrapped subscription business | Google Docs, Apple Notes | Visit | |
CryptPad Open Source | Paris, France | 🇪🇺 EU Only | 2016 | Free tier, paid hosted plans | ✅ Yes | ~20 | Open-source company supported by subscriptions and grants | Google Docs, Notion | Visit |
Google Docs Alternatives: Pricing and Hosting Compared
Starting prices are the lowest paid plan each vendor publishes. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy, as plans change.
| Alternative | Country | Free plan | Paid plans | Open source | Data residency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collabora Online | United Kingdom | No | Custom quote | Yes | Not stated |
| Cryptee | Estonia | Yes | Not published | No | EU only |
| CryptPad | France | Yes | Not published | Yes | EU only |
3 European Alternatives
Collabora Online
UK- and EU-focused collaborative office suite built on LibreOffice for sovereign document editing inside self-hosted stacks.
Estonian browser-native encrypted documents and file workspace for teams that want lightweight writing without giving up European privacy control.
French end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite for documents, spreadsheets, whiteboards, and knowledge sharing.
What to Check Before Switching from Google Docs
Where your data will be stored
2 of the 3 alternatives here say they keep data in the EU only. Collabora Online does not state where data is stored. Ask before you move anything sensitive.
How you can try it
Cryptee and CryptPad have a free plan, so you can run a real test before cancelling Google Docs. Collabora Online sells on custom quotes only, which usually means a sales call before you can try it.
Open source
Collabora Online and CryptPad release their software or models under an open licence, which makes it easier to self-host, inspect what runs, and move again later.
Security certifications
Certifications we have confirmed on the vendor’s own site: Collabora Online (ISO 27001). If your procurement requires one, check the others directly.
What you need to bring from Google Docs
List the data, templates and integrations you rely on in Google Docs, then confirm each one can be exported and that the alternative can import it or offers an API to rebuild it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the European alternatives to Google Docs?
- We list 3 companies headquartered in Europe that replace Google Docs: Collabora Online (United Kingdom), Cryptee (Estonia) and CryptPad (France).
- Is there a free European alternative to Google Docs?
- Cryptee and CryptPad have a free plan. Free plans usually come with limits on usage or features, so check them against how you use Google Docs today.
- Which Google Docs alternatives keep data in the EU?
- Cryptee and CryptPad keep data in the EU only.
- Is there an open-source European alternative to Google Docs?
- Yes: Collabora Online and CryptPad.