Last checked October 2026 · 6 alternatives to Microsoft Excel in our catalog
People look for an open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel to cut cost or avoid lock-in. Below are 3 open-source options you can inspect, modify and often self-host - 2 are completely free, 3 run on Linux and 1 works in the browser.
Picked from listing data (price model, license, platforms, community votes), not hands-on testing.
| Alternative | Price | Open source | Platforms | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache OpenOffice | Free | Yes (Apache-2.0) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open-source office suite with Writer, Calc and Impress |
| LibreOffice | Free | Yes | Windows, Mac, Linux | Free, open-source office suite for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations |
| OnlyOffice | Freemium | Yes (AGPL-3.0) | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | Secure online office suite fully compatible with MS Office formats |
Free, open-source office suite with Writer, Calc and Impress
Free, open-source office suite for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
Secure online office suite fully compatible with MS Office formats
Free plan includes: Access to ONLYOFFICE Docs online editors · Basic collaboration tools (view, edit, comment) · Limited storage and user count · Integration with popular services (Box, Moodle, Nextcloud, Odoo, WordPress, etc.)
Apache OpenOffice is the first free alternative we list for Microsoft Excel and has no paid tier. Others worth a look: LibreOffice and OnlyOffice. Which one fits depends on what you use Microsoft Excel for, so check the platform and free-plan details for each.
Yes: Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice and OnlyOffice. Open-source options can usually be inspected, modified and self-hosted.
Yes. The free plan includes Create and edit workbooks in the browser, Real-time co-authoring and Requires a free Microsoft account.
How this list is built: alternatives come from our catalog's curated alternative relationships; price model, license and platforms come from each product's listing; order is fully-free first, then community votes.
