Head-to-head · 2026

ONLYOFFICE vs Microsoft Office

ONLYOFFICE is a European alternative to Microsoft Office: same office & collaboration use case, headquartered in Latvia and operating under GDPR by default, while Microsoft Office is based in the United States.

By the EU Alternatives team Last updated 11 July 2026

European alternative

ONLYOFFICE

Latvia

Open-source online editor for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs. Features real-time collaboration, AI integration, and accessibility tools.

Jurisdiction: EU / EEA
GDPR by default: Yes
US CLOUD Act exposure: No
Open source: No
Free tier: No

See full ONLYOFFICE profile

Non-EU

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office · US

Microsoft Office, now sold as Microsoft 365, remains the standard for documents, spreadsheets and email in most organisations. It is subscription-based for both households and businesses, with free web-only versions of Word and Excel. Microsoft is based in Redmond, Washington, and US legislation applies to data held in its cloud wherever the servers are.

Jurisdiction: US
GDPR by default: Requires DPA + TIA
US CLOUD Act exposure: Yes

All European alternatives to Microsoft Office

ONLYOFFICE vs Microsoft Office at a glance

	ONLYOFFICE	Microsoft Office
Headquarters	Latvia	US
Data jurisdiction	EU / EEA	US law applies
GDPR by default	Yes	Requires DPA + transfer assessment
US CLOUD Act exposure	No	Yes
Open source	No	—
Free tier	No	—
Best for	Teams that need office & collaboration with EU data residency	Teams already invested in the Microsoft Office ecosystem

Choose ONLYOFFICE if…

You want your data to stay under EU law without extra legal paperwork
GDPR compliance or public-sector requirements apply to you
You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem

Stick with Microsoft Office if…

You depend on integrations only available in the Microsoft Office ecosystem
Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now

Why choose ONLYOFFICE over Microsoft Office?

The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. Microsoft Office is headquartered in US, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.

ONLYOFFICE removes that overhead. As a Latvia-based provider, it operates natively under GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single non-EU jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.

Frequently asked questions

Is ONLYOFFICE a good alternative to Microsoft Office?

Yes. ONLYOFFICE is one of the top-ranked European alternatives to Microsoft Office in our directory, covering the same office & collaboration use case. It is headquartered in Latvia, keeping your data under EU law by default.

What's the main difference between ONLYOFFICE and Microsoft Office?

The biggest difference is jurisdiction: ONLYOFFICE is based in Latvia and operates under GDPR and EU data-protection law, while Microsoft Office is headquartered in US and may transfer data outside the EU. For regulated industries or organisations following Schrems II guidance, this difference is decisive.

Is ONLYOFFICE GDPR-compliant?

ONLYOFFICE is a European company based in Latvia, so GDPR compliance is the default operating model rather than a bolt-on. No transfer impact assessment is required for EU customers, unlike when using Microsoft Office.

How do I migrate from Microsoft Office to ONLYOFFICE?

Start by exporting your data from Microsoft Office (most providers offer an export in their settings). Then import into ONLYOFFICE using its native import tool or migration guide. Running both in parallel for a week catches any feature or workflow gaps before you fully switch.

Other European alternatives to Microsoft Office