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ZDNET's key takeaways
Nextcloud Office and OnlyOffice are excellent cloud-based, open-source office suites.
Nextcloud Office is a full-featured office suite.
OnlyOffice doesn't have as many features, but it's more compatible with Microsoft Office formats.
These days, businesses tend to run cloud office suites, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, instead of standalone office suites, like Office 2021 or LibreOffice.
Say, however, you don't want to pay or don't trust Google or Microsoft with your data, or you're concerned about digital sovereignty, or you prefer open-source software. In that case, you have two other choices to seriously consider for your small-to-medium business (SMB): Nextcloud Office and OnlyOffice.
Also: 5 must-have cloud tools for small businesses in 2025 (and my top 10 money-saving secrets)
These two have emerged as the leading Linux-based, open-source office suites for SMBs seeking privacy, flexibility, and advanced collaboration without relying on proprietary cloud ecosystems. Both solutions offer full-featured document editing, seamless collaboration, and self-hosted deployment options.
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