More and more EU citizens are looking for digital alternatives to US products – especially when it comes to office software. The European market has caught up significantly in this area. More and more open source solutions with EU hosting and strong encryption are giving Microsoft 365 real competition.
For decades, Europe’s dependence on American technology was accepted and formed the foundation of our modern IT infrastructure. But in addition to the aversion to digital services from China that has grown in recent years, products from the United States are now also being questioned.
Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta not only have enormous market power, but they also exploit it – sometimes with anti-competitive practices. Many users also have concerns that sensitive data is not safe in the hands of US companies.
Since US President Donald Trump took office again, the topic has become more important again, as the question increasingly arises as to whether the USA is still a reliable partner for Europe. Trump’s foreign and trade policy decisions, such as his tariff policy, at least fuel doubts.
Alternatives to Microsoft 365: Office providers from Europe
Critics see politics and business becoming ever more closely intertwined in the USA, as Trump appears to be cooperating with many tech CEOs. Money and progress come first, user interests and data protection must come second. Fortunately, Europe has caught up significantly technologically in recent years.
Many alternatives “Made in Europe” see themselves as a counter-model to American technologies. The providers often rely on sustainability, data protection and clear terms of use. That’s why we present four office providers from the EU here. We have previously looked at European cloud services and email providers.
1. Nextcloud
Nextcloud is more than just simple cloud storage. The platform, developed in Germany, allows several people to work together on documents from the Nextcloud suite. And the service uses the integrated Nextcloud Office to edit tables. Nextcloud relies on the principle of “self-hosted & open source”. The data is always “physically” located where the user wants it, for example on a dedicated server in Europe. Since the documents are rendered directly on the server, there are no formatting issues when printing or sharing. In addition, almost all data always remains on the server, which minimizes the risk of data leaks. Documents can even be edited together during an ongoing video call. The software itself is free; professional subscriptions for companies start at around 36 euros per user per year.
2. XWiki
When it comes to structuring knowledge and collaboration between multiple departments, XWiki is one of the most powerful platforms in Europe. The open source wiki has been developed in France for over 20 years and is intended to promote the digital sovereignty of its users. XWiki is aimed at teams that not only want to store information, but also want to network it intelligently. The platform offers a browser-based editor, a detailed version history and an extensive permission system. Using so-called in-page scripting, small forms or mini-apps can be created within wiki pages. And thanks to the “AppWithinMinutes” feature, even inexperienced users can build structured applications using drag-and-drop. The cloud version is hosted in France via OVHcloud. The software is generally available free of charge; professional packages start at around twelve euros per month.
3. CryptPad
CryptPad is the right software for all users for whom data protection is at the top of the list. The French open source service follows the so-called “zero knowledge” principle. This means that even the platform operators cannot read the contents of the documents because all information is encrypted end-to-end. CryptPad offers a complete suite of applications, from word processing and spreadsheets to whiteboards and surveys. It can be used completely anonymously and without registration. In the free basic version, registered users receive one GB of storage space on the official server, which is also hosted by OVHcloud in the EU. The storage space can be expanded for five euros per month. Companies can even install the software on their own hardware
4. Collabora Online
Strictly speaking, Collabora Online is not an independent cloud service, but is used as a basis by many European providers such as Nextcloud Office. The software is based on LibreOffice and brings all the functions of a desktop office suite directly into the browser. Collabora offers high compatibility and supports all common Microsoft formats. Documents can be edited by several people at the same time. The big advantage of Collabora Online is its versatility. The service can be seamlessly integrated into existing infrastructures. Since Collabora relies on open source and data protection, it is a suitable alternative for companies that want to become independent of Office applications such as Microsoft 365.
Conclusion: Microsoft alternatives from Europe
All four European alternatives have their justification. But they are aimed at different target groups. Anyone who wants maximum control over their data and has technical know-how is best served with Nextcloud and the self-hosted version. CryptPad, on the other hand, is particularly suitable for individuals and small teams who want to get started immediately and without registration and who attach great importance to encryption.
XWiki shows its strengths primarily in larger organizations that need to build and network knowledge in a structured manner. But all four tools show one thing clearly: Europe no longer has to hide behind the USA in the office sector.
The combination of open source, EU hosting and transparent terms of use is a real argument, especially at a time when the political reliability of the USA as a technology partner is increasingly in question. In most cases, those who dare to make the switch will hardly lose any comfort, but will gain significantly in digital sovereignty.
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