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Last checked November 2, 2026

Free alternatives to Google Workspace

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Google Workspace is Gmail on your domain, Drive, Docs, Meet, and Calendar under one bill. On January 15, 2025 Google said Business Standard with the Gemini add-on had been $32 per user a month and that the new Business Standard price is $14, which the post calls $2 more than the suite without Gemini. No single free app is the whole suite. Nextcloud covers the most of this checklist. Mail still needs a mail server.

Small teamsEnterprisesPrice checked

What you pay for Google Workspace

Business Standard is $14 per user a month on an Annual/Fixed-Term plan, or $16.80 on a Flexible plan.

Checked November 2, 2026 on the Business editions Help Center. Business Starter is $7 annual or $8.40 flexible. Business Plus is $22 annual or $26.40 flexible. Those are per user, per month. Annual plans can be billed annually or monthly depending on region. The January 15, 2025 post is the price-change source: $32 with the Gemini Business add-on, then $14, described as $2 more than Workspace without Gemini. Pooled storage on that Help Center page is 30 GB, 2 TB, or 5 TB per user by edition, and the page says the full pool follows a $30 payment.

Google Workspace website·Price page

For small teams and enterprises. Its price on file: Business Standard is $14 per user a month on an Annual/Fixed-Term plan, or $16.80 on a Flexible plan. It is in the Office suites group.

How to switch

The closest free app on the checklist is Nextcloud. Cost and details. Move a workspace from Google to Nextcloud.

Need a server? DigitalOcean is one simple option. Railway is another.

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We may earn from this Railway link.

The suite, split into pieces

These scores are from the checklist on this page. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement. We check each app against public docs and price pages.

Nextcloud is #1 (80). mailcow is #2 (32). ONLYOFFICE is #3 (20).

Nextcloud

#1 · Closest

7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

You only get part of: email on your own domain and docs, sheets, and slides in the browser.

mailcow

#2

7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

What you give up: docs, sheets, and slides in the browser, shared file storage, and video meetings, and 1 more. You only get part of: shared calendars and add and remove people from one admin screen.

ONLYOFFICE

#3

7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

What you give up: email on your own domain, shared file storage, and shared calendars, and 3 more.

Where they differ

  • Email on your own domain

    Worth 10 points. Nextcloud does part of it. Nextcloud Mail is a client. The mail still lives on a mail server. mailcow does all of it. A mail server you run, with SOGo webmail. ONLYOFFICE does none of it.

  • Docs, sheets, and slides in the browser

    Worth 10 points. Nextcloud does part of it. Browser editing needs Collabora or ONLYOFFICE on the same server. mailcow does none of it. ONLYOFFICE does all of it. The community docs server edits documents, spreadsheets, and slides in the browser.

  • Shared file storage

    Worth 8 points. Nextcloud does all of it. File sync is the core app. mailcow does none of it. ONLYOFFICE does none of it. Document Server edits files. It is not shared storage.

  • Shared calendars

    Worth 6 points. Nextcloud does all of it. The calendar app is part of the hub. mailcow does part of it. SOGo includes a calendar. ONLYOFFICE does none of it.

  • Video meetings

    Worth 6 points. Nextcloud does all of it. Nextcloud Talk is the meeting app. mailcow and ONLYOFFICE do none of it.

  • Add and remove people from one admin screen

    Worth 6 points. Nextcloud does all of it. Users are managed on the Nextcloud server. It is not Google's Admin console. mailcow does part of it. You add mailboxes. It is not an admin console for docs and files. ONLYOFFICE does none of it.

  • Phone apps

    Worth 4 points. Nextcloud does all of it. mailcow does none of it. No first-party phone app. Phones use IMAP or ActiveSync. ONLYOFFICE does none of it. This listing does not include phone apps.

How close is it?

How this works

A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement. #1 is the closest free app that did not pay us. An ad, when one is sold, is marked and sits after #1. Paying does not change the score. Open source means you can use, change, and share the code. Run it yourself means the app can live on a computer you control.

  1. #1 · ClosestOpen source

    Nextcloud

    Dropbox you run yourself, plus the apps you turn on.

    7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

    You only get part of: email on your own domain and docs, sheets, and slides in the browser.

    Last checked October 29, 2026 · License: AGPL-3.0

    MacWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidWebRun it yourself
    Cost and detailsHow to switchWebsite
  2. #2Open source

    mailcow

    A Docker mail server with SOGo webmail and Rspamd.

    7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

    What you give up: docs, sheets, and slides in the browser, shared file storage, and video meetings, and 1 more. You only get part of: shared calendars and add and remove people from one admin screen.

    Last checked October 29, 2026 · License: GPL-3.0

    WebRun it yourselfLinux
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  3. #3Open source

    ONLYOFFICE

    Browser editors for DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX.

    7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

    What you give up: email on your own domain, shared file storage, and shared calendars, and 3 more.

    Last checked October 29, 2026 · License: AGPL-3.0 (community docs)

    WebRun it yourselfMacWindowsLinux
    Cost and detailsWebsitePaid link · We may earn a fee. That fee does not change the score.

Feature by feature

Full means it does the whole job. Partial means it does some of it. Missing means it does not. Not checked counts as zero. The number under each feature is how much it counts. A bigger number moves the score more.

Scroll sideways to see every app.

Feature comparison. Full, partial, missing, or not checked.
FeatureNextcloud#1 · 807 of 7 checked featuresmailcow#2 · 327 of 7 checked featuresONLYOFFICE#3 · 207 of 7 checked features
Email on your own domainCounts for 10PartialNextcloud Mail is a client. The mail still lives on a mail server.FullA mail server you run, with SOGo webmail.Missing
Docs, sheets, and slides in the browserCounts for 10PartialBrowser editing needs Collabora or ONLYOFFICE on the same server.MissingFullThe community docs server edits documents, spreadsheets, and slides in the browser.
Shared file storageCounts for 8FullFile sync is the core app.MissingMissingDocument Server edits files. It is not shared storage.
Shared calendarsCounts for 6FullThe calendar app is part of the hub.PartialSOGo includes a calendar.Missing
Video meetingsCounts for 6FullNextcloud Talk is the meeting app.MissingMissing
Add and remove people from one admin screenCounts for 6FullUsers are managed on the Nextcloud server. It is not Google's Admin console.PartialYou add mailboxes. It is not an admin console for docs and files.Missing
Phone appsCounts for 4FullMissingNo first-party phone app. Phones use IMAP or ActiveSync.MissingThis listing does not include phone apps.

What it costs

Nextcloud

Free plan
The server is free to host. Nextcloud GmbH sells enterprise support. Many hosting companies sell managed Nextcloud.
They host it
No hosted price on file.
Run it yourself
Setup: medium. A small team fits in Docker or a snap. Backups, upgrades, and the office suite are the ongoing work. You need a small server. Prices depend on your host.

mailcow

Free plan
The software is free to run. You pay for the machine, DNS, and a way to send mail that other servers will accept.
They host it
No hosted price on file.
Run it yourself
Hard. Docker Compose on a Linux host, plus DNS records for the domain. The project documents IMAP, SMTP, SOGo, and Rspamd as part of the stack. You need a small server. Prices depend on your host.

ONLYOFFICE

Free plan
You can run the free version on your own server. You don't pay for each person. We don't list a price for the hosted version. Not checked.
They host it
No hosted price on file.
Run it yourself
Setup: medium. Plan on Docker or a small virtual machine. A paid hosted plan, if there is one, is separate from the free copy you run yourself.

Did you switch?

If you left Google Workspace, tell us if it worked and how long it took. Notes stay private until we approve them. Nothing is shown until at least five are approved.

How did it go?

Closest pair

Move a workspace from Google to Nextcloud

Nextcloud can take the files, the calendar, and the docs. Domain mail still needs a mail server. Nextcloud Mail is only a client.

Read how to switch

Related alternatives

Office suites alternatives

Switch guides

Free apps in this group

Questions

What is the closest free app?
Nextcloud, if you want files, calendars, browser editing, and calls in one place. Browser editing needs Collabora or ONLYOFFICE on that server. Nextcloud Mail reads mail. It does not host the mailboxes. mailcow is the mail server. ONLYOFFICE is the editors, not the inbox.
Did the price go up?
Google's January 15, 2025 post says the new Business Standard price is $2 more than Workspace without Gemini, and that a customer who had also paid for the Gemini Business add-on went from $32 to $14 per user a month. Existing monthly plans changed starting March 17, 2025. The current Help Center figures are in the price box on this page.
Is this the same as the Gmail page?
No. The Gmail page is the inbox. This page is the paid business suite: domain mail, files, docs, and meetings on one subscription. A file-sync move is on the Google Drive page.