Under the name Euro-Office, several European technology companies have presented a new office suite in Berlin that is intended to serve as a superior alternative to Microsoft Office. The companies behind the project include IONOS, Nextcloud, EuroStack, XWiki, OpenProject, Soverin, Abilian and BTactic. The technical basis is the open source software OnlyOffice, which is now being further developed under European governance.
Euro-Office: Why a European office suite?
The dependence of European authorities, companies and schools on US software has been a contentious issue for years. Legislation such as the US CLOUD Act, geopolitical tensions and growing data protection requirements have recently significantly intensified the debate on digital sovereignty. Euro-Office fills precisely this gap: the suite is designed to cover text documents, spreadsheets and presentations on a day-to-day basis while remaining fully under European control.
At the launch, IONOS CEO Achim Weiß emphasized that Europe urgently needs a reliable, Microsoft-compatible and easy-to-use office solution. Nextcloud CEO Frank Karlitschek added that the technical building blocks have long been available in Europe – what has been missing so far is an initiative that brings them together to form a meaningful overall solution.
Technical basis: OnlyOffice as a fork
Technically, Euro-Office is based on OnlyOffice, a browser-based office suite from Latvia that includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. Compared to alternatives such as LibreOffice, OnlyOffice is considered to be technically more modern and more compatible with Microsoft file formats such as DOCX, XLSX and PPTX.
However, there has been a problem with OnlyOffice to date: although the developer company Ascensio System SIA is based in Latvia, it is a subsidiary of a Russian company. As a result of the EU sanctions against Russia, it was no longer possible for European organizations to use the commercial version. The fork under the umbrella of Euro-Office should completely eliminate this risk.
What Euro-Office offers
| Feature | The details |
|---|---|
| Word processing | Compatible with DOCX, ODT, TXT, PDF |
| Spreadsheet | Compatible with XLSX, ODS, CSV |
| Presentations | Compatible with PPTX, ODP |
| Collaboration | Real-time collaboration in the browser |
| License | Open Source (AGPLv3) |
| Desktop apps | Windows, macOS, Linux (in progress) |
| Integration with | Nextcloud, OpenProject, Proton Docs and others. |
Not a standalone product, but an integration component
An important point: Euro-Office is not a classic desktop program to download and install – at least not primarily. The suite sees itself as an integration component that is embedded in other platforms. Storage, navigation, rights management and sharing logic are handled by the respective host platform, such as Nextcloud, OpenProject or Proton Docs. The real strength therefore lies in collaborative document editing directly in the browser.
At the same time, however, work is also underway on desktop editors that will work offline on Windows, macOS and Linux. Anyone currently using Microsoft Office should be able to make the switch as smoothly as possible thanks to the familiar interface.
Tech preview available, stable version in summer
A tech preview is currently available on GitHub, which organizations and individuals can use to test the core functionality and provide feedback. The first stable version of Euro-Office is planned for summer 2026. The entire source code is available under open licenses and will be further developed without trademark restrictions.
Euro-Office is not the only European initiative in this area: Office.eu, a work environment also based on Nextcloud Hub and aimed primarily at private individuals and small companies, was recently launched. Both projects pursue similar goals in terms of data sovereignty and GDPR compliance.
Conclusion: Euro-Office as an opportunity for digital independence
Euro-Office could be an important step towards Europe’s digital sovereignty. The combination of a modern code base, full Microsoft compatibility and open governance is very promising. However, it remains to be seen whether the suite can really keep up with Microsoft Office in everyday use – especially for users who are used to the intricacies of Excel or PowerPoint. In any case, the tech preview is ready and anyone who takes European alternatives seriously should take a look.
