Whether you’re deep into data analysis or simply need a reliable spreadsheet for your day-to-day work, Collabora Online’s Calc delivers. With robust performance, excellent compatibility, and a ever-growing list of powerful features, Calc is a true open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel. Here’s why it might be the spreadsheet solution you’ve been looking for.
1. Excellent Compatibility – Seamlessly Open and Edit Excel Files
You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your existing spreadsheets will open properly. Calc offers top-tier compatibility with major spreadsheet file formats, such as .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, .odt, .csv. .tsv… That means you can continue working with files from clients, colleagues, or archives without skipping a beat, and they’ll be able to use your files also. Even complex formulas, pivot tables and charts are handled with precision.
2. Collaboration Built In – Real-Time Editing With Full Control
Thanks to Collabora Online’s collaborative infrastructure, multiple users can edit a spreadsheet at once, seeing changes in real time. Add to that powerful permission controls (view-only, comment, edit, cell protection…), integrated into a EFSS system, and your team has a secure, efficient way to work on shared data – no more emailing budget_v004-newchanges_finalFORPRINT.xlsx back and forth!
And because Calc runs entirely in the browser, there’s no need to worry about operating systems or device compatibility — it works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, Linux, or ChromeOS. Whether you’re at your desk or on the move, you can access your spreadsheets from any device. Furthermore, with dedicated mobile apps for Android and iOS, your team can view, edit, and collaborate on spreadsheets from virtually anywhere — at home, in the office, or on the go.
3. Serious Number Crunching – Advanced Features for Power Users
Just because it’s Open Source doesn’t mean it skimps on features. Calc supports everything from advanced formulas and conditional formatting to data validation and named ranges. Need a pivot table? Done. Want to filter or sort large datasets quickly? Easy. After analysing your data, Calc enables you to visualise your information, offering a wide variety of charts and graphs to represent data and identify trends. Calc is fully equipped for professional-grade spreadsheet work.
But Calc isn’t just powerful — it’s fast. Thanks to recent performance improvements, even large and complex spreadsheets with features like query formula load and respond more smoothly than ever. Meanwhile, our new Viewport-Based Preloading intelligently anticipates your scrolling direction and pre-renders content ahead of time, delivering a fluid experience as you navigate your data.
Some Recent Updates:
- Smarter Autofill with Live Preview: Drag-and-fill now gives you a visual preview before you release your mouse. Choose to extend a series (e.g. 1,2,3 → 4,5,6) or repeat values (1,2,3 → 1,2,3). No more deleting wrong fills!
- Named Ranges: Instead of referencing A1:B10, use meaningful names like TotalRevenue or ClientList to keep formulas clean and human-readable.
- Handle Duplicates Tool: Quickly find and remove duplicate entries in just a few clicks. Perfect for data cleanup, CRM work, and reporting.
- New Functions for Advanced Users: Say hello to XLOOKUP, XMATCH, UNIQUE, FILTER, RANDARRAY, and more — ensuring full compatibility with Excel while also making spreadsheets more powerful and readable.
- New Chart Types – Pie-of-Pie & Bar-of-Pie: These special Excel-compatible chart types make it easier to visualize and break down detailed data slices.
4. Protect Your Data – You’re in Control
At Collabora Online, we believe your data should be yours – no compromises, no backdoors, and no lock-ins.
That’s why Collabora Online gives you full control over where your data lives. Host it on your own infrastructure, or with a trusted local provider – whatever fits your organisation’s needs. This ensures full compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR, keeps you clear of intrusive legislation such as the US CLOUD Act or Patriot Act, and compliant with more recent EU legislation such as DORA. Your documents stay in your jurisdiction, under your governance.
Calc (and Collabora Online in general) is built with integration in mind. Rather than forcing you into a fixed platform or workflow, we fit into your existing environment. Whether you use an EFSS or have your own custom document management system, Calc can be deployed directly within it. Our open architecture, powerful APIs, and standards-based approach mean you can embed powerful spreadsheet functionality right where your users already work – no need to jump between systems or adopt entirely new platforms. We work around you, not the other way around!
The Ideal DORA-Ready Office
“[DORA requires] financial services to embed digital resilience on all levels of their operations, based on six pillars . It is urgent to […] get into compliance.”
5. User-Friendly and Customisable
But it’s not just about privacy – it’s about flexibility, too. Collabora Online doesn’t dictate how you should work. We provide you with a familiar interface (choose from compact or tabbed), but as an open-source solution, it’s designed to be customised. Tailor the user interface, set shortcuts for navigating quickly, extend functionality with macros, or integrate it deeply with your existing systems and workflows. Whether you’re building an education platform, a secure intranet, or a bespoke enterprise suite, you’re free to shape Collabora Online to fit your vision – not the other way around.
We have a vibrant, global community of contributors, partners, and developers, who help shape our roadmap and push the platform forward. Each year, we host COOL Days, our conference that brings together community members, integrators, and enthusiasts to share ideas, showcase innovations, and collaborate on the future of Collabora Online (read the latest COOL Days wrap-up here). We love working with hackers, open-source advocates, and builders of all kinds – and we’re always excited to welcome new voices into the mix!
Ready to Try It?
Why not have a look at Collabora Online Development Edition (CODE) for a taste of our product? CODE is the perfect way to explore what Calc can do. As our free to use, beta release, it’s ideal for testing the latest features, before deciding if Collabora Online is right for you.
Or to find out more about a Collabora Online subscription, get a quote here!
