For many years, Microsoft Word was the default choice for word processing – a capable tool, but also one pre-installed on most new PCs and deeply integrated into proprietary ecosystems. That early ubiquity helped shape habits and workflows for millions.
But times have changed! Collabora Online Writer is a quality alternative, not a weak compromise. Collabora Online Writer is a fully-featured, professional-grade word processor that runs in your browser, supports real-time collaboration, and respects your privacy.
Below are just some of the latest features available from Collabora Online Writer — not a wishlist, but the ready-made document editor for your integration or office.
Built for Real Collaboration
Whether you’re working side-by-side in real time or across time zones, Collabora Online Writer is designed for smooth, effective collaboration. Shared documents update instantly, edits can be tracked per user, and the tools you need for clear communication are right where you need them.
As the name suggests, collaboration is at the heart of Collabora Online. Some of the more recent updates to Writer include:
- Nested comments for threaded discussions
- @mentions for team communication
- Ctrl+Enter to quickly post feedback
- Copy comment text directly
- Reinstate text
Combined with another powerful feature – per-user tracked changes, and it’s never been easier to review and discuss documents collaboratively. Whether you’re editing a report or conducting a peer review, Writer makes team feedback feel seamless.
Compatibility & Integration
With broad interoperability, open and edit the documents you already have, whether they are in Microsoft file formats such as .docx, or open formats like .odt., without formatting headaches. And whether you’re working on a desktop, tablet, or mobile, online or offline, we have a solution for you across platforms with browser-based, desktop, iOS and Android apps.
Want to integrate powerful editing into your own platform? No problem. Collabora Online is built for extensibility, with WOPI, REST APIs, and custom branding support, making it the ideal choice for secure, integrated document workflows in education, enterprise, or public sector systems.
Familiar User Interface & Easy Workflows
Writer focuses on your content – not on getting in your way.
With a clean, familiar layout and intuitive toolbars, users feel at home in minutes. The Navigator sidebar helps you jump between sections, tables, or headings instantly. Templates speed up document creation, and features like custom document properties or metadata tagging make it easy to stay organised, even in complex projects.
It’s everything you expect from a modern word processor — without the distractions, lock-ins, or bloat.
Precision with Styles Spotlight
Say goodbye to messy formatting and inconsistent headings. With the new Styles Spotlight, you can instantly see where direct formatting has been applied, highlight inconsistencies, and apply clean, professional styles with ease.
Whether you’re drafting a business proposal or preparing academic work, Writer helps you maintain visual consistency throughout your document.
Work Smarter with AutoText & Custom Dictionaries
If you’re tired of typing the same phrases over and over, AutoText in Collabora Online Writer lets you save and reuse your most-used snippets — from legal clauses to technical jargon or standard replies. This power-feature is great for integrations where professional or pre-approved statements need to be used frequently.
Add to that the power of Custom Dictionaries, and you’ll never see your industry-specific terms flagged as errors again. It’s intelligent writing, made effortless.
Data-Ready: Tables, Charts, and More
Collabora Online Writer isn’t just for words – it’s built for documents that communicate visually and clearly.
Need to present structured information? Inserting and customising tables is quick and flexible, whether you’re building schedules, reports, or forms. Set column widths, apply consistent styles, and or remove rows – all with just a few clicks.
Need to visualise your data? Writer includes powerful, built-in charting tools, letting you insert and edit charts directly in your document editor. From bar and pie charts to line and area graphs, you can customise titles, axes, labels, and colours to match your needs. And with improved compatibility, even charts from Microsoft Word documents open and display.
Of course, it doesn’t stop there. You can also insert:
- Images and diagrams
- Mathematical equations
- Fontwork (for stylised text effects)
- QR codes (great for linking to websites or forms)
- Shapes, arrows, and callouts
So whether you’re creating a report, proposal, or presentation handout, Collabora Online Writer gives you the tools to make your documents clear, visual, and professional.
Speed Where It Matters: Viewport-Based Preloading
Large documents? No problem. With Viewport-Based Preloading, Writer intelligently prioritises what you see on screen, making even 300-page documents or 1000 column spreadsheets fast and responsive. You get speedy rendering of visible content, and intelligent preloading ahead of your scrolling – a big leap forward in editing performance.
Built-In PDF Signing with eID Easy
Gone are the days of exporting to another tool just to sign a document. Writer now supports Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) with our new eID Easy integration – meeting EU compliance standards and enabling you to sign PDFs securely, from your document editor.
Better Language Support, Everywhere
Whether you’re writing in English, Chinese, Arabic, or Japanese, Writer delivers smoother font fallback, better diacritic handling, and smarter language-specific rendering. With Unicode-aware hyphenation settings, you’re free to write in any language, in any direction(!) with professional results.
Total Control – On Your Terms
Because Collabora Online Writer is open-source and self-hostable, you’re always in control of your documents, your data, and your environment. Use it with your favourite data storage system, deploy it on your own servers, or access it through a privacy-respecting provider — the choice is yours.
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 Writer 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!
