Word processor to replace Google Docs

Table of Contents

The problem

I have a few frustrations with Google Docs. It has gotten slow over the years. There is now a sudden push to migrate to Google Workspaces, which is something I do not want to do. There a few routes I can go in an endeavor to switch away from Google Docs.

Web Options

  • Office 365
  • Etherpad-lite
  • Hedgedoc
  • OnlyOffice
  • Other various options that do not support footnotes

Desktop Options

  • LibreOffice
  • VSCode
  • Geany
  • Other options not as good as the ones listed

The Direction

I really only need a word processor. I do not need a full blown office replacement. LibreOffice is nice, but I would like something that looks more modern. Hedgedoc is a great option, but footnotes are a bit clunky.1 Etherpad-lite says it will do what I need, but all of the plugins that I would want to use do not work with the latest version. VSCode and Geany do not support footnotes as I would need them. That left me with only one option to try OnlyOffice.2

OnlyOffice

OnlyOffice is bundled with well known third-party solutions, such as CryptPad, NextCloud, and OwnCloud. Those options offer more than a document processor, and I am only looking to add a word processor. This meant I had to custom supply my own OnlyOffice solution.3 In a followup post, I will post how I accomplished to vibe code middleware to handle the Document server oddities behind an OAuth2 authentication flow.

Conclusion

I thought there would be more free wordprocessing options available in 2025, but it appears everyone stopped developing new things once Google created their free Google Docs product. It appears others paid OnlyOffice to write competitive software in 2015. I am just thankful there is an AGPL v3.0 license .... even if the Documentation is difficult to understand.

  1. I would have to manually type the references. While this is what I do on this blog, when I write, I want fast footnote insertion. If Hedgedoc had a button I could press, it would have switched to it in a heartbeat. ↩

  2. Worst case scenario, I could code my own option, but this is not ideal. ↩

  3. This is more difficult than it seems. The Docs were lacking in this area. ↩