EtherCalc vs Spreadsheet by Univer
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted office suites options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
EtherCalc
Real-time collaborative spreadsheet editor
VS
Spreadsheet by Univer
Embeddable open-source spreadsheet engine
| Feature | EtherCalc | Spreadsheet by Univer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | CPAL-1.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,041 | ★ 22,008 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Google Sheets | Google Sheets, Excel Online |
Why pick each one
Choose EtherCalc if…
- Released under the CPAL-1.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Choose Spreadsheet by Univer if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 22k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is EtherCalc or Spreadsheet by Univer better?
Neither is universally better. Spreadsheet by Univer has the larger community, while EtherCalc is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are EtherCalc and Spreadsheet by Univer free and open-source?
Yes. EtherCalc is licensed under CPAL-1.0 and Spreadsheet by Univer under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EtherCalc and Spreadsheet by Univer with Docker?
EtherCalc: yes. Spreadsheet by Univer: yes.