EtherCalc vs x-spreadsheet
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
x-spreadsheet
Lightweight web-based spreadsheet component
| Feature | EtherCalc | x-spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | CPAL-1.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,041 | ★ 14,590 |
| First released | 2013 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Google Sheets | Microsoft Excel |
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 x-spreadsheet if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 14.6k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is EtherCalc or x-spreadsheet better?
Neither is universally better. x-spreadsheet has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are EtherCalc and x-spreadsheet free and open-source?
Yes. EtherCalc is licensed under CPAL-1.0 and x-spreadsheet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EtherCalc and x-spreadsheet with Docker?
EtherCalc: yes. x-spreadsheet: check the project docs for container support.