Krystal DMS vs ONLYOFFICE Docs
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Krystal DMS
Web-based document management system in Java
VS
ONLYOFFICE Docs
Online office suite for documents, sheets, and slides
| Feature | Krystal DMS | ONLYOFFICE Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50 | ★ 6,794 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | DocuWare | Google Docs, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose ONLYOFFICE Docs if…
- Excellent format compatibility
- Strong collaboration features
Frequently asked questions
Is Krystal DMS or ONLYOFFICE Docs better?
Neither is universally better. ONLYOFFICE Docs has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Krystal DMS and ONLYOFFICE Docs free and open-source?
Yes. Krystal DMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ONLYOFFICE Docs under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Krystal DMS and ONLYOFFICE Docs with Docker?
Krystal DMS: check the project docs for container support. ONLYOFFICE Docs: yes.