Best Encrypted Google Docs Alternatives Without AI
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Face it: With competitors spending hundreds of millions of dollars on it , Google’s recent foray into artificial intelligence isn’t going to stop anytime soon. While you can hide Gemini’s buttons and tooltips in Google Workspace for now, you can’t really stop the company from continuing to build its apps around technology that aims to capture as much data as possible. I rely on Google Docs for collaboration, but the company’s AI efforts have me looking for alternatives, even if Google currently denies using your data to train its models . In this regard, these are the best encrypted alternatives to Google Docs without AI.
Proton Documents
If you’re looking for a seamless transition from Google Docs to an AI-free encrypted writing app, then Proton Docs is what you need . It’s part of Proton Drive’s cloud storage service, which has a generous free tier to get you started, so it’s easy to try out. Proton Docs allows you to store up to 5GB of files for free, which is enough to handle hundreds of documents, and its collaboration features are also good enough for most people. You can create documents and easily give others view or edit access, and when others are editing, you can see a cursor with their names on the screen to see who’s working on what. By default, you also get end-to-end encryption, meaning your documents are safe and cannot be read by the company.
In my experience, Proton Docs is fast and reliable. The Proton Drive app also allows you to upload documents quickly, and you can even open shared documents in mobile web browsers, which is a big plus. The only major downside is the lack of any spreadsheet or presentation applications, which may be a deal-breaker for some.
Cryptpad
Cryptpad offers an encrypted office suite that competes with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The servers are located in France, and the distinctive feature of Cryptpad is the presence of many applications, all of which are encrypted from end to end. You can create documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, Kanban boards and more. This means you get an alternative to almost every Google office product and even other services like Trello or Airtable.
You can use Cryptpad without registering if you want, but if you do, your documents will be deleted within 90 days. If you create an account that doesn’t require an email address, you’ll have access to 1GB of encrypted cloud storage and your documents won’t be automatically deleted. However, for security purposes, Cryptpad allows you to set an automatic deletion date for new documents as they are created. Once set up, your document will be automatically destroyed when the time comes.
There’s a lot to like about Cryptpad, but it’s a little slow and clunky. The user interface is not as polished as Google Docs or Proton Docs and you will see this when you use it. Above your documents there is a large banner with the file name and a couple of buttons. Toolbars and other elements are below it, and the cursor appears almost in the middle of the screen. This wastes too much screen space, unlike Google Docs or Proton Docs where the toolbars are minimal and the focus is on the actual document. I also wouldn’t recommend Cryptpad to anyone who needs mobile access to work. Some of my friends were unable to download shared documents onto their phones while I was testing it, which limits how much this app can replace Google Workspace.
OnlyOffice
OnlyOffice is a full-featured office suite for those who want a service that allows them to use desktop applications instead of web applications. Desktop apps work well, and you can actually use a standalone server for cloud sync and collaboration. This allows you to decide how much privacy and security you want, and if that sounds too complicated, you can use several supported cloud storage providers for this purpose, including OneDrive and others. However, I was a little shocked to find that OnlyOffice desktop apps don’t have autosave. Honestly, it’s a little sad to see this in 2025. The company’s website also lists a variety of products, and it’s a little difficult to understand what they all do. For example, although OnlyOffice has mobile apps, you can only edit files in them at paid levels.
The user interface of OnlyOffice’s desktop apps looks a bit like Microsoft Office before the Microsoft 365 rebrand. That’s not a bad thing, since it will be familiar to anyone who’s used Microsoft Word or other Office apps. When you create new documents, they open in new tabs, making it easy to switch between multiple files. Once the initial setup is complete, OnlyOffice is easy to use and won’t put off anyone looking for a Google Docs alternative, but the process of setting up and using OnlyOffice isn’t easy. You’ll need to choose a cloud storage provider, get other people to use it, etc. before you can get it running smoothly. However, it’s a solid free alternative to Google Docs that focuses on web-based applications, and its AI shenanigans are limited to a “hosted version” that’s aimed at businesses rather than home users.
Other private alternatives to Google Docs
If privacy is the first thing on your mind, there are still a few alternatives to Google Docs, but using them may require some work. For example, the following options require you to host them on the server before running them. This makes it difficult for most people, but if you are so inclined, they can accommodate your needs.
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Hedgedoc : is a collaborative text editor that runs in your browser. It’s lightweight, fast, and supports real-time collaboration.
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Collabora Online : LibreOffice is one of the best open source alternatives to Microsoft Office, but it does not support real-time collaboration. Collabora Online allows you to use LibreOffice applications in the cloud and includes collaboration features. There are also apps for mobile devices, which is nice to see. The service is free for home use and students.
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Etherpad : Etherpad is a customizable online text editor that includes a chat window for quickly exchanging text messages with people you collaborate with. Unfortunately, it has not received major updates for several years.