Nextcloud, known as a provider of software for your own file server, released the desktop app of its office suite on November 13, 2026. It is based on Euro-Office, a free office software, also works without an internet connection, and is free of charge. It is available for Windows, Linux and the Mac.
Euro-Office, whose source code anyone can view, appeared according to Nextcloud on June 9, 2026 in a first version that is suitable for everyday use. Until now, the suite ran in the browser. With the desktop app, it runs directly on your computer, without you needing an account or online storage.
What can the desktop app do?
The app contains editors for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDF files. It opens and saves DOCX, XLSX and PPTX from Microsoft Office, plus the free formats ODT, ODS and ODP, which LibreOffice, for example, uses. In addition, you protect files with a password and specify whether others may only comment, fill out forms, or make changes only if they are visibly marked (track changes).
What the desktop app offers
Nextcloud Office based on Euro-Office, introduced on November 13, 2026
- Runs offline, files stay on your computer
- DOCX, XLSX, PPTX as well as ODT, ODS and ODP
- Editor for PDF files
- Password protection and restricted editing rights
- Digital signature with your own certificate
- Does not run on Macs with an Intel processor
Information from Nextcloud, the manufacturer does not state minimum operating system versions
Sources: Nextcloud Blog, GitHub Euro-Office
According to Nextcloud's announcement, the app uses the fonts installed on your computer, on Windows including those from Microsoft. This helps preserve the appearance of Word files. Nextcloud itself names a catch: if colleagues or customers lack a font, they will see a substitute font in their version of the file. If you pass on a file that is supposed to look clean, it is best to send a PDF.
For the digital signature, you open the "Protection" tab and choose "Signature". It shows who signed a file and that nothing has changed since. For this you need a digital certificate, that is, an electronic ID that an authority issues for you, such as your IT department or a provider on the EU trusted list under the eIDAS regulation. Whether the app has a German interface, Nextcloud does not say. The tabs are named in English in the instructions.
Which computers is the app available for?
For Windows there are versions for x64 (the usual variant) and ARM64 (for devices with an ARM processor). Linux gets installation packages as .deb for Debian and Ubuntu as well as .rpm for Fedora. On the Mac, the app runs only with Apple Silicon; Macs with an Intel processor are excluded. Which chip your Mac has is shown by the Apple menu under "About This Mac". Nextcloud does not state minimum operating system versions, nor the processor variants under Linux.
The signed packages come as "Nextcloud Office" from Nextcloud, for Linux also via APT and DNF package sources. In addition, the project publishes on GitHub unsigned community builds, that is, program versions without confirmation of origin. For normal use, the download from Nextcloud remains the first choice, because only these builds are signed.
You do not need a Nextcloud server. If you connect the app to one anyway, you do so in the "Home" tab under "Clouds" via the plus sign: choose "Nextcloud", enter the address of your server, log in. Multiple servers can be connected in parallel; collaborative editing in real time then runs via Nextcloud.
What this means for you
Try the app first with your own files: a Word file with tables and headers, an Excel workbook with formulas and a presentation with animations. Nextcloud promises high compatibility, but does not back this up with test results. Therefore check page breaks, fonts and formulas before you rely on it.
If you need signatures, clarify beforehand whether you have a certificate and who issues it for you. If you work on an Intel Mac, the app remains out of reach for you for the time being. You only need the unsigned GitHub builds if you want to check the program files yourself or build them from the source code. For simple installation, use the download from Nextcloud.
Nextcloud introduced the desktop app on November 13, 2026.
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