What is Univer used for?

Univer is an open-source SDK for embedding spreadsheet, document and presentation editing into your own product, in the browser or on Node.js. It is a good fit for adding spreadsheets to a SaaS application and server-side spreadsheet processing for AI workflows.

Is Univer open source?

Yes. Univer is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at dream-num/univer and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. Univer is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Univer?

Yes. Univer can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Univer an alternative to?

Univer is an open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Other open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel include CryptPad and EtherCalc.

Is Univer actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Univer was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.0.3, published on 29 September 2026. The project has 22k stars on GitHub.

Univer: open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel

About Univer

Univer is an open-source SDK that lets you build office-style applications within your own product. It provides components for spreadsheet, document and presentation features, with no requirement to use a hosted app or a fixed interface. The architecture is plugin-based, with rendering on Canvas, a built-in formula engine and a single Facade API usable in browsers and on Node.js. It is written in TypeScript and released under the Apache-2.0 license.

Typical uses include adding spreadsheet or document editing to a SaaS product, an internal tool, a business intelligence workflow or an AI application, and running workbook or document processing on the server with the same architecture as in the browser. Plugins let you include just the capabilities you want, and presets offer a fast way to get going, and extend behavior with custom plugins, commands, services and UI components. The wider Univer family also covers bases, boards and PDFs, and Univer Workspace, a workspace you can host yourself, is built on the SDK as an open-source example. The README distinguishes the open-source scope from the Pro offering.

Key features

Embeddable spreadsheet and document editing
Plugin architecture with presets
Formula engine and Canvas rendering
Facade API for browser and Node.js
Server-side workbook processing
Open-source and Pro editions

Good fit for

→Adding spreadsheets to a SaaS application
→Server-side spreadsheet processing for AI workflows

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: sdk; spreadsheet; office; embeddable; document-editor; typescript; plugins; collaboration

Univer: questions and answers

What is Univer used for?: Univer is an open-source SDK for embedding spreadsheet, document and presentation editing into your own product, in the browser or on Node.js. It is a good fit for adding spreadsheets to a SaaS application and server-side spreadsheet processing for AI workflows.
Is Univer open source?: Yes. Univer is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at dream-num/univer and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Univer free?: Yes. Univer is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Univer?: Yes. Univer can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Univer an alternative to?: Univer is an open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Other open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel include CryptPad and EtherCalc.
Is Univer actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Univer was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.0.3, published on 29 September 2026. The project has 22k stars on GitHub.