This open-source alternative to Notion and Google Docs changes one key aspect: where it stores your data

France and Germany have teamed up to launch Docs, a collaborative and open-source platform that directly challenges services like Notion and Google Docs—not by mimicking features, but by shifting a critical foundation: data sovereignty. Unlike U.S.-based platforms, Docs gives European institutions full control over where and how their information is stored.

Built with public institutions in mind

Docs is part of La Suite numérique, a larger digital ecosystem that also includes Visio, a video conferencing alternative to Zoom and Meet. Docs is designed from the ground up for the specific needs of European governments and organisations, ensuring compliance with GDPR and avoiding exposure to U.S. data laws like the CLOUD Act.

Among its core features are real-time collaborative editing, offline functionality, and export options to standard formats such as .odt, .doc and .pdf. Security is also central: access controls are granular and customisable, and templates can be tailored to match official documentation standards.

Open code, open future

The platform is published on GitHub under the MIT license, meaning any company can freely use, adapt, and build upon the source code. That openness may be the biggest threat to dominant U.S. platforms, as it encourages the development of local ecosystems built on top of Docs.

The real test now lies in whether European governments will support it enough to scale. Technical quality alone won’t guarantee adoption—it needs to be easy to deploy, integrate smoothly, and offer strong institutional backing.