ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3 is officially released a week ago with some really cool features that will make working with your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations even easier. If you're looking for a collaborative online office suite that's compatible with Microsoft Office and offers a ton of functionality, ONLYOFFICE Docs might be the right choice!
Table of Contents
What is ONLYOFFICE Docs?
ONLYOFFICE Docs is a free and collaborative online office suite that includes viewers and editors for texts, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and PDFs. It's fully compatible with Office Open XML formats like .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx, making it a great alternative to Google Docs and Microsoft Office.
You can use it as part of ONLYOFFICE Workspace or with other platforms like Nextcloud and ownCloud.
What's New in ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3?
ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3 is shipped with about 30 new features and a bunch of bug fixes. The focus is on improving format compatibility, enhancing collaboration, and making the user experience even better.
Here's a quick rundown of the key updates:
Support for More File Formats:
- Open and view Apple iWork files (Pages, Keynote, Numbers).
- Work with Hancom Office formats (.hwp, .hwpx).
- Edit these files by converting them to OOXML formats (DOCX, PPTX, XLSX).
PDF Editor Gets a Boost:
- Add professional-looking stamps to your PDF files.
- Select and rearrange or delete multiple pages at once.
- Quickly edit annotations with the new quick panel.
- Adjust the opacity of highlights.
- Undo actions during real-time co-editing.
Spreadsheet Editor Improvements:
- Automatically update data from external links.
- Use more options for AutoFilling cells (days, weekdays, months, years).
- Work with calculated items in Pivot Tables.
- Check out the updated function wizard with descriptions of function arguments.
- Automatically detect delimiters in CSV files.
- Show or hide horizontal and vertical scroll bars.
- Undo actions during real-time co-editing.
Presentation Editor Upgrades:
- Use the new Design tab to easily apply styles and change color schemes.
- Draw on slides during slideshows or presenter mode.
- Rename Slide Masters.
Merge Shapes in All Editors:
- Combine shapes to create custom visuals with the Merge Shapes feature.
Improved RTL Support:
- Enhanced right-to-left language support including default sheet direction and paragraph direction controls.
Other Improvements:
- Character/word level document comparison, improved usability for protected documents, and image crop resetting.
Let's Have a Deeper Look into the New Features
Working with New File Formats
It's now easier than ever to work with different file types. With the added support for Apple iWork and Hancom Office formats, you can open these files directly in ONLYOFFICE. Keep in mind that if you want to edit these files, they'll be converted to OOXML formats.
Making PDFs Even Better
The PDF editor has gotten a major upgrade! The new stamp feature lets you add a professional touch to your documents. Plus, the ability to select and rearrange multiple pages makes organizing your PDFs a breeze.
Enhanced Collaboration
Real-time collaboration is a key feature of ONLYOFFICE Docs. In version 8.3, both the PDF editor and spreadsheet editor let you undo your last actions during co-editing sessions, making teamwork smoother than ever.
New Design Tab for Presentations
The new Design tab in the Presentation Editor is a game-changer. You can now easily apply styles, change color schemes, and adjust the slide size, all in one place.
ONLYOFFICE Docs Editions
ONLYOFFICE offers three main editions, each with differing features and pricing:
- Community Edition: Free, open-source (GNU AGPL v.3 licensed), limited to 20 simultaneous connections and recommended for up to 20 users. Features are comprehensive and supports a wide range of functionalities.
- Enterprise Edition: Proprietary license, with pricing based on usage. Offers clusterisation and includes one year of support. Additional features are available.
- Developer Edition: Proprietary license, with pricing based on usage. It is designed for developers. Offers clusterisation and includes one year of support.
For pricing details, check the official ONLYOFFICE official website.
How to Get ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3
Ready to try out the new features? You have a few options:
- Self-Hosted Version: Download the self-hosted version of ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3 to deploy on your own server.
- Cloud Solutions: If you're using ONLYOFFICE in the cloud, the new version will be available soon.
The easiest way to install ONLYOFFICE Docs is by using the Docker image. You can also manually install on Linux and Windows.
Final Thoughts
ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3 has brought several improvements that make it an even more versatile and user-friendly office suite. From enhanced PDF editing to expanded file format compatibility and improved collaboration features, there's something for everyone in this release.
Have you tried it already? Great! I'd love to hear about your favourite new features in ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3. Let me know in the comments below!
Resources:
- ONLYOFFICE Website: https://www.onlyoffice.com/default-alt.aspx
- Github source code: https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/DocumentServer
- Download: https://www.onlyoffice.com/download-docs.aspx
- ONLYOFFICE Docs 8.3 Release Notes: https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2025/02/onlyoffice-docs-8-3-released
