Why You Should Run Collabora as a Separate Server with Nextcloud

Nextcloud is one of the most popular open source alternatives to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. It gives you file storage, calendar, contacts, video calls and more, all under your control. But when it comes to editing documents, spreadsheets and presentations, Nextcloud needs a companion: Collabora Online.

Most people start with the built-in option. Nextcloud ships with a Collabora CODE (Collabora Online Development Edition) app that you can enable with a single click. It works, and for a quick look at a document it’s fine. But if you’re relying on it day to day for your business, you’ll quickly notice the limitations.

What’s Wrong with the Built-In CODE Server?

The built-in CODE app runs inside Nextcloud itself, sharing the same server resources. Collabora’s own documentation describes it as being for personal use or small teams and notes that it is slower than a standalone server and lacks advanced scalability features.

In practice, this means documents take longer to open, edits can feel sluggish and if more than a couple of people are working at the same time, performance drops noticeably. The CODE app also places a heavier load on your server’s processor, which can slow down everything else Nextcloud is doing, from syncing files to loading your calendar.

For a solo user editing the occasional spreadsheet, that might be acceptable. For a small business relying on these tools every day, it’s a frustration you don’t need.

Why a Standalone Collabora Server Is Better

Running Collabora Online as a separate server changes the equation entirely. Instead of competing with Nextcloud for resources, Collabora gets its own dedicated environment with its own memory and processing power. Documents open faster, editing is more responsive and multiple users can collaborate on the same file without everything grinding to a halt.

A standalone server also handles memory more efficiently. While it uses more RAM than the built-in app, it places far less strain on the processor, which keeps your Nextcloud instance running smoothly alongside it. The result is a setup that feels closer to Google Docs or Microsoft 365 in terms of speed and responsiveness, without handing your data to a third party.

You also get better reliability. If the built-in CODE app crashes, it can take your entire Nextcloud instance down with it. A separate Collabora server fails independently, so your files, calendar and other Nextcloud features keep working even if the document editor has a hiccup.

How to Get Started

Setting up a standalone Collabora server typically involves Docker containers, reverse proxy configuration and SSL certificates. That’s straightforward for a sysadmin but daunting for anyone who just wants to edit a document.

With Instant Apps Hosting, we take care of all of that for you. You order Nextcloud and Collabora Online Server as separate managed apps, we configure them to work together, and you get a fast, reliable office suite hosted securely in Europe.

No Docker commands. No proxy configuration. Just open a document and start working.