Question 1

What is “Native DOCX” editing?

Accepted Answer

Native DOCX editing means the editor reads and write OOXML, the XML-based format that defines every DOCX file. The document is never converted to JSON, HTML, or any intermediary format. This preserves tracked changes, comments, styles, numbering schemas, and every other piece of XML data that MS Word expects to find when opening the file

Question 2

Does the Apryse DOCX Editor require a server?

Accepted Answer

No. Apryse’s DOCX Editor runs entirely in the browser. Documents can be loaded from local storage, a URL, or from the cloud. After editing, the file can be saved back to storage, downloaded as DOCX, or exported as PDF. No server touches the document during editing, causing no additional load to your backend infrastructure. For real-time collaboration features, a lightweight collaboration server or cloud service is required to sync changes between users.

Question 3

What happens to tracked changes and comments when using a non-native editor?

Accepted Answer

Editors that convert DOCX to intermediary formats handle tracked changes and comments completely differently. Some recreate them on export, generating entirely new XML elements that approximate the originals, but may not carry the original author, date, or structure. Other lose them entirely. In both cases, the metadata that legal and compliance teams rely on is either degraded or gone.

Question 4

What frameworks does the Apryse DOCX Editor support?

Accepted Answer

Apryse’s DOCX Editor integrates with React, Angular, Vue, Nuxt.js and Next.js. It also works with low-code platforms including Salesforce, Appian, and Mendix.

Question 5

What is the difference between native DOCX editing and JSON-based editing?

Accepted Answer

Native DOCX editing means the editor works directly with the OOXML format that defines a DOCX file – the same XML structure that Microsoft Word reads and writes. JSON-based editors convert the DOCX into their own internal format (such as ProseMirror JSON, SFDT, or DocJSON) for editing, then convert back to DOCX on export. The conversion strips XML data that the editor's internal format doesn't support, including revision session IDs, named style hierarchies, comment threading metadata, and section-level properties. For documents that stay within your application, JSON-based editing works well. For documents that will be opened in Microsoft Word by external parties, native editing preserves the structural integrity that Word expects.

Question 6

Can I edit DOCX files in the browser without a server?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Apryse's DOCX Editor runs entirely in the browser using WebAssembly. The file is loaded, rendered, and edited client-side – no server touches the document during the editing session. This reduces infrastructure costs, eliminates server-side scaling concerns for concurrent users, and keeps sensitive documents off your servers. Other client-side options include SuperDoc (AGPL-licensed) and Nutrient (JSON-based). Most other editors, including ONLYOFFICE and Syncfusion, require server-side processing for DOCX import or conversion.

Question 7

Is there an open-source DOCX editor SDK?

Accepted Answer

Several open-source options exist. ONLYOFFICE (AGPL-3.0) is the most feature-complete, offering full OOXML editing with collaboration, but requires a self-hosted Document Server. SuperDoc (AGPL/commercial dual license) is built on ProseMirror and supports CRDT-based collaboration. Tiptap (open-source editor + commercial cloud) is a headless editor that supports DOCX import/export through server-side conversion endpoints. LibreOffice can be used via a server-side headless mode. For production applications with proprietary code, note that AGPL licenses require you to open-source your application unless you purchase a commercial license. For teams that need native OOXML editing without copyleft restrictions, Apryse offers a commercially-licensed alternative that runs entirely client-side, with dedicated enterprise support and no server infrastructure required.

Question 8

What DOCX features are preserved when editing with Apryse vs other editors?

Accepted Answer

Apryse preserves the full OOXML structure because it edits the XML directly: tracked changes with original author and date metadata, comment threading and anchoring, named style definitions and style hierarchy, numbering schemas, document properties (author, created, modified), section properties (margins, headers, footers), and revision session IDs. JSON-based editors typically lose revision history, convert named styles to inline formatting, strip comment threading metadata, and generate new XML on export that may not match the original structure. The practical impact is that a document edited in Apryse and opened in Microsoft Word will look and behave identically to the original, while a document round-tripped through a JSON-based editor may show formatting shifts, missing comments, or lost change history.

	Editing Format	Programmatic API	Client-side	UI Customizable	Real-Time Collaboration	Strengths
Apryse	DOCX (OOXML)	Partial	Yes	Yes	No	The only client-side editor that handles DOCX files natively
ONLYOFFICE	DOCX (OOXML)	Yes	Server required	Partial	Yes	Closest alternative to O365 functionality
Libre Office	ODF	No	Server required	No	No	Free and open-source. Great for startups
CKEditor 5	HTML	Yes	Server required	Yes	Yes	Free, but DOCX import/export is a paid feature
Nutrient	JSON	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Clean out-of-the-box editing experience
Syncfusion	JSON (SFDT	Yes	Server required	Partial	Yes	Part of a suite of 1,900 components
Tiptap	JSON	Yes	Server required	Yes	Yes	Headless, open-source editor built on ProseMirror
Superdoc	JSON	Partial	Server required	Yes	Yes	Open-source editor built on ProseMirror

	ApryseFormat	ONLYOFFICEAPI	Libre Office	CKEditor 5	Nutrient	Syncfusion	Tiptap	Superdoc
ISO 27001	Certified	Not certified	Certified	Not certified	Aligned practices, not formally certified	Not certified only client-side editor that handles DOCX files natively	Not certified	Not certified
SOC 2 Type 2	Certified	Not certified	Not certified required	Certified	Certified	Certified	Certified	Not certified
HIPAA	Supported by not touching client data (client-side, on prem)	Supported via on-prem deployment & internal data practices	Supported via on-prem deployment & internal data practices required	No HIPAA claims	Supported by not touching client data (client-side, on prem)	Supported via on-prem deployment & internal data practices	No HIPAA claims	No HIPAA claims
GDPR	Compliant	Compliant	Compliant	Compliant	Compliant	Compliant	Compliant	Compliant
Annual penetration testing	Annual independent penetration testing	No, has a hacker bug bounty program	No	Annual independent penetration testing	Annual independent penetration testing	Annual independent penetration testing	No disclosure	No disclosure
Accessibility	WCAG 2.2 AA	No formal WCAG claim	No formal WCAG claim	WCAG 2.2 AA	Unclear for Doc Authoring, verified for Web SDK	Only partial WCAG 2.2 compliance	No formal UI, WCAG is developer’s responsibility	Claims best practices, no confirmed VPAT

	Apryse	ONLYOFFICE	LibreOffice	CKEditor 5	Nutrient	Syncfusion	Tiptap	SuperDoc
Editing format	OOXML (DOCX)	OOXML (DOCX)	ODF	HTML	DocJSON	SFDT (JSON)	JSON	JSON
Server requirement	Full import/export & editing client-side	Server required at all times	Server required at all times	Server required for import/export	Full import/export & editing client-side	Server required for SFDT conversion & some functionality	Client-side support via paid extensions, but major fidelity gaps	Client-side via JSZip
Track changes	Word compatible	Word compatible	SwDoc-based, claims OOXML compatibility	HTML-based, not OOXML compatible	DocJSON-based, may lose information on export	SFDT-based, may lose information on export	JSON-based, not OOXML compatible	JSON-based, may lose information on export
Comments	Word compatible	OOXML-based, inline with threads	SwDoc-based, inline with threads	HTML-based, premium add-on	JSON-based, inline with threads	JSON-based, inline with threads	JSON-based, paid extension	JSON-based, via extension
Headers & footers	First-page, odd/even, per-section	First-page, odd/even, per-section	First-page, odd/even, per-section	Export-only, not inline editable	Basic with limited detail	First-page, odd/even, per-section	Via extension, doesn’t translate on import	Approximates with layout engine
Page breaks	Section & page breaks	Section & page breaks	Section & page breaks	Page break only, no section	CSS-based page breaks	Section breaks	Visual only, doesn’t translate on import	Section breaks
Lists	Multi-level, OOXML numbering	Multi-level, OOXML numbering	Multi-level	Via plugin, multi-level	Basic lists with unclear OOXML fidelity	Multi-level with OOXML output claimed	Via extension	Basic lists
Tables	Merging, nested, validated	Merging, nested, validated	Merging, nested,	Via plugin, merging	Basic tables	Merging, nested	Basic tables	Known layout bugs
Columns	Multi-column	Multi-column	Multi-column	No	No	Multi-column	No	No
Find & replace	In-app & API. Client-side RegEx	In-app & API. No RegEx	In-app & API. RegEx with server	In-app & API. No RegEx	Via API, RegEx supported	In-app & API. RegEx with server	Community extension via Ariakit	Search extension, supports RegEx
Undo / redo	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paste with formatting	Yes	Yes	Via Clipboard API	Paste from Word Plugin required	Yes	Yes	Clipboard integration	Yes
Keyboard shortcuts	Yes, configurable	Yes	Yes	Keystroke system, configurable	Yes	Yes	Very extensive, configurable	Yes
Page margins	OOXML compatible	OOXML compatible	SwDoc-based	CSS-based	CSS-based	CSS-based	Via extension, CSS-based	Approximates with layout engine
Portrait / landscape viewing	Per-section orientation	Per-section orientation	Per-section orientation	Change on export	Per-section orientation	Per-section orientation	Via extension, basic support	Per-section orientation
Non-printing characters	Yes	Yes	Yes	Using “show blocks” as a work around	No	No	No	No
Real-time collaboration	No	OT-based via custom server	OT-based via custom server	OT-based via cloud offering	OT-based via custom server	OT-based via SignalR	CRDT-based via Yjs	CRDT-based via Yjs
Named style definitions	OOXML styles preserved	OOXML styles preserved	Uses proprietary custom styling, approximated output	CSS-based, approximated output	CSS-based, approximated output	CSS-based, approximated output	Requires customization to maintain styles	CSS-based, approximated output
Document properties (author, created, modified)	Full docProps access	Full docProps access	Custom document properties, requires server	Not documented	Not documented	Custom document properties, requires server	Not documented	Not documented

DOCX Editor SDKs Comparison: Native OOXML vs JSON Editing (2026)

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