--- title: "Introducing BoldDocServer: An Office Online Server Alternative for SharePoint Server" published_at: "2026-11-12T17:19:07+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-12T17:19:07+00:00" url: "https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/post/introducing-bolddocserver-sharepoint" excerpt: "Office Online Server support ends December 31, 2026. Meet BoldDocServer, a browser-based Word, Excel, and PDF solution for SharePoint Server." taxonomy_category: - "BoldDocServer" - "Document Collaboration" - "SharePoint" - "Syncfusion" taxonomy_post_tag: - "BoldDocServer" - "Document Collaboration" - "Document Editor" - "Office Online Server" - "PDF Viewer" - "SharePoint Server" - "Spreadsheet Editor" - "WOPI" --- # Introducing BoldDocServer: An Office Online Server Alternative for SharePoint Server [Meena Alagiah](https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/author/meena-alagiah) ![Introducing BoldDocServer: An Office Online Server Alternative for SharePoint Server](https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/images/posts/introducing-bolddocserver-sharepoint/introducing-bolddocserver-sharepoint.jpg) **TL;DR:** **Syncfusion introduces BoldDocServer**, a new solution for browser-based Word, Excel, and PDF experiences in SharePoint Server. With Office Online Server support ending on **December 31, 2026**, BoldDocServer gives organizations a new option to continue supported document viewing, editing, review, and collaboration while keeping SharePoint as the document repository. ## Why BoldDocServer, and why now? December 31, 2026, is becoming an important date for organizations running Office Online Server with SharePoint Server. Microsoft support for Office Online Server ends on that date. For teams that depend on browser-based document viewing and editing, the approaching deadline raises a practical question: **What happens to those SharePoint document processes next?** Some organizations may choose to change their broader Microsoft architecture. Others may want to continue operating SharePoint Server and replace the browser-based document layer that Office Online Server provided. That second scenario is where [BoldDocServer](https://www.bolddocserver.com/ "BoldDocServer by Syncfusion") fits. Syncfusion® is introducing BoldDocServer to bring browser-based Word, Excel, and PDF experiences to SharePoint Server through WOPI. Users can work with supported documents from the browser, while SharePoint remains responsible for document storage, permissions, and repository operations. Let's look at what BoldDocServer provides, how it works with SharePoint, and what organizations evaluating their post-Office Online Server strategy should know. ## Office Online Server support ends December 31, 2026 Office Online Server has long provided browser-based viewing and editing experiences for Microsoft Office documents in supported server environments. According to [Microsoft's product lifecycle](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/office-online-server "Office Online Server"), Office Online Server reaches the end of support on **December 31, 2026**. That does not mean every existing deployment suddenly stops functioning on January 1, 2027. It does mean organizations relying on Office Online Server need a plan for operating beyond its supported lifecycle. For organizations using SharePoint Server, now is the time to consider questions such as: - Do we intend to continue running SharePoint Server? - Which browser-based document experiences do our users depend on? - Do we need Word and Excel editing directly from SharePoint? - Do users also need PDF viewing and review scenarios? - Which document permissions and repository processes must remain in SharePoint? - What replacement or migration path should we validate before the deadline? Planning early gives teams time to test document behavior, permissions, save-back processes, collaboration, and deployment requirements before Office Online Server reaches retirement. ## What are the options for SharePoint Server teams? There is no single path that fits every organization. Teams evaluating Office Online Server retirement may broadly consider the following approaches: | Approach | What it means | | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Keep SharePoint Server and replace the browser document layer | Continue using SharePoint as the document repository while introducing another solution for supported browser-based viewing and editing. | | Move document workloads to Microsoft's cloud services | Reevaluate the broader SharePoint and Microsoft 365 architecture and move applicable workloads to supported cloud services. | | Continue with the existing environment after support ends | Keep operating Office Online Server outside its supported lifecycle, with the corresponding operational and support considerations. | **BoldDocServer is designed for the first path:** Organizations that plan to continue using SharePoint Server while replacing the browser-based document experience provided by Office Online Server. ## Introducing BoldDocServer **[BoldDocServer](https://www.bolddocserver.com/ "BoldDocServer by Syncfusion")** is a Syncfusion product for browser-based document viewing, editing, review, and collaboration with SharePoint Server. It connects SharePoint with Syncfusion's document experiences through the Web Application Open Platform Interface (WOPI). The responsibilities remain clearly separated: | Component | Role | | ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | SharePoint Server | Stores documents, manages permissions, and handles repository operations. | | BoldDocServer | Connects SharePoint to the browser-based document experience through WOPI. | | Syncfusion document experiences | Provide supported Word editing, Excel editing, and PDF viewing and review capabilities. | | Collaboration services | Support applicable collaborative scenarios when enabled and configured. | The important point is that BoldDocServer does not replace SharePoint as the document repository. SharePoint continues to store documents and manage access. BoldDocServer provides the browser-based experience for supported document types. ## Work with Word, Excel, and PDF documents from SharePoint BoldDocServer brings common enterprise document scenarios into the browser. ### Edit Word documents Users can open supported Word files stored in SharePoint through the integrated [Syncfusion document editing experience](https://www.syncfusion.com/docx-editor-sdk "Syncfusion DOCX Editor"). They can view and modify supported document content and save supported changes back to SharePoint through the configured WOPI workflow. Spell-check functionality can also be used when the required dictionary resources are configured. ### Work with Excel workbooks For Excel files, the integrated [Syncfusion Spreadsheet Editor](https://www.syncfusion.com/spreadsheet-editor-sdk "Syncfusion Spreadsheet Editor") provides the browser-based workbook experience. Users can open workbooks stored in SharePoint, work with supported spreadsheet content, and save supported changes through the configured integration. ### Review PDF documents PDF document experiences use the integrated [Syncfusion PDF Viewer](https://www.syncfusion.com/pdf-viewer-sdk "Syncfusion PDF Viewer"). Users can open PDFs stored in SharePoint and use supported viewing, annotation, and review capabilities without leaving the browser-based workflow. ### Supported document experiences at a glance | Format | Experience | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | DOCX, DOC, DOTX, DOCM, DOTM, DOT | Viewing and editing | | XLSX, XLS, CSV, XLSM, XLSB | Viewing and editing | | PDF | Viewing and supported annotation and review | Available operations depend on the corresponding document experience and deployment configuration. ## Collaborate on document processes SharePoint document scenarios often involve multiple users. A Word document may move between authors and reviewers. A workbook may need updates from several team members. A PDF may require annotations before approval. BoldDocServer supports collaboration for applicable Word, Excel, and PDF experiences when the required collaboration services are enabled and configured. The exact collaboration experience depends on the document type and the capabilities enabled for the deployment. ## Keep SharePoint in control of documents and permissions For organizations already invested in SharePoint Server, an important question is whether replacing the document-editing layer also means changing the way documents are stored or secured. With BoldDocServer, **SharePoint remains the document repository and source of document permissions**. When a document is opened, SharePoint and BoldDocServer communicate through the configured WOPI workflow. The user's effective access determines whether the document can be edited or should be opened with restricted access. For example, when a user does not have permission to modify a document, editing operations can be restricted accordingly. This lets organizations introduce a new browser-based document experience without moving responsibility for document permissions away from SharePoint. ## How BoldDocServer works with SharePoint The process can be summarized in five steps. ### 1. Select a document A user chooses a supported document from SharePoint. ### 2. Open the document experience SharePoint initiates the configured WOPI action and opens the corresponding BoldDocServer experience in the browser. ### 3. Access the document BoldDocServer communicates with SharePoint through the configured WOPI workflow to access the file. ### 4. View, edit, or review The user works with the document through the corresponding Syncfusion document experience. Collaborative editing is available where supported and configured. ### 5. Save supported changes Supported changes are saved back to SharePoint through the configured save-back process. A simplified architecture looks like this: SharePoint Server connects through WOPI to BoldDocServer, which serves the DOCX Editor, Spreadsheet Editor and PDF Viewer as a browser-based document experience. ![How SharePoint and the browser editor work together](< https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/images/posts/introducing-bolddocserver-sharepoint/bolddocserver-architecture.png>) Throughout the process, SharePoint remains responsible for document storage and permissions. ## Why BoldDocServer matters for SharePoint teams Office Online Server retirement creates an opportunity to review browser-based document experiences that may have been operating unchanged for years. For teams planning to continue with SharePoint Server, that review should answer questions such as: - Which Office Online Server workloads are business-critical? - Which document types are frequently edited in the browser? - Which collaboration and review features are required? - Which SharePoint permission behaviors must remain unchanged? - How much infrastructure change is acceptable? - How early should a replacement environment be tested? BoldDocServer gives organizations another option when the requirement is to retain SharePoint Server while continuing supported browser-based document experiences. ## Who should evaluate BoldDocServer? BoldDocServer is especially relevant to organizations that: - Currently use Office Online Server with SharePoint Server. - Plan to continue using SharePoint Server beyond December 31, 2026. - Need browser-based Word and Excel editing. - Need PDF viewing, annotation, or review as part of SharePoint document scenarios. - Want SharePoint to remain responsible for document storage and permissions. - Need a WOPI-based browser document experience. - Want to test a replacement before Office Online Server reaches retirement. Organizations with business-critical Office Online Server workloads should consider beginning their evaluation well before the deadline. ## Is BoldDocServer a complete replacement for every Office Online Server workload? Not necessarily. BoldDocServer is specifically designed around SharePoint Server document scenarios involving supported Word, Excel, and PDF experiences. If your organization uses Office Online Server with other Microsoft server products or for workloads outside SharePoint, evaluate those dependencies separately as part of your transition plan. This distinction helps ensure that migration planning reflects the actual workloads used within your environment. ## Start planning before the deadline December 31, 2026, may still leave some planning time, but enterprise infrastructure changes involve more than installing a replacement product. A practical evaluation can follow these steps: 1. **Inventory your current Office Online Server workloads:** Identify the SharePoint sites, document types, departments, and business processes that depend on browser-based document access. 2. **Confirm your required document capabilities:** Separate essential editing, review, and collaboration scenarios from features that are rarely used. 3. **Deploy BoldDocServer in a test environment:** Begin with a test SharePoint farm or test site rather than changing production immediately. 4. **Configure and validate the WOPI integration:** Verify document opening, permissions, editing, reviewing, and save-back behavior. 5. **Test representative Word, Excel, and PDF files:** Use realistic documents from your organization's existing scenarios. 6. **Validate permissions and multiuser scenarios:** Test users with different SharePoint permission levels and collaboration requirements. 7. **Plan production rollout before Office Online Server retirement:** Leave enough time for technical validation, security review, user testing, and operational preparation. The goal should not simply be to replace one server with another. It should be to verify that the document processes your organization depends on continue to operate as expected. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is BoldDocServer? BoldDocServer is a Syncfusion product that connects SharePoint Server with supported browser-based Word, Excel, and PDF experiences through WOPI. SharePoint continues to manage document storage and permissions. ### Why is Syncfusion introducing BoldDocServer now? Microsoft Office Online Server reaches the end of support on December 31, 2026. BoldDocServer gives organizations that plan to continue using SharePoint Server another option for supported browser-based document experiences. ### Is BoldDocServer an Office Online Server alternative? For supported SharePoint Server document viewing, editing, review, and collaboration scenarios, BoldDocServer is designed as an alternative browser-document layer. Organizations using Office Online Server for workloads outside SharePoint should evaluate those scenarios separately. ### Which document formats does BoldDocServer support? BoldDocServer supports DOCX, DOC, DOTX, DOCM, DOTM, DOT files for Word documents, XLSX, XLS, CSV, XLSM, XLSB files for Excel workbooks, and PDF viewing with supported annotation and review operations. ### Does BoldDocServer replace SharePoint Server? No. SharePoint continues to store documents, manage permissions, and handle repository operations. BoldDocServer provides the browser-based document experience through WOPI. ### Can users save documents back to SharePoint? Yes, supported changes can be saved back to SharePoint through the configured WOPI workflow. Available save operations depend on the document type, supported capabilities, and deployment configuration. ### Does BoldDocServer support collaboration? BoldDocServer supports collaboration for applicable document scenarios when the required collaboration services and features are enabled and configured. The exact behavior depends on the document type and deployment configuration. ### When does Office Online Server support end? Microsoft lists December 31, 2026 as the retirement date for Office Online Server. ### When should organizations begin evaluating a replacement? Organizations that rely on Office Online Server should begin evaluating their options before the retirement date so they have enough time to inventory document scenarios, test documents, validate SharePoint permissions and WOPI integration, and prepare for production rollout. ## Explore BoldDocServer Office Online Server support ends on **December 31, 2026**, but organizations do not need to wait until the deadline to decide what comes next. BoldDocServer gives SharePoint Server teams a new option for browser-based Word, Excel, and PDF experiences while keeping SharePoint at the center of document storage and permissions. If your organization expects to continue using SharePoint Server after Office Online Server retires, now is a good time to evaluate your document requirements and test your transition plan. Explore [BoldDocServer](https://www.bolddocserver.com/ "BoldDocServer"), [start a free trial](https://www.bolddocserver.com/downloads/confirm/ "Start a free trail"), and follow the [Quick Start](https://docs.bolddocserver.com/quick-start.html "BoldDocServer - Quick Start") and [SharePoint Integration](https://docs.bolddocserver.com/sharepoint-integration.html "BoldDocServer - SharePoint Integration") guides to evaluate it with your SharePoint environment.