Hey everyone, I’m thinking about using Google Docs Viewer in my web app. Does anyone know if it’s free or if there’s a cost involved? I tried searching for official documentation but came up empty.
I want to embed it to display XLS files, and here’s a sample code snippet:
<iframe src="viewer-url-here?url=my-xls-file-url" title="File preview"></iframe>
Does anyone know if there are any usage limits? If it’s paid, what are the pricing options? Thanks for your help!
yep, google docs viewer is free. i’ve used it in a few projects without any issues. just be aware that it can be a bit finicky sometimes with loading speeds and rendering complex stuff. no official limits that i know of, but i wouldn’t rely on it for super high-traffic sites. works great for basic xls files tho!
As someone who’s been using Google Docs Viewer for a while now, I can confirm it’s a free service. There’s no direct cost associated with embedding it in your web app. However, keep in mind that while it’s free, there are some limitations to be aware of.
In my experience, I’ve found that the viewer can sometimes be a bit slow to load, especially for larger files. Also, it doesn’t always render complex spreadsheets perfectly. For basic XLS files though, it works great.
One thing to note: while there’s no official usage limit I’m aware of, I’ve heard of cases where extremely high volume usage led to temporary throttling. If you’re planning on heavy usage, you might want to consider alternatives or have a backup plan.
Overall, for most small to medium projects, Google Docs Viewer is a solid, cost-effective solution. Just be prepared for occasional hiccups in performance or rendering.
Google Docs Viewer is indeed a free service provided by Google. I have used it on several projects without any cost, and it generally meets the needs of moderate usage. However, bear in mind that there is no official API or exhaustive documentation available, so it might not be ideal for heavy-duty or mission-critical applications. In high-volume scenarios, you may experience occasional slowdowns or access issues. Furthermore, while it works well for common file types such as XLS, complex spreadsheets might not render perfectly.