HedgeDoc
Focus: markdown. Shares collaborative editing and self-hosted with Etherpad. Rated 4.5 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
Web App
Etherpad
An open-source editor for writing documents together in real time.
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Etherpad?
Etherpad is a free, open-source collaborative text editor where several people can write in the same document at once, with each author's text shown in its own colour. It includes chat, a time slider to replay changes, and plugins, and you can self-host it or use a public instance.
Pros
- Live co-editing with author colours
- Time slider shows every change
- Can be fully self-hosted
Cons
- Basic formatting compared to office suites
- Public instances vary in reliability
Who should use Etherpad
Groups taking shared meeting notes or drafting text together without accounts.
Who may not need it
Teams already working inside Google Docs or Microsoft 365.
Etherpad alternatives
Similar resources to Etherpad, picked from the directory.
Rallly
Focus: group scheduling, polls and calendly alternative. Shares open source and self-hosted with Etherpad. Freemium (Etherpad: Free). Rated 4.5 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Web AppFree planWeb
4.5Visit
Typst
Focus: typesetting, latex alternative and documents. Shares open source with Etherpad. Freemium (Etherpad: Free). Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.6 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Web AppFree planWeb, Windows
4.6Visit
CryptPad
Focus: encrypted, office suite and google docs alternative. Shares open source with Etherpad. Freemium (Etherpad: Free). Rated 4.3 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Web AppFree planWeb
4.3Visit
Buzz
Focus: transcription, whisper and offline. Shares open source with Etherpad. A desktop app, not a web app. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.5 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors
Focus: office suite, docx and pdf editor. Shares open source with Etherpad. A desktop app, not a web app. Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.5 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Free alternatives to Etherpad
Free resources that cover similar ground.
DeskRPG
Focus: ai agents, virtual office and 3d. Shares self-hosted and open source with Etherpad. Same 4.4 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.4Visit
Nextcloud
Focus: file sync and dropbox alternative. Shares self-hosted and open source with Etherpad. Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Same 4.4 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb, Windows
4.4Visit
OpenVidu
Focus: video calls, webrtc and livekit. Shares self-hosted with Etherpad. A framework, not a web app. Same 4.4 rating.
FrameworkFreeCross-Platform
4.4Visit
Sync-in
Focus: file sync, file sharing and github. Shares self-hosted and open source with Etherpad. Adds Linux. Same 4.4 rating.
Web AppFreeCross-Platform, Linux
4.4Visit
Jitsi Meet
Focus: video calls and zoom alternative. Shares open source and self-hosted with Etherpad. Adds Android and iOS. Rated 4.3 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Web AppFreeWeb, Android
4.3Visit
TaskView
Focus: task management, project management and teams. Shares self-hosted and open source with Etherpad. Rated 4.3 (Etherpad: 4.4).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.3Visit
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