EUAlternatives
    Etherpad logo

    Etherpad

    Open-source real-time collaborative editor.

    DEGermany·Founded 2008
    Headquarters
    🇩🇪Germany
    Data Hosting
    Customer-defined
    Structure
    Independent
    Compliance
    ▣GDPR▦EU Data

    Etherpad key facts

    Last updated
    Legal entity
    The Etherpad Foundation / Community Project
    Headquarters
    Germany (DE)
    Ownership
    Independent
    Founded
    2008
    Data hosting
    Customer-defined
    Infrastructure
    Self-hosted
    Deployment
    Self-hosted
    Open source
    Yes
    US Cloud Act exposure
    Low (no US parent)
    Replaces
    Google Docs, Microsoft Loop, Confluence Whiteboards, Microsoft Word Online, Confluence, Notion

    About Etherpad

    Etherpad is a customizable open-source editor that allows teams to collaborate on documents in real-time. Unlike traditional editors where files are exchanged, Etherpad allows everyone to see edits instantly as they happen, with distinct authorship colors for each participant. It is designed to be highly extensible via a robust plugin ecosystem. The software is built on Node.js and is known for its high performance and document portability, allowing entire pads including their full version history to be migrated between different instances. While public instances exist, it is most commonly deployed as a self-hosted solution by organizations requiring full control over their data and document infrastructure.

    Alternative to

    Google DocsMicrosoft LoopConfluence WhiteboardsMicrosoft Word OnlineConfluenceNotion

    Target Segments

    EducationNonprofit / NGOSMBPublic Sector

    Deployment Options

    Self-hosted

    Hosting & Security

    Infrastructure

    Self-hosted

    Key Features

    Real-time multi-user collaborative editing
    Well-documented API
    Import/Export for major data formats
    Admin page for instance configuration
    Plugin management system with 171+ plugins
    Complete edit history/time slider
    Screen reader compatibility and internationalization
    Support for up to 250 concurrent users per pad

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