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Etherpad - Real-time collaborative text editor

Etherpad

Collaboration

Real-time collaborative text editor

Replaces

Google Docs

Save

0/mo

0 €/year saved

What is Etherpad?

Etherpad is an open-source, web-based collaborative real-time editor. Multiple people can edit a document at the same time, with each author's contributions shown in a different color. It supports plugins, import/export, and can be embedded in other applications.

Key Features

Real-time collaboration
Color-coded authoring
Version history
Plugin ecosystem
Import/export formats
Embeddable

Why Self-Host Etherpad?

Self-hosting Etherpad gives you a private collaborative editing space without sending documents to Google or Microsoft. Perfect for meetings, brainstorming, and collaborative writing.

Ready to deploy Etherpad?

One click. Zero config. Your server, your etherpad.

you.seed.box
Etherpad self-hosted web interface screenshot

Etherpad vs Google Docs

FeatureEtherpad (Self-hosted)Google Docs
Annual cost€20/yr (Seed.box Premium)0 €/year
Data ownership100% yoursTheir servers
PrivacyComplete privacyData collection
Vendor lock-inNone - export anytimeDifficult migration
Storage limitYour server capacityPlan-dependent

Google Docs limitations:

  • Google reads your documents
  • Requires Google account
  • Data on Google servers
  • Limited offline access