ARN-Messager vs Etherpad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ARN-Messager
Bot which enables multiple Matrix users to use a single third-party IM
VS
Etherpad
Real-time collaborative document editor
| Feature | ARN-Messager | Etherpad |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 18,481 |
| First released | 2025 | 2011 |
| Replaces | — | Google Docs |
Why pick each one
Choose ARN-Messager if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ARN-Messager or Etherpad better?
Neither is universally better. Etherpad has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ARN-Messager and Etherpad free and open-source?
Yes. ARN-Messager is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and Etherpad under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ARN-Messager and Etherpad with Docker?
ARN-Messager: check the project docs for container support. Etherpad: yes.