HedgeDoc vs Etherpad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
HedgeDoc
Real-time collaborative Markdown editor
VS
Etherpad
Real-time collaborative document editor
| Feature | HedgeDoc | Etherpad |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,359 | ★ 18,481 |
| First released | 2016 | 2011 |
| Replaces | HackMD, Google Docs | Google Docs |
Why pick each one
Choose HedgeDoc if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is HedgeDoc 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 HedgeDoc and Etherpad free and open-source?
Yes. HedgeDoc is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Etherpad under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HedgeDoc and Etherpad with Docker?
HedgeDoc: yes. Etherpad: yes.