HedgeDoc vs Rustpad
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
Rustpad
Minimal collaborative real-time text editor
| Feature | HedgeDoc | Rustpad |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,359 | ★ 4,070 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | HackMD, Google Docs | Google Docs, Etherpad |
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 Rustpad better?
Neither is universally better. HedgeDoc has the larger community, while Rustpad is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are HedgeDoc and Rustpad free and open-source?
Yes. HedgeDoc is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rustpad under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HedgeDoc and Rustpad with Docker?
HedgeDoc: yes. Rustpad: yes.