EtherCalc vs Overleaf
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted office suites options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
EtherCalc
Real-time collaborative spreadsheet editor
VS
Overleaf
Online real-time collaborative LaTeX editor
| Feature | EtherCalc | Overleaf |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | CPAL-1.0 | AGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,041 | ★ 18,007 |
| First released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Sheets | — |
Why pick each one
Choose EtherCalc if…
- Released under the CPAL-1.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Choose Overleaf if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 18k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is EtherCalc or Overleaf better?
Neither is universally better. Overleaf has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are EtherCalc and Overleaf free and open-source?
Yes. EtherCalc is licensed under CPAL-1.0 and Overleaf under AGPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EtherCalc and Overleaf with Docker?
EtherCalc: yes. Overleaf: check the project docs for container support.