Etherpad vs Ferdium Server
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?
Etherpad
Real-time collaborative document editor
VS
Ferdium Server
Self-hosted backend for syncing Ferdium settings
| Feature | Etherpad | Ferdium Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,481 | ★ 288 |
| First released | 2011 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Docs | Franz Server |
Why pick each one
Choose Ferdium Server if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Etherpad or Ferdium Server better?
Neither is universally better. Etherpad has the larger community, while Ferdium Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Etherpad and Ferdium Server free and open-source?
Yes. Etherpad is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Ferdium Server under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Etherpad and Ferdium Server with Docker?
Etherpad: yes. Ferdium Server: yes.