Etherpad vs Focalboard

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?
FeatureEtherpadFocalboard
CategoryChat & CommunicationProject Management & Tasks
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 18,481★ 26,376
First released20112021
ReplacesGoogle DocsTrello, Asana, Notion

Why pick each one

Choose Etherpad if…

  • Very mature and stable
  • Highly extensible
Etherpad details

Choose Focalboard if…

  • Clean Trello-like UI
  • Lightweight
  • Mattermost integration
Focalboard details

Frequently asked questions

Is Etherpad or Focalboard better?

Focalboard is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Etherpad if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Etherpad and Focalboard free and open-source?

Yes. Etherpad is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Focalboard under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Etherpad and Focalboard with Docker?

Etherpad: yes. Focalboard: yes.

Related comparisons