Etherpad vs Stoat
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
Stoat
Stoat is a user-first chat platform built with modern web technologies
| Feature | Etherpad | Stoat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,481 | ★ 2,572 |
| First released | 2011 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Google Docs | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Stoat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (2.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Etherpad or Stoat 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 Etherpad and Stoat free and open-source?
Yes. Etherpad is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Stoat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Etherpad and Stoat with Docker?
Etherpad: yes. Stoat: check the project docs for container support.