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ether/etherpad

A self-hostable real-time collaborative document editor that attributes every edit to its author and keeps full revision history.

Open-source alternative to:Google DocsMicrosoft Word Online

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What is it?

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor for shared documents. Every change is attributed to the person who made it, every revision is kept, and a timeslider lets users step back through a pad's history character by character. Author colours show who wrote what while people are editing.

It runs on your own server, with Node.js 24 or later, and can use a database such as PostgreSQL or MySQL for production. Functionality is extended through plugins that can be installed from the admin interface or the command line, covering things like markdown, comments, headings, and WebRTC video. The HTTP API and OpenAPI definitions let other web applications manage pads, users and groups. Full data export is built in.

The code is licensed under Apache 2.0 and the interface is translated into 105 languages. AI features are not included in the core; they come from plugins that connect to a model you choose.

Key features

  • 01Per-author attribution and colours for every edit.
  • 02Full revision history with a character-level timeslider.
  • 03Runs self-hosted with PostgreSQL or MySQL support.
  • 04Extensible through plugins for markdown, comments, video and authentication.
  • 05HTTP API and OpenAPI definitions for embedding in other applications.
  • 06Built-in full data export.

Use cases

  • Collaborative drafting in organisations that need to keep data on their own servers.
  • Universities and schools running a shared writing environment.
  • Public consultations or civic projects that need a visible edit history.
  • Embedding collaborative pads into an existing web application via the API.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install pnpm globally with npm

    npm install -g pnpm
  2. 2

    Install project dependencies

    pnpm i
  3. 3

    Build Etherpad

    pnpm run build:etherpad
  4. 4

    Start Etherpad, then open http://localhost:9001

    pnpm run prod

Things to know

  • Requires Node.js 24 or newer and you must run and maintain the server yourself.
  • The default dirtyDB driver is only for testing, so production use needs a dedicated database such as MySQL.

In collections

Self-hosted apps

Topics

#collaboration#real-time#rich-text-editor#self-hosted#nodejs#typescript#document-editing#collaborative#collaborative-ai#collaborative-editing

FAQ

What is etherpad?
A self-hostable real-time collaborative document editor that attributes every edit to its author and keeps full revision history. Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor for shared documents. Every change is attributed to the person who made it, every revision is kept, and a timeslider lets users step back through a pad's history character by character. Author colours show who wrote what while people are editing.
Is etherpad free to use? What license does it have?
etherpad is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is etherpad still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to etherpad was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use etherpad for?
Collaborative drafting in organisations that need to keep data on their own servers. Universities and schools running a shared writing environment. Public consultations or civic projects that need a visible edit history. Embedding collaborative pads into an existing web application via the API.
How do I install etherpad?
Install pnpm globally with npm: npm install -g pnpm Install project dependencies: pnpm i Build Etherpad: pnpm run build:etherpad Start Etherpad, then open http://localhost:9001: pnpm run prod
Where can I get etherpad?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ether/etherpad

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