Which self-hosted collaborative document editor fits your situation
If your team needs real-time writing outside a full office suite, the deciding factors are how much you need to protect content from the server, which file formats you must exchange, and how the editor has to connect to your other systems. None of the three options here is a full office suite. They cover collaborative text and light structured documents, so teams that depend on complex spreadsheets, presentations or heavy print layout should keep a separate office editor on the shortlist.
Choose CryptPad when end-to-end encryption is the requirement. Content is encrypted in the browser before it reaches the server, and account keys derive from a username and password the server never sees. Its app set is the broadest of the three, covering documents, sheets, presentations, forms, kanban, code, rich text and whiteboards. Two points need checking before you commit. Its architecture document describes a single pre-shared key known to all participants of a document, so confirm that this sharing model meets your key-management policy. Also confirm which office engine your version uses, since CryptPad's office applications before version 9 are based on modified ONLYOFFICE code and from version 9 on modified Euro-Office code.
Choose La Suite Docs when your priority is .docx and .md import with Office-style export and a deployment you can run on Kubernetes or Docker Compose. Docs is MIT licensed, imports .docx and .md, and exports .docx, .odt and .pdf. Its README notes that PDF export relies on GPL-licensed BlockNote XL packages that can be excluded with PUBLISH_AS_MIT=true, so legal review should check this setting before rollout. Choose Etherpad when you need lightweight pads, per-author attribution, a timeslider for past revisions and an HTTP API for managing pads, users and groups. Etherpad requires git and Node.js 24 or newer, and its README advises a dedicated database such as MySQL in production rather than the dirtyDB driver.
Which editor fits which scenario
This table maps common editor scenarios to the platform that fits best and the supplied fact behind that choice. Read each row as a starting point, then check the condition named in the reason against your own requirements. Teams that need full Office fidelity should also review the online office suites comparison, because CryptPad's office apps are built on modified ONLYOFFICE or Euro-Office code.
| Scenario | Best fit | Reason and condition |
|---|---|---|
| Encrypted writing for sensitive notes | CryptPad | Content is encrypted in the browser before it reaches the server, so unmodified server code cannot read it. Confirm that the shared-key model in its architecture document meets your threat model. |
| Lightweight team pads with an API | Etherpad | Offers an HTTP API for pads, users and groups with OpenAPI definitions, and keeps per-author attribution and revision history. Plan a dedicated production database rather than the dirtyDB driver. |
| Office-format round trips | La Suite Docs | Imports .docx and .md and exports .docx, .odt and .pdf. Check the PDF export packaging, since it relies on GPL-licensed BlockNote XL packages unless PUBLISH_AS_MIT=true is set. |
| Public-sector or sovereignty-driven deployment | La Suite Docs | Built by DINUM and ZenDiS under MIT, and the French service runs on SecNumCloud-certified hosting. Confirm that the hosted service is not suited to Diffusion Restreinte content or health data before choosing it. |
| Full Office fidelity for complex documents | Review the online office suites comparison | CryptPad's office apps derive from ONLYOFFICE or Euro-Office code, but layout and macro fidelity should be tested on your own files in the suite designed for it. |
| Deployments that must run on Docker Compose or Kubernetes | La Suite Docs or CryptPad | Docs supports both Kubernetes and Docker Compose, and CryptPad publishes official AMD64 and ARM64 Docker images. Confirm the supported topology for your production size with each vendor. |
Each editor in brief and its license
CryptPad is an end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite licensed under AGPL-3.0 and actively developed by a team at XWiki SAS. Content is encrypted in the browser before it reaches the server, so an administrator running unmodified code cannot read users' content, and account keys derive from a username and password the server never sees. It fits teams where confidentiality from the operator is the requirement.
- Encryption model: The architecture document describes symmetric encryption with a single pre-shared key known to all participants of a document. Anyone holding the link effectively holds the key, so confirm how this fits your sharing, offboarding and revocation rules.
- Office apps: Office editing before version 9 uses modified ONLYOFFICE code, and from version 9 on uses modified Euro-Office code. Test format fidelity against your own documents before committing.
- Application range: Documents, sheets, presentations, forms, kanban, code, rich text and whiteboards are all covered by one suite.
- Release and deployment: Version 2026.5.1 was published on May 26, 2026. Official AMD64 and ARM64 Docker images are provided, and production self-hosting follows the admin installation guide.
- Funding model: The project is funded through NLnet PET, NGI TRUST and NGI DAPSI grants, CryptPad.fr subscribers and Open Collective donations. Ask the project directly what commercial support options exist, since the supplied material does not name a paid enterprise tier.
Check which content must stay unreadable to the operator, who needs to manage shared keys, and whether the office app lineage meets your format requirements.
Etherpad is a self-hosted real-time collaborative document editor whose code is licensed under Apache 2.0. It is built for lightweight, pad-based writing where every change is traceable to a person, and it is extended through a plugin ecosystem rather than a monolithic office suite. Its permissive license places few conditions on how you modify or redistribute it.
- Authorship and history: Every keystroke is attributed to its author, and past revisions are kept and can be replayed with a timeslider. This suits review trails for policies and meeting notes.
- API for automation: An HTTP API manages pads, users and groups, with OpenAPI definitions served at
/api/openapi.json. Provisioning and clean-up can be scripted against it. - Extensibility: Hundreds of plugins exist, and the project is translated into 105 languages. Review each plugin's license and maintenance status before adding it to production.
- Database choice: The dirtyDB driver is for testing and development only. The README recommends a dedicated database such as MySQL in production, and its Docker Compose example uses PostgreSQL 15.
- Runtime requirements: Etherpad requires git and Node.js 24 or newer. Version 3.3.9 was published on October 18, 2026.
Check the server-side data model with the project before storing confidential content, because Etherpad is not an encrypted-by-design tool, and confirm the plugin set and database tier you plan to operate.
La Suite Docs is the collaborative editor from La Suite numérique, the open workspace operated by DINUM for French state employees. Its code is MIT licensed and is a joint initiative of the French government through DINUM and the German government through ZenDiS, with the Netherlands being onboarded. MIT lets you use, modify and redistribute the code while keeping the copyright notice, without requiring you to publish your changes.
- Stack: Docs is built on Django Rest Framework, Next.js, ProseMirror, BlockNote.js, HocusPocus and Yjs. Teams with Django, React or Yjs skills will recognize the components, which matters when you extend the editor.
- Formats: It imports
.docxand.mdand exports.docx,.odtand.pdf. Verify layout fidelity with your own templates. - PDF export and licensing: The README notes that PDF export relies on GPL-licensed BlockNote XL packages. Setting
PUBLISH_AS_MIT=trueexcludes them, so decide whether you need PDF export before choosing this build path. - Deployment: Kubernetes and Docker Compose are both supported. Version 6.0.1 was published on October 15, 2026.
- Hosting caution: La Suite's own Docs service runs on SecNumCloud-certified hosting and is not suited to Diffusion Restreinte content or health data. Confirm your classification and hosting requirements independently of that service.
Check your data classification, whether you need PDF export, and how your team's obligations differ from AGPL-3.0 if you modify and offer the editor to users over a network.
How CryptPad's encryption model changes who can read a document
CryptPad's design changes who can read a document: when it runs unmodified code, the server administrator cannot read the content. The browser encrypts data before it leaves the user's device, and account keys derive from a username and password that the server never sees. That moves the trust boundary from the operator to the people who hold the document. It also makes the build itself part of your security case. An administrator who patches or modifies the code loses that guarantee, so decide who controls the deployed build, how changes are reviewed, and how you will verify that the running code matches upstream before you rely on the encryption for sensitive material.
The CryptPad architecture document describes symmetric encryption with a single pre-shared key known to all participants of a document. In practice, anyone who holds that key can read the document, and access cannot be narrowed to one person's copy of it. This affects access revocation: removing a collaborator may not stop them from reading content they already saw or copied. Ask the vendor whether removing a member triggers key rotation, whether earlier content is re-encrypted, and how key sharing works when a document is shared with a new group. Also ask how a lost password is handled, whether an administrator can help recover an account or document, and what happens to content if a key is lost. Do not assume a recovery path until it is confirmed in writing.
Etherpad and La Suite Docs need a different threat model. The supplied material for both does not describe end-to-end encryption, so plan on the standard configuration letting the server operator read content. Etherpad stores pads in a database, and its README recommends a dedicated database such as MySQL in production, so database and backup access becomes the boundary to control. La Suite Docs runs on your own Kubernetes or Docker Compose stack. For sensitive writing, confirm with each vendor whether any server-side encryption keeps content from operators, and treat that answer as a requirement, not an assumption. CryptPad's office editing also needs checking: its office applications before version 9 use modified ONLYOFFICE code and from version 9 use modified Euro-Office code, so confirm how office files are handled under its key model.
How to choose and pilot a collaborative editor
This sequence turns a shortlist of CryptPad, Etherpad and La Suite Docs into a documented decision backed by tests on your own files, your own infrastructure and a small group of real users. Each step produces a written result that the next step depends on.
Inventory the document types and export formats
The collaboration or document owner lists the document types people create and the formats they must receive, such as .docx, .odt, .pdf or .md, and notes which documents are shared with people outside the organization. Include any templates, legal or records documents and anything that must open in a desktop office suite. The output is a short matrix of document type, required import format, required export format and who needs it. Confirm each vendor's supported formats in its own documentation and in your environment, because import and export support differs between platforms and between versions.
Decide whether end-to-end encryption is required
The security lead and data owner decide whether document content must be unreadable to the server administrator, or whether server-side access controls and audit logging are sufficient. Record which data classes are in scope and whether any regulation or contract restricts where content may be stored or processed. CryptPad's architecture document describes a model where a single pre-shared key is known to all participants of a document, so ask the vendor to explain key handling, sharing and revocation in the terms your policy requires. The output is a signed requirement that either includes or excludes end-to-end encryption.
Test a sample of real documents through import and export
The pilot team takes a representative set of existing documents, including long files, tables, comments, embedded images and tracked changes where relevant, and imports them into each shortlisted editor. Each file is then exported to every required format and compared with the original for layout, headings, lists, links and metadata. Record which elements survive, which degrade and which are lost. The output is a fidelity log per platform that the document owner signs off on, and a list of known gaps your users must accept or work around.
Check the database and deployment method
The platform or infrastructure team compares each candidate's supported database and deployment method against your standard stack and operating model. Etherpad's README says the dirtyDB driver is only for testing and development and recommends a dedicated database such as MySQL in production, so confirm the production database choice and its backup approach. Confirm whether the vendor supports Docker Compose, Kubernetes or a manual install, and whether the image or package fits your change control. The output is a deployment note per platform covering components, database, backup and upgrade path, reviewed by the operations owner.
Confirm API and integration needs
The integration owner lists the programmatic access your workflows need, such as creating or managing pads, users and groups, exporting documents to another system, or embedding editing in an existing application. Check each vendor's API documentation directly. Etherpad documents an HTTP API with OpenAPI definitions, but the scope of access, authentication and rate behavior should be confirmed in your environment. The output is a pass or fail per required integration, with any gap assigned to a named owner for a decision before rollout.
Run a small group of users for a fixed period
A small, representative group of users works in each shortlisted editor on everyday documents for a period agreed in writing before the pilot starts. The pilot lead logs issues, unexpected behavior, support requests and the time users spend on export and sharing tasks. Ask users for specific feedback on real-time editing, revision history and access control. The output is a pilot report comparing results against the requirements from the earlier steps, plus a recommendation that the steering group approves or rejects before any wider rollout.
What each editor needs from your operations team
Each editor asks something different from the people who run it. Some need a container platform and a dedicated database, some need a Node.js and git toolchain, and one puts key management in the browser where your team cannot reach it. Check these operating components before you compare features.
Container and Kubernetes deployment
Docker Compose and Kubernetes are the deployment paths named for La Suite Docs, and CryptPad publishes official AMD64 and ARM64 Docker images. Confirm which of these your platform team already operates, and who owns image pulls, patching and rollback. For CryptPad, follow its admin installation guide for production rather than a development setup. Ask each vendor which configuration they test, because a lab Compose file is not a production topology.
Dedicated database choice
Etherpad's README says the dirtyDB driver is only for testing and development and recommends a dedicated database such as MySQL in production, while its Docker Compose example uses PostgreSQL 15. Decide early which database engine your team backs up, monitors and restores. Ask who handles database sizing, failover and point-in-time recovery, since the pad content and revision history live there.
Node.js and git for Etherpad
Etherpad requires git and Node.js 24 or newer. Your build and patch process must provide both runtimes, and your image scanning and change control must cover them. Node.js upgrades can break plugins, so test the plugins you install against the new runtime before moving production. Check whether your team already maintains a Node.js lifecycle policy.
Browser-side key management for CryptPad
CryptPad encrypts content in the browser, and account keys derive from a username and password the server never sees. Your operations team cannot reset a forgotten password or recover content from the server side. Decide how users are onboarded, what the support desk tells people who lose credentials, and how you document that limit for records management and legal hold.
Upgrade cadence and release tracking
Track release dates against your change calendar. CryptPad 2026.5.1 was published on May 26, 2026, Etherpad v3.3.9 on October 18, 2026, and La Suite Docs v6.0.1 on October 15, 2026. Ask each project which release lines it maintains, how long older lines receive fixes, and whether security patches ship outside regular releases. Plan a staging upgrade before each production change.
What the open-source licenses and paid options change
Start the license review with the three licenses in play. AGPL-3.0 (GNU Affero General Public License) lets you run, modify and redistribute the software freely, but if you offer a modified version to users over a network, you must make your changes available under the same terms. *Apache 2.0* is a permissive license that allows modification and redistribution, including in proprietary products, with attribution and patent terms. *MIT* is shorter still: keep the copyright and license notice, and the code can be used with few conditions. For an internal deployment, AGPL-3.0 rarely changes day-to-day use, but legal teams should confirm whether any custom integration or branding creates a distribution or network-use obligation. CryptPad's license alone does not settle the review. Its office applications are built on modified ONLYOFFICE code before version 9 and on modified Euro-Office code from version 9 on, so the license of those components sits alongside CryptPad's AGPL-3.0. Ask counsel to review the office component's license separately, confirm which CryptPad version you will deploy, and check that the modifications CryptPad applies are documented in the code you actually run.
None of the three projects publishes a paid edition in the supplied facts. Etherpad (Apache 2.0), CryptPad (AGPL-3.0) and La Suite Docs (MIT) are each available as source code, and the supplied material does not describe a commercial subscription, support tier or vendor-backed SLA for any of them. Ask each project's maintainers or community channels, and any firm you plan to hire, which commercial support options exist, what they cover and who would be accountable for security fixes. Any paid support arrangement is a separate contract from the software license and should appear in the written quote.
La Suite Docs has one licensing detail that affects PDF export. Its README notes that PDF export relies on GPL-licensed BlockNote XL packages. Setting PUBLISH_AS_MIT=true excludes those packages, which keeps the published build under MIT but may remove PDF export from the feature set. Test the export path in a staging instance after setting this value, confirm which formats still work, and record the decision before users depend on PDF output.
Questions buyers ask before choosing a self-hosted editor
What drives the effort to run each self-hosted editor?
The biggest drivers are the runtime footprint, the number of moving parts and how much of the stack you must operate yourself. CryptPad is a browser-encrypted suite that publishes official AMD64 and ARM64 Docker images, and its production setup follows an admin installation guide. Etherpad requires git and Node.js 24 or newer, and its README says the dirtyDB driver is for testing only, so production needs a dedicated database such as MySQL, while its Docker Compose example uses PostgreSQL 15. La Suite Docs supports Kubernetes and Docker Compose and uses Django Rest Framework, Next.js, ProseMirror, Yjs and HocusPocus. Ask each vendor or DeployOpen for the list of services, the upgrade path and the backup procedure in your environment.
Can a team deploy and maintain a self-hosted editor without outside help?
Yes, if the team has someone comfortable with containers, a database, TLS, reverse proxies and regular upgrades. Each project publishes its own install path, so a skilled internal team can follow it. The harder part is ongoing maintenance: tracking releases, testing upgrades, restoring backups and answering security questions from your auditors. Where that capacity is thin, a fixed-scope engagement can cover planning, deployment, hardening, backup and documentation, with ongoing support available as a retainer. DeployOpen does not publish a price list, and its pricing follows a written scope agreed before work starts.
What does the work need from our infrastructure team?
Plan for hosting capacity, a database, identity integration, backups, monitoring and network rules. Confirm which operating systems, container runtimes and Kubernetes versions your platform team supports, and whether the editor can sit behind your existing reverse proxy. Check how each product handles storage and where data lives, because CryptPad keeps document content encrypted in the browser. For office-style editing, confirm how the editor connects to your file platform. Ask your infrastructure team to review the database support matrix, log retention and disaster recovery targets before selecting a product.
How long does migration from a hosted document tool typically take, and what drives it?
No supplied fact gives a migration duration, so treat any figure you hear as something to verify against your own content. The main drivers are the volume and age of documents, how many users and shared links need to be re-established, how much formatting must survive conversion, and whether comments, revision history and permissions must move. Docs imports .docx and .md and exports .docx, .odt and .pdf, so test a representative sample of your files early. Ask any provider for a migration plan with a pilot phase, a cutover window and a rollback step, and for the scope that is included in the quote.
Do the APIs and export formats cover our workflow?
Check this against your own workflow before you commit. Etherpad offers an HTTP API to manage pads, users and groups, with OpenAPI definitions served at /api/openapi.json. Docs imports .docx and .md and exports .docx, .odt and .pdf, but its README notes that PDF export relies on GPL-licensed BlockNote XL packages that can be excluded with PUBLISH_AS_MIT=true, which matters for license review. CryptPad's apps include documents, sheets, presentations, forms, kanban, code, rich text and whiteboards, so confirm each format you need. Ask each vendor which API endpoints, webhooks and export options exist in the version you plan to run.
What cost components should a quote include?
A quote should separate one-time work from recurring work. One-time items usually include discovery, architecture, installation, identity and integration setup, data migration, testing, hardening and documentation. Recurring items usually include hosting, database and backup storage, licenses or subscriptions where they apply, upgrades, monitoring and support. Open-source licenses such as AGPL-3.0 for CryptPad and Apache 2.0 for Etherpad carry no license fee, but a paid edition or support contract may still apply to other products in your stack. DeployOpen fixed-scope work is priced from a written scope, so ask for deliverables, assumptions, exclusions and the support terms in the quote.
Does a self-hosted editor meet our compliance or data protection needs?
A self-hosted editor can keep document content inside your infrastructure, but it does not make you compliant on its own. CryptPad encrypts content in the browser so administrators running unmodified code cannot read it, while Etherpad and Docs store content on servers you run. The relevant questions are where data is stored, who holds encryption keys, how access is logged and how backups are protected. DeployOpen prepares systems, controls and evidence for compliance assessments, but independent auditors and certification bodies issue any audit reports or certifications. Confirm the controls with your assessor before you rely on them.
How DeployOpen scopes and supports an editor selection
DeployOpen plans, implements, customizes, integrates, hardens, backs up, upgrades, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own cloud accounts, data centers or air-gapped networks. For a document editor choice, that means working from your content rules, identity setup and storage requirements before any server is installed.
How we scope
- Confirm which content must stay end-to-end encrypted and which can sit on a server-side editor.
- Record the file formats, export needs and templates your teams depend on before choosing a platform.
- Agree deliverables, timelines and responsibilities in writing, since most engagements are fixed-scope.
How we build
- Deploy the chosen editor in your infrastructure, using the vendor's documented installation path for production.
- Integrate authentication, storage and any file platform the editor must work with under your own configuration.
- Run security testing against the deployed editor and its APIs, and document the results with your team.
How we hand over
- Document the architecture, configuration, backup procedures and upgrade steps for your operations staff.
- Prepare evidence and access controls that your compliance team and independent auditors can review.
- Walk your administrators through daily operation, so the platform does not depend on one person's knowledge.
How we support
- Offer ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing as a retainer after the initial handover.
- Plan upgrades against the vendor's release lines and check compatibility before each change is applied.
- Ask any support provider to confirm which licensed or community tier covers your production needs.
