Etherpad review: shared writing on your server

Etherpad is an open-source collaborative text editor for a group that wants to write one document together.¹² Several people can type on the same page, and each person’s keystrokes stay tied to that person, in their own colour.² You run it on a server you choose.¹ The project site says the code is Apache 2.0, with no telemetry and no upsells.¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A web page where several people edit the same text live.

Works on: Linux, macOS and Windows.¹ Docker is a supported install, and the pad opens in a browser.⁶ A source install needs Node.js 24 or newer.⁶

Price: You host it yourself. The project site says there are no upsells, and the code is Apache 2.0.¹

Licence: Apache Licence 2.0.¹

Best for: A club, class or small team that can run a server and wants a shared draft with a visible history.

Official site: etherpad.org

What Etherpad does (and how it protects your privacy)

Etherpad is a real-time editor. People with the pad open see changes as they happen, and they can chat while editing.⁵ Every revision is kept. A timeslider moves through that history, and author colours show who wrote which part.²

The privacy benefit is where the document lives. Etherpad runs on your server, and the pad text, the history and the chat are written to the database you configure.¹⁴ There is no company account in the middle. A writing assistant is not switched on for you. If you want one, it is a plugin you install and point at a model you choose.¹

Public sites are fine for a trial. The project says they are run by other people, not by the Etherpad Foundation.² For a private draft, use a server you trust and share the address only with the right people.

Key Etherpad features

Live group writing: Everyone in the pad sees edits as they are typed, and can chat while editing.⁵
Colours and a full history: Each author has a colour, and the timeslider shows every revision.²
Copies you can take away: A pad exports as plain text, HTML, a Word document (DOCX), PDF, or Etherpad’s own file. That Etherpad file keeps the full history.⁶
Plugins when you want more: The project site describes 290 plugins, including comments, images, tables, drawing, and sign-in through OAuth, LDAP or OpenID.¹
Many languages: The interface is translated into 105 languages.²
Optional expiry: Pads are kept forever unless you turn retention on and set days since the last edit.⁴

Etherpad pros and cons

Pros

The draft stays on a server you run, not in a cloud office account.¹
Colours and the timeslider show who changed the page.²
Guests open the pad address in a browser.⁶
You can export a copy. Etherpad’s own file keeps the full history.⁶
The two routine calls to etherpad.org can each be switched off.³
A writing assistant stays off unless you add a plugin.¹

Cons

You install and update the server. A source install needs Node.js 24 or newer.⁶
Pad text is stored in the server database, so who runs the server matters.⁴
You add HTTPS yourself. The recommended way is a reverse proxy in front of Etherpad.⁷
The built-in dirtyDB database is for testing, not for a server you keep. Use a database such as MySQL.²
Images, tables and comments come from plugins, and a plugin has full access to the process.¹³
A small volunteer team maintains it, and the project is looking for more maintainers.¹

Is Etherpad safe and private?

A small volunteer team maintains Etherpad.¹ The project has been doing this work since 2009.² Version 3.3.12, published on 28 October 2026, is a security release, so run that version and keep updating.⁸ The download page lists Linux, macOS and Windows.¹

The privacy note lists two outbound calls to etherpad.org, and each can be switched off. An hourly version check looks for updates. Set privacy.updateCheck to false to stop it. The plugin catalogue loads when an admin opens the plugin page. Set privacy.pluginCatalog to false to stop that.³ The server also asks the public npm registry, but only while an admin uses the plugin manager, not on an ordinary pad server. The note says there are no analytics, no usage pings and no third-party software kits while Etherpad is running.³

Each author is an opaque ID on a short-lived cookie. It is not linked to a real name unless a plugin or a sign-in layer adds one.⁴ Visitor IP addresses are not written to the database. In the default mode, log lines contain the word ANONYMOUS.⁴ Etherpad listens on port 9001. For a site on the internet, let a reverse proxy provide HTTPS, or give Etherpad its own certificate.⁷

Retention is off by default, so pads stay until you enable it.⁴ The page at /admin requires an admin login.⁶ If you add accounts in settings.json, store password hashes with the ep_hash_auth plugin, not plain passwords.² Add a plugin only when you need it. Plugins sit outside that privacy note and run with full access.³

How to get started with Etherpad

For a private document, run Etherpad yourself. Public instances are fine for a trial. The project says they are third-party sites, not provided by the Etherpad Foundation.²
Install from an official source. With Docker, pull etherpad/etherpad and publish port 9001. Or clone the master branch from https://github.com/ether/etherpad, then install, build and start it with pnpm. A source install needs Node.js 24 or newer.⁶
Open http://localhost:9001 in your browser.⁶
Create a pad by opening a path such as /p/notes. That address opens the pad, or creates it if it is new.⁶
Share that address only with the people who should write in it. Open the pad’s timeslider when you need an earlier version.⁶
Before anyone connects over the internet, add HTTPS. Keep Etherpad on 127.0.0.1 port 9001 and let a reverse proxy terminate TLS, or set your own certificate. Etherpad refuses to start as root.⁷
For a server you keep, leave the test database behind. The dirtyDB driver is only for testing and development; use a dedicated database such as MySQL.² Set privacy.updateCheck and privacy.pluginCatalog to false if you do not want those two calls.³

Who should use Etherpad (and who might prefer something else)

Etherpad fits a club, class, newsroom or small team with someone willing to run a server. It suits a shared draft that should stay on hardware you control, with a clear record of who typed what.

If the group wants shared Markdown notes rather than this live pad, HedgeDoc is the closer tool. For private notes that stay encrypted across your own devices, rather than a page everyone edits at once, Notesnook is a better fit. For a short secret you want encrypted in the browser before it is stored, PrivateBin is the simpler choice.

Frequently asked questions

Is Etherpad free?

Yes. You download and run it yourself. The code is Apache 2.0, and the project site says there are no upsells.¹ The current release is 3.3.12, published on 28 October 2026.⁸

Is Etherpad safe to use for private writing?

It fits when you run the server. The text, history and chat are stored in its database.⁴ You can disable the two calls to etherpad.org, and the project’s code does not add analytics.³ Use HTTPS on the internet. A public instance is someone else’s computer.²

Does Etherpad work on iPhone?

You use it in the phone’s browser. The download page offers version 3.3.12 and lists Linux, macOS and Windows.¹ Open the server’s address in the browser, the same way a computer opens http://localhost:9001 while Etherpad is running.⁶

Is Etherpad still maintained?

Yes. Version 3.3.12 was published on 28 October 2026, and the project calls it a security release.⁸ A small volunteer team maintains Etherpad and says it is looking for more maintainers.¹