HedgeDoc review: shared notes on your server

HedgeDoc is a free open-source collaborative markdown editor for people who want shared notes without handing the text to a notes company. Markdown is ordinary text with small marks for headings, lists and links, so a note stays readable outside the editor. You run HedgeDoc on a server you control, then share a link so a family, a club or a small team can edit the same page together.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A web-based, self-hosted editor for shared Markdown notes, diagrams and slide decks.¹

Works on: A web browser. The server install is Docker for amd64 and arm64, the common 64-bit PC and ARM chips, or Node.js 20.17 or later.¹²⁷

Price: Free software you host yourself. The project also invites you to try a demo.¹

Licence: AGPL 3.0. The logo has separate terms.¹³

Best for: A household or small group that wants live shared notes on its own server.

Official site: hedgedoc.org

What HedgeDoc does (and how it protects your privacy)

HedgeDoc is a website you host. The editor runs in the browser, and people open the notes you allow.¹ The project says you stay in control by keeping your data on your server.¹

Notes sit in a database you choose: PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MySQL or SQLite.⁶ Pictures can stay in a folder on that server, or go to Imgur, S3, Minio, Azure or Lutim.⁶ Several people can type at once. You send the link, and the other person opens it.¹ The creator of the note chooses who may read or change it.⁴

The project was called CodiMD until a 2020 rename, so it would not be mixed up with another project of the same name.¹ The current release is HedgeDoc 1.12.0, published on 21 August 2026.²

Key features of HedgeDoc

Live editing. Friends, family and colleagues can work in one note at the same time.¹
Permissions. The owner picks Freely, Editable, Limited, Locked, Protected or Private, and only the owner can change that.⁴
History. Revisions record changes and can restore an older copy.¹
Slides. Presentation mode builds a deck with reveal.js.¹
Diagrams. Notes can include graphs, diagrams and content brought in from elsewhere.¹
Sign-in. Email sign-in is on by default. LDAP, SAML and OAuth2 work too, including a ready-made GitHub login.⁵⁶
Light hardware. The project says it runs smoothly on a Raspberry Pi.¹
Outside links. Version 1.12.0 opens links in a new tab, and the release notes describe an external-link warning.²

Pros and cons of HedgeDoc

Pros

Notes stay on a server you run.¹
Only the owner can change a note’s permission.⁴
Guest note-creation can be switched off.⁵
Revisions let you restore an older copy.¹
The source is public under the AGPL, and 1.12.0 is the current release.¹²
Official Docker images are published for amd64 and arm64.⁷

Cons

Someone has to update the server, back it up and keep it online.
HedgeDoc 1 is maintenance-only. HedgeDoc 2 is still being written and does not yet include every feature.³
Local passwords work, but that login has no two-factor authentication and no self-service password reset. Two-factor authentication is a second check, such as a phone code, on top of the password.⁵
Anonymous usage is on by default, so people without an account can create notes until you turn that off.⁵⁶
One database should feed one HedgeDoc process. Extra copies on the same database can leave notes missing or broken.⁸
Built-in PDF export was removed. The project says a headless Chromium browser used to build the files, and that led to security weaknesses. Browser print-to-PDF still works. A replacement is planned at the earliest for HedgeDoc 2.1.⁸

Is HedgeDoc safe and private?

You install HedgeDoc yourself. Notes live in your database, and uploads go where you point them.¹⁶ Privacy follows from who can reach that server and who can open each note.

By default, everybody except guests can write.⁵ Guests can still read: the Editable row allows guest reading and blocks guest writing.⁴ Anyone with the link can see a new note until the owner changes it. Limited lets signed-in people edit and keeps guests out. Protected lets signed-in people read only, and blocks guests. Private keeps both reading and writing for the owner.⁴ Choose a strict setting before you paste anything sensitive.

Anonymous note creation defaults to on. Turn it off on any server other people can reach. Guests can still edit later if you allow that and the owner has agreed.⁵⁶ Use HTTPS through a reverse proxy that handles TLS, the padlock on the connection between browser and server.⁵ HedgeDoc also publishes /status, /_health and /metrics. Hide the detailed ones from the public internet, and back up the database, the uploads and the configuration.⁵

Leave Google Analytics support off. The docs say turning it on increases the attack surface of cross-site scripting, which means a page can run code you did not intend.⁶ Profile pictures can come from Libravatar, and that source can be switched off.⁶ The code is on GitHub under AGPL 3.0, the logo is excluded, and volunteers maintain the project.¹³ Release 1.12.0 fixes real-time sessions that could drop edits on a shaky link, and it needs Node.js 20.17 or later.²

How to get started with HedgeDoc

Follow the install guide on the official site. Docker is the shorter path, and a downloadable bundle is offered too.¹⁷
Use the image quay.io/hedgedoc/hedgedoc:1.12.0. The sample file also starts PostgreSQL and is not meant for production, so change the sample database password first.⁷
Start the containers. HedgeDoc is then at http://localhost:3000.⁷
Before anyone else joins, add HTTPS, turn anonymous note creation off, and set a stricter default permission if needed. The guide recommends a database other than SQLite for production, and says SQLite is probably fine for a single user.⁵
Email sign-in and registration are on by default, so create an account unless you have disabled that.⁶
Set the permission before pasting anything private. Private keeps the note to you. Limited lets signed-in people edit and leaves guests out.⁴
Back up the database, the uploads and the configuration.⁵

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

HedgeDoc fits a family, a club or a small team that can run a small website, or is willing to learn that one job. You get live notes, slides and a permission switch, with the text on hardware you choose.

For shared writing on your own server, see Etherpad. For encrypted notes across devices, see Notesnook. For self-hosted notes kept as Markdown files, see flatnotes. For a notebook with a clear hierarchy, see Trilium Notes.

Frequently asked questions

Is HedgeDoc free?

Yes. The project publishes the code under the AGPL and calls it free as in free speech.¹ You host it yourself, on a computer that stays on. The homepage’s demo is free to try.¹

Is HedgeDoc private?

It follows the server you run and the permission on each note. Notes are stored in your database.¹⁶ Guests can read a new note if they have the link, until you tighten it.⁴⁵ Use Private for sensitive text, turn anonymous creation off, and use HTTPS. Local passwords have no second factor.⁵

Does HedgeDoc work on iPhone?

Yes, in the browser. The project says you do not need extra software, because the editor runs in the browser. Open your server’s address on the phone.¹

Is HedgeDoc the same as CodiMD or HackMD?

HedgeDoc is the community project formerly called CodiMD. Two CodiMD projects shared the old name: this community fork, and the original kept by the HackMD team. The community copy was renamed in 2020.¹⁸ Version 1.12.0 is the latest release. HedgeDoc 2 is still being written.²³