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Etherpad alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Etherpad: basic formatting compared with a word processor, and plugins and authentication need admin setup. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Etherpad, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Google Docs currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Google Docs logoGoogle DocsFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 474.6
2CryptPad logoCryptPadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 566.5
3Collabora Online logoCollabora OnlineOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 462.6
4ONLYOFFICE logoONLYOFFICEOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 557.2
  1. Google Docs logo

    1. Google DocsTop pick

    Best for: Groups that write together and want sharing and comments to just work

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    74.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Etherpad

    Hosted, more polished co-editing if self-hosting isn't required.

    Pros

    • Best-in-class real-time co-editing, comments and suggestion mode
    • Free with any Google account, nothing to install
    • Complete version history of every change

    Cons

    • Limited page-layout control for print-ready documents
    • Complex .docx files can lose formatting on import
    • Offline editing needs Chrome or Edge and setup in advance
    Visit Google Docs Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Docs a good Etherpad alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Anyone with a Google account
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Word import
    Yes, plus PDF
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline browsers
    Chrome and Edge
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. CryptPad logo

    2. CryptPad

    Best for: Activists, journalists and organisations that need private collaborative documents

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Etherpad

    Adds end-to-end encryption and spreadsheets, slides and forms.

    Pros

    • End-to-end encrypted documents with real-time collaboration
    • Free on public instances and fully self-hostable
    • Broad set of apps: docs, sheets, slides, forms, kanban, whiteboard

    Cons

    • Slower and less polished than Google Docs
    • No server-side search across encrypted content
    • Forgotten passwords can mean lost documents
    Visit CryptPad Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is CryptPad a good Etherpad alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    End-to-end encryption
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Free account on public instances
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plans
    €5 to €100/month on CryptPad.fr
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Managed instance
    From €1.5K/year
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Developer
    XWiki, Paris
    Checked Oct 25, 2026cryptpad.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Collabora Online logo

    3. Collabora Online

    Best for: Organisations that want self-hosted, real-time document editing with their own data control

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Etherpad

    Full self-hosted office editing when you need real documents.

    Pros

    • Real-time co-editing on infrastructure you control
    • Built on LibreOffice by one of its main contributors
    • Free development edition for home use and testing

    Cons

    • Needs a file platform like Nextcloud and some server know-how
    • Interface still feels closer to LibreOffice than modern web apps
    • Production support requires a paid subscription
    Visit Collabora Online Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Collabora Online a good Etherpad alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free edition
    CODE, for home use and testing
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    £2.60 per user/month (on-premise, up to 99 users)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop apps
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Mobile apps
    iOS and Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026collaboraonline.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. ONLYOFFICE logo

    4. ONLYOFFICE

    Best for: Teams wanting self-hosted, Office-compatible editing inside Nextcloud or similar

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Etherpad

    Self-hosted editors with full word-processor formatting.

    Pros

    • Very close .docx/.xlsx/.pptx compatibility
    • Free desktop editors on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Self-hostable server that integrates with Nextcloud, ownCloud and others

    Cons

    • Free community server has limits on simultaneous connections
    • Many editions and product names make choosing confusing
    • Advanced features sit in paid Enterprise editions
    Visit ONLYOFFICE Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ONLYOFFICE a good Etherpad alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    AGPLv3 (core of Docs)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    DocSpace Startup, up to 3 admins
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    $20 per admin/month (DocSpace)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    Nextcloud, ownCloud, Seafile, SharePoint
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onlyoffice.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Etherpad alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Google Docs logo

Best Etherpad alternative for most people

Google Docs

Hosted, more polished co-editing if self-hosting isn't required.

CryptPad logo

Best Etherpad alternative for a free option

CryptPad

Adds end-to-end encryption and spreadsheets, slides and forms.

Collabora Online logo

Best Etherpad alternative for open source

Collabora Online

Full self-hosted office editing when you need real documents.

ONLYOFFICE logo

Best Etherpad alternative for self-hosting

ONLYOFFICE

Self-hosted editors with full word-processor formatting.

Collabora Online logo

Best Etherpad alternative for Mac

Collabora Online

Full self-hosted office editing when you need real documents.

Collabora Online logo

Best Etherpad alternative for Windows

Collabora Online

Full self-hosted office editing when you need real documents.

Collabora Online logo

Best Etherpad alternative for Linux

Collabora Online

Full self-hosted office editing when you need real documents.

Google Docs logo

Best Etherpad alternative for iPhone and Android

Google Docs

Hosted, more polished co-editing if self-hosting isn't required.

Google Docs logo

Best Etherpad alternative for working in the browser

Google Docs

Hosted, more polished co-editing if self-hosting isn't required.

Etherpad alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Etherpad?

Google Docs ranks first right now. Hosted, more polished co-editing if self-hosting isn't required. CryptPad and Collabora Online follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Etherpad?

Yes. Google Docs (free), CryptPad (open source), Collabora Online (open source) and ONLYOFFICE (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Etherpad?

Yes: CryptPad, Collabora Online and ONLYOFFICE. CryptPad, Collabora Online and ONLYOFFICE can also be self-hosted.

Which Etherpad alternatives work on Linux?

Collabora Online and ONLYOFFICE run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Etherpad?

The complaints we hear most: basic formatting compared with a word processor; plugins and authentication need admin setup; interface looks plain out of the box.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Etherpad, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.