Etherpad — Real-Time Collaborative Text Editor You Can Self-Host

Introduction

Etherpad is one of the original open-source real-time collaborative editors. It enables teams to write together in the same document simultaneously, seeing each contributor's changes instantly with color-coded authorship. Its plugin ecosystem extends functionality from Markdown support to authentication.

What Etherpad Does

• Provides a web-based rich text editor with real-time multi-user editing
• Tracks every change with a time slider to replay document history
• Supports an extensive plugin system with 200+ community plugins
• Offers import and export in HTML, plain text, PDF, and Word formats
• Embeds easily into other applications via iframe or the HTTP API

Architecture Overview

Etherpad is a Node.js application that uses an operational-transform algorithm to merge concurrent edits in real time. Changes are streamed to all connected clients via WebSocket. Pad content is stored in a pluggable database backend, with DirtyDB as the default for development and PostgreSQL or MySQL recommended for production. The plugin system uses npm-based packages loaded at startup.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy via Docker, npm, or from source on any Node.js-capable host
• Configure database backend in settings.json (PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQLite)
• Set requireAuthentication and requireAuthorization for private instances
• Install plugins from the admin panel or via npm install ep_plugin_name
• Place behind Nginx or Caddy with WebSocket proxy support for TLS

Key Features

• Sub-second synchronization for smooth collaborative writing
• Time slider lets you step through the full editing history of any pad
• Plugin ecosystem covers syntax highlighting, comments, embedded media, and more
• HTTP API enables programmatic pad creation, content retrieval, and user management
• Lightweight enough to run on minimal hardware for small teams

Comparison with Similar Tools

• HedgeDoc — Markdown-focused collaborative editor; Etherpad uses rich text by default
• CryptPad — encrypted collaboration suite; Etherpad is simpler and more extensible via plugins
• Google Docs — managed and proprietary; Etherpad is fully self-hosted and open source
• Yjs / Liveblocks — CRDT libraries for building editors; Etherpad is a complete ready-to-use application
• OnlyOffice — full office suite; Etherpad is lighter for pure text collaboration

FAQ

Q: Can Etherpad handle large documents? A: It works well for documents up to tens of thousands of lines. Very large documents may benefit from tuning the database backend and connection limits.

Q: Does Etherpad support Markdown? A: Yes, with the ep_markdown plugin you can write in Markdown and see rendered output alongside the source.

Q: How do I back up pad data? A: Export pads via the HTTP API or back up the database directly. The ep_adminpads2 plugin provides bulk export from the admin UI.

Q: Is authentication built in? A: Etherpad supports basic auth natively. For SSO or OAuth, use plugins like ep_openid_connect or place it behind an auth proxy.

Sources

• https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite
• https://etherpad.org/doc