Etherpad

Etherpad is an open-source, self-hosted web application for real-time collaborative document editing. It allows multiple users to edit the same document simultaneously, with every keystroke attributed to a specific author. The software is deployed as a server application using Node.js and can be run via direct installation on macOS, Linux, and Windows, or through Docker containers for easier orchestration.

The application focuses on document sovereignty and transparency. It provides a detailed version history that can be navigated character by character using a timeslider, ensuring that no revision is lost. Because it is self-hosted, the administrator maintains full control over the data, telemetry, and any integrated AI models. It is used by a variety of organizations, including the Wikimedia Foundation and various public-sector institutions, for drafting, collaborative research, and democratic deliberation projects.

Key features

• Real-time collaborative editing with author attribution
• Character-by-character version history with a timeslider
• Visual author identification through distinct colors
• Plugin system for adding rich text, markdown, and AI capabilities
• Support for thousands of simultaneous editors per document
• Full data export functionality
• Multi-language support with translations for 105 languages
• Open data format for long-term accessibility

Etherpad is built on Node.js and supports various database backends, including PostgreSQL. The software is highly extensible through a wide array of plugins that add functionality such as OpenID Connect for authentication, WebRTC for video conferencing, and various formatting tools like headings and alignment. This architecture allows administrators to decide exactly which features are enabled and which AI models are used, as AI is treated as a plugin pointed at infrastructure the user controls. It is designed for users who require strict data governance, such as newsrooms, universities, and government agencies that must comply with GDPR or other sovereignty requirements.

This tool is positioned as a stable, long-term infrastructure for collaborative writing where authorship and data ownership are primary requirements.