Plenty of features: Rich text, code, presentation, sheet, form, kanban, whiteboard and CryptDrive. Encrypted data is hosted in France but you can also self-host it or select another public instance here.
Official website cryptpad.fr
Our take
The standout here is that encryption happens in your browser before anything reaches the server, so even the host cannot read your docs, and you get a real spread of editors plus CryptDrive. The cost is performance and polish: it can feel heavier and rougher than Google Docs, and large or complex documents show it. Choose it when confidentiality of the document matters more than slickness; for casual collaboration the friction may not be worth it.
GitHub at a glance
cryptpad/cryptpad
Stars
7,739
+ 29 this week
Last commit
2d ago
healthy
License
AGPL-3.0
Latest release
2026.5.1
24d ago
Stars, last 10d
Listed in
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CryptPad license, in plain English
AGPL-3.0 Strong copyleft · network
Free to use, even commercially. Changes must be published under the same license, and running a modified version as a network service counts as distributing it.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Network use is distribution
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: The network clause is the point. Anyone who runs a modified version as a hosted service has to publish those changes, so the code handling your data stays inspectable. This is why privacy-first projects reach for AGPL.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.