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HedgeDoc

Free, open source, self-hosted Markdown editor where several people write notes, docs and slides together in real time.

Our take: HedgeDoc is a good fit when you want shared notes on your own server and your users are fine with Markdown.

Best forSelf-hosted team Markdown
ReviewedPricing: Free
7.0 out of 105 criteria · see breakdown
Try HedgeDocFree (AGPL-3.0, self-hosted)

HedgeDoc is a free, open source Markdown editor where several people write the same note in real time and can present it as slides. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and has no paid plan, so you run it on your own server; version 1.12.0 came out in August 2026.

HedgeDoc was formerly CodiMD

HedgeDoc began as CodiMD, the community edition that split from HackMD. The community chose the HedgeDoc name in July 2020 and shipped HedgeDoc 1.7 under it in December 2020.

HackMD continues as a separate hosted product. A rewrite, HedgeDoc 2, is in development with its own documentation; the 1.x line is the current stable release.

Checked October 4, 2026
The bottom line

Free real-time Markdown notes, if you can host them.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isA free, self-hosted web editor for writing Markdown notes and slides together in real time.
Our takeHedgeDoc is a good fit when you want shared notes on your own server and your users are fine with Markdown.
It is light, free and actively released, with 1.12.0 out in August 2026. The trade-off is upkeep: no hosted plan and no vendor support, so budget admin time.
Why we rate itFree, light and actively maintained, with strong sign-in options.
The catchNo hosted plan or vendor support; you maintain the server and Node.js version.

Best / not good for

Best for
  • Shared meeting notes on your own server
  • Universities and hackerspaces
  • Markdown slide decks
Not good for
  • Teams wanting a hosted service with support
  • Users who prefer a visual word processor
Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

  1. Time to value
    Docker image or release tarball; try the public demo first.
  2. Scale breakpoint
    Large deployments need a proper database and reverse proxy rather than SQLite.
  3. Walled garden
    Low: open source, plain Markdown files.
Still a fit?
If none of these block you, start on the free plan.
Try HedgeDoc

What you need to run HedgeDoc

ItemRequirement
PriceFree, AGPL-3.0
Current version1.12.0 (21 August 2026)
RuntimeNode.js 20.17 or later
DatabasePostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB or SQLite
Install optionsDocker image or release tarball (prebuilt frontend)
Sign-inLDAP, SAML, OAuth2, GitHub, GitLab, Keycloak, Nextcloud, Microsoft Entra ID

From HedgeDoc's website, release notes and setup docs, checked 4 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HedgeDoc free?

Yes. HedgeDoc is open source under AGPL-3.0 and costs nothing to use. There is no official paid cloud plan, so you host it yourself or use an instance someone else runs (checked 4 October 2026).

What is HedgeDoc?

A web-based Markdown editor for real-time collaboration. Several people can write the same note at once, add diagrams and math, and present the note as slides.

Is HedgeDoc the same as CodiMD or HackMD?

HedgeDoc was formerly called CodiMD, the community edition that split from HackMD. The community renamed it HedgeDoc in 2020. HackMD continues as a separate hosted product.

What do I need to run HedgeDoc?

Node.js 20 or later (20.17+ from version 1.12.0) and a PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB or SQLite database, or the official Docker image. HedgeDoc says it runs on hardware as small as a Raspberry Pi.

Can I try HedgeDoc without installing it?

Yes, HedgeDoc runs a public demo at demo.hedgedoc.org.

HedgeDoc alternatives

Other notes and docs tools from our reviews:

Showing 1–3 of 4
Sources checked October 4, 2026: HedgeDoc home, HedgeDoc 1.12.0 release, HedgeDoc history, HedgeDoc manual setup, HedgeDoc on GitHub, HackMD pricing.

Conversion Gems independently reviews every tool.

Tags

#Markdown#OpenSource#SelfHosted#Collaboration

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