Etherpad hosting in the EU

Etherpad: write a document together with other people, watching each other's edits appear live. On blitz.cloud you install it from the App Store in one click. It gets its own address with HTTPS, 1 GB of storage, and it runs on servers in the EU. You can run it on the free plan, without a credit card.

A self-hosted alternative to Google Docs, HedgeDoc and Notion

Etherpad does the job of Google Docs, HedgeDoc or Notion, but it is your own copy: your data sits in your app, not in somebody else's account, and nobody changes the price or the rules on you. Self-hosting usually means renting a server and keeping it patched. Here the App Store sets it up and keeps it running.

What it needs

Install it

1. Start the install of Etherpad. Without an account you create one with Google, GitHub or your email.
2. Pick your address, like yourname.blitz.cloud. The app's page in the App Store opens right after.
3. Click Install. It lists what gets created and is online about a minute later, at an address like etherpad.yourname.blitz.cloud.
4. Open the app's address/admin and sign in as admin with this password.
5. Create a pad at the app's address/p/yourpadname and share that address with the people you write with.

Good to know

Anyone who knows or guesses a pad's name can open and edit it; there is no per-pad access control here.

Deploy button for your README

Do you maintain Etherpad or write about it? Put this button in a README or a post. A click opens Etherpad in the blitz.cloud App Store, ready to install; someone without an account signs up for free first.

[![Deploy on blitz.cloud](https://blitz.cloud/badge/deploy.svg)](https://dashboard.blitz.cloud/store/etherpad?src=badge-etherpad)

<a href="https://dashboard.blitz.cloud/store/etherpad?src=badge-etherpad"><img src="https://blitz.cloud/badge/deploy.svg" alt="Deploy on blitz.cloud" width="164" height="28"></a>

Questions

Can I host Etherpad for free?

Yes. The free plan runs it without a card and without an end date. The app sleeps after 30 minutes without visitors, and the next visit wakes it.

Where is my Etherpad data stored?

On blitz.cloud's servers in the EU, run by BlitzWorks, a company in Germany. Once signed in, you can download the data processing agreement as a PDF.

Can I use my own domain for Etherpad?

Yes, on Pro, or on the free plan by making this one app a Pro app. HTTPS for the domain is set up for you.

Is Etherpad backed up?

On Pro its files are copied every night and kept for 30 nights, and you can put them back from the app's page. On the free plan they are not copied, so keep an export of what matters.

How does Etherpad get updates?

With automatic updates on, it gets new versions of its version line overnight. If a new version doesn't start, the one before it keeps running.