HedgeDoc is a free, open-source, self-hostable real-time collaborative markdown editor designed for notes, diagrams, graphs, and presentations.

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🚀 Overview

HedgeDoc (formerly known as CodiMD) is a web-based, open-source platform that enables real-time collaborative editing of markdown documents directly in the browser. Users can share a simple link to invite others to edit notes, create diagrams, or build presentations together without needing any additional software.

It emphasizes user control through self-hosting, allowing deployment on personal servers—even low-power devices like Raspberry Pi—while supporting features like revision history and easy permission management. Originally forked to avoid confusion with another project, it has grown into a mature, community-driven alternative to proprietary tools like HackMD.

HedgeDoc is currently evolving with HedgeDoc 2, a rewrite separating frontend and backend for better modularity and performance.

Answer these questions:

• What problem does this project solve? HedgeDoc solves the challenge of real-time collaborative markdown editing without vendor lock-in or data privacy concerns by providing a fully self-hostable solution.
• Who is it built for? It's built for individuals, teams, educators, developers, and organizations who need secure, collaborative note-taking and presentation tools.
• Why did you build it? The project emerged from the CodiMD community to create an independent, open-source tool focused on sustainability and user freedom after a naming conflict.

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✨ Key Features

• Real-time collaboration: Multiple users edit the same markdown note simultaneously with live updates.
• Self-hosting: Full data control on your own server with Docker support and low system requirements.
• Presentation mode: Export markdown to interactive slides using reveal.js.
• Diagrams & graphs: Native support for flowcharts, UML, and other visuals via markdown extensions.
• Revision history & permissions: Track changes, revert versions, and manage access via simple dropdowns.
• Optional: HedgeDoc 2 alpha features improved architecture, Yjs collaboration, and modular components.

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🛠 Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js, TypeScript, SCSS
• Backend: Node.js, TypeScript
• Database: PostgreSQL or MySQL
• Auth: Custom permission system
• Hosting: Self-hosted (Docker, manual install), demos on hedgedoc.org
• Other: Yarn, Turbo monorepo, Yjs for real-time sync

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👥 Who Is This For?

This project is useful for:

• Developers who want to collaborate on documentation, changelogs, or API specs
• Teams looking for privacy-focused alternatives to Google Docs or HackMD
• Indie makers building self-hosted collaborative tools
• Educators creating interactive markdown-based slides and notes

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📸 Screenshots / Demo

• Live demo: https://hedgedoc.org/demo/
• HedgeDoc 2 demo: https://hedgedoc.dev
• GitHub: https://github.com/hedgedoc/hedgedoc

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🔥 Project Status

• 🟢 Actively building

Last updated: 2026-03-24

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❓ FAQ

Is this project free?

Yes — Open Source (AGPLv3) (Fully free to use, modify, and self-host.)

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Is the source code available?

Yes — https://github.com/hedgedoc/hedgedoc

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Can I contribute?

Yes — Check CONTRIBUTING.md on GitHub. Focus on the develop branch for HedgeDoc 2. Non-code contributions welcome via translations (https://translate.hedgedoc.org/), issues/PRs, or discussions on Discourse (https://community.hedgedoc.org) and Matrix chat (https://chat.hedgedoc.org).

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📬 Contact & Links

• Website: https://hedgedoc.org
• GitHub: https://github.com/hedgedoc/hedgedoc
• Twitter/X:
• Email:
• Mastodon: https://social.hedgedoc.org/@hedgedoc
• Docs: https://docs.hedgedoc.org

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