What HedgeDoc does

HedgeDoc is an open-source, web-based, self-hosted collaborative markdown editor that enables real-time shared editing of notes, graphs, diagrams, and presentations. Built on Node.js and TypeScript, the application runs entirely in the browser with no client-side software required and features real-time collaboration powered by operational transformation (OT). The platform supports multiple database backends (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite), S3/Minio-compatible storage, and authentication integrations including SAML, OAuth2, and LDAP. Presentation capabilities are delivered through an integration with reveal.js, and diagram rendering is supported via Mermaid. Deployment is available through official Docker images on Quay.io (Debian and Alpine variants, with arm64 support) and as a ready-to-use bundle, with the software running on minimal hardware down to Raspberry Pi.

The project's lineage traces from HackMD (May 2015) through the HackMD CE/EE split (October 2017), the CodiMD rename (June 2018), the formation of an independent GitHub organization (March 2019), and the rebrand to HedgeDoc (July 2020) with an accompanying TypeScript rewrite. HedgeDoc is maintained by approximately 10 named core contributors and a broader volunteer community organized around a Discourse forum, Matrix chat room, GitHub/GitLab repositories, Mastodon presence, and POEditor translation platform spanning 20+ languages. The project is licensed under AGPL 3.0.

HedgeDoc's business model is the absence of one: the software is entirely free with no commercial tiers, no enterprise edition, no subscription model, and no paid support offering. There are no funding rounds, no investors, no parent company, and no formal corporate entity identified. Adoption is community-led and organic, driven through the official website, a public demo instance at demo.hedgedoc.org, self-service downloads, and word-of-mouth. The project addresses the use case of individuals, developers, teams, and organizations requiring a self-hosted, privacy-respecting alternative to cloud-based collaborative editors such as Notion, Confluence, and HackMD EE — particularly those with data sovereignty requirements, compliance constraints, or limited IT budgets.

Name

HedgeDoc

Legal name

HedgeDoc

Website

https://hedgedoc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HedgeDoc is an open-source, self-hosted collaborative markdown editor enabling real-time shared note writing, diagrams, and presentations for individuals, developers, and organizations seeking a privacy-respecting alternative to cloud-based SaaS editors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. No Commercial Revenue: HedgeDoc is an entirely free and open-source project maintained by volunteers. There is no commercial revenue generation, no paid tiers, no enterprise edition, and no subscription model. The project operates on a purely community-contribution basis with no monetization of the software itself.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HedgeDoc is an open-source, web-based, self-hosted collaborative markdown editor that enables real-time collaboration on notes, graphs, diagrams, and presentations. Built with Node.js and TypeScript and licensed under AGPL 3.0, the application runs entirely in the browser with no client-side software required, supports multiple database backends (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite), and provides built-in presentation capabilities via reveal.js integration.

Product overview

HedgeDoc is a unified open-source collaborative markdown editing platform delivered as a single self-hosted application. The core HedgeDoc product is a TypeScript-based web application offering real-time collaborative editing, presentation mode (powered by reveal.js), Mermaid diagram rendering, version history with revision tracking, and configurable permission systems. Deployment is available via Docker containers (Debian and Alpine variants) and a ready-to-use bundle. The product supports multiple authentication methods (SAML, OAuth2, LDAP) and database backends (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite) with S3/Minio storage. A public demo instance allows testing without self-hosting. The ecosystem includes a CLI for user management and comprehensive documentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HedgeDoc Open-source, web-based, self-hosted collaborative markdown editor enabling real-time collaboration on notes, graphs, diagrams, and presentations. Licensed under AGPL 3.0 and available for free self-hosting via Docker images or a bundled tarball. Supports multiple database backends (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite), authentication providers (SAML, OAuth2, LDAP), and S3-compatible storage.
• HedgeDoc Demo Instance Publicly accessible demo instance of HedgeDoc hosted at demo.hedgedoc.org, allowing prospective users to test collaborative markdown editing, presentation mode, and diagram support without installing the software on their own servers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HackMD (HackMD EE):

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/hedgedoc/hedgedoc
• Xx.com/HedgeDocOrg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HedgeDoc