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SPECIFICTION
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HedgeDoc

hedgedoc.org

Free plan WebSelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.5 #5 of 31 in Markdown editors

What it is

HedgeDoc is a free, open-source Markdown editor for collaborative notes, diagrams, and presentations. It runs in a browser and can be self-hosted. People can edit notes together in real time by sharing a link, and guests can access notes. Notes can include graphs, diagrams, and embedded content; Markdown slides can be presented using reveal.js. Revision history records changes and lets users restore earlier versions. HedgeDoc 1.x offers six note-permission settings, from open editing to private access, and only the note owner can change a note’s permission. Its documentation describes authentication integrations such as LDAP, OAuth, SAML, GitHub, GitLab, Keycloak, Mattermost, Nextcloud, and Microsoft Entra ID. Image uploads can use filesystem, Imgur, S3, MinIO, Azure, or Lutim storage. Deployment options include a ready-to-use bundle and an official Docker image for amd64 and arm64. Built-in PDF export is deactivated after security vulnerabilities; browser print-to-PDF is suggested instead. The source code is licensed under AGPL 3.0.

Spec sheet

Product
HedgeDoc is an open-source, web-based, self-hosted collaborative Markdown editor for notes, graphs and presentations.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Deployment
The project provides a ready-to-use bundle and Docker image for server installation.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
License
HedgeDoc source code is available on GitHub under the AGPL 3.0 license.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Authentication
For production instances, the documentation recommends LDAP, SAML or OAuth2; it says the built-in username and password system lacks features such as two-factor authentication and self-service password resets.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
Community support
The project invites users to ask questions and discuss improvements in its Matrix room or Discourse forum.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Diagrams
HedgeDoc supports multiple types of graphs, diagrams and embedded content.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Diagrams and embeds
The product supports multiple types of graphs, diagrams and embedded content.Read 4 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Image storage
Image uploads can use filesystem, Imgur, S3, MinIO, Azure or Lutim backends.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
Live collaboration
Users can collaborate in real time by sharing a note link.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
PDF export
Built-in PDF export was deactivated after security vulnerabilities; the FAQ says it may return no earlier than HedgeDoc 2.1 and suggests browser print-to-PDF in the meantime.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
PDF export limitation
PDF export was deactivated after security vulnerabilities related to the headless Chromium instance used to generate PDFs; browser print-to-PDF is suggested in the meantime.Read 4 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
Permissions
HedgeDoc 1.x offers six note permissions: Freely, Editable, Limited, Locked, Protected and Private; only the note owner can change a note’s permission.Read 4 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
Permissions and revisions
Notes have configurable access permissions, and revisions let users track changes and revert to older versions.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Presentation mode
HedgeDoc supports creating and presenting slides written in Markdown, powered by reveal.js.Read 4 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Presentations
HedgeDoc supports building and presenting Markdown slides powered by reveal.js.Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Project history
HedgeDoc was formerly called CodiMD and was renamed in 2020 to avoid confusion with another project of the same name.Read 4 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Real-time collaboration
Users can collaborate on notes in real time by sharing a note link.Read 4 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Revision history
Revisions track note changes and allow reverting to an older version.Read 4 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org
Scaling limit
The FAQ says multiple HedgeDoc server instances should not run against the same database because the server process is not entirely stateless.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
Security configuration
The configuration supports HSTS and Content Security Policy headers, and the documentation recommends keeping CSP enabled.Read 7 Oct 2026 · docs.hedgedoc.org
Support and community
The project invites users to ask questions and discuss improvements in its Matrix room and Discourse forum.Read 4 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org

Plans and prices

HedgeDoc Free open source · AGPL 3.0 Read 7 Oct 2026 · hedgedoc.org

Every HedgeDoc plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Real-time note editing by shared link.
  • Revision history can restore earlier versions.
  • Six note-permission settings in HedgeDoc 1.x.
  • Docker image supports amd64 and arm64.

Limits

  • Built-in PDF export is deactivated.
  • Multiple server instances should not share one database.
  • Only the note owner can change its permission.

Who it suits

HedgeDoc suits people or teams who want shared Markdown notes and presentations on the web, including those who prefer to self-host. Its documented authentication and image-storage options may be relevant to teams fitting it into an existing setup.

Verdict

HedgeDoc combines collaborative Markdown editing with presentation, revision, and permission controls. Consider the disabled PDF export and the database restriction when planning how to use or deploy it.

Where Specifiction places it

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