Etherpad vs Zoho Writer

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor that runs on a server its users control. It attributes edits to authors and preserves revisions; its timeslider lets users review changes character by character and reverse them. Editing includes chat and rich-text tools, while plugins can add comments, images, tables, drawing, video chat, math, code highlighting and authentication. Optional AI is available through plugins, and users can choose the model and infrastructure or leave AI disabled. Etherpad is free and open source under Apache 2.0, with an open data format; the maker says it has no telemetry. An HTTP API covers pad content, authors, groups, sessions and chat, and plugin support includes OAuth, LDAP and OpenID authentication. Apps are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, alongside support for modern browsers. Installation instructions require Git and Node.js 24 or later. Deployment documentation includes reverse proxy and HTTPS termination options, as well as Kubernetes. The project dates to 2009 and is maintained by a small volunteer team, with community contact through Discord and email. The site names schools, public institutions, civic projects, newsrooms and teams needing document authorship history among its users.

Zoho Writer is a web-based word processor for creating, editing, sharing, and collaborating on documents. Its formatting options include multi-column layouts, section breaks, custom borders, headers, footers, tables, images, and charts. Zia can help generate, edit, rephrase, and rewrite content, while review tools include tracked changes, comments with @mentions, version management, grammar and spelling checks, and plagiarism checking. Writer can generate documents from templates and business data, create fillable forms, and support digital signature collection and approval workflows. Desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux support offline work and sync when a connection returns. It can import, edit, save, and export DOCX, DOC, ODT, PDF, TXT, and HTML files; imports are limited to 50 MB for DOCX and 10 MB for other listed formats. There is no limit to the number of documents users can create. The free individual edition costs nothing and includes 200 document automation credits per month per organization; additional credits can be purchased. Organizations also have free Writer access with 1,000 such credits monthly.