HedgeDoc vs PanWriter

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.

PanWriter is a free, open-source Markdown editor for preparing documents, with versions for Linux, macOS and Windows. It uses a text-focused workspace: write plain-text Markdown on one side while a live preview appears alongside it. A paginated preview helps review page layout for print or PDF, and CSS changes are reflected in the preview as they are made. Users can drag in a DOCX file to convert it to Markdown, edit the text and export it back to DOCX. Publishing options include HTML, DOCX, EPUB, LaTeX, PDF, PowerPoint, InDesign ICML and other Pandoc formats. Pandoc must be installed to export to most formats. PanWriter supports local files, and Pandoc scripts and integrations can automate workflows or connect it with web services and other applications. The editor supports CommonMark. Questions and feedback are handled through GitHub issues.