Etherpad vs Grist

Two self-hosted Office Suites apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.

Side by side

EtherpadGrist
DescriptionHighly customizable online editor providing collaborative editing in real-time.Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).
GitHub stars18,61612,049
Forks––
Open issues––
Commits (12 months)1k1.1k
Last activity2026-11-042026-11-04
Latest releasev3.3.15 (2026-11-04)v1.7.22 (2026-10-29)
Maintenance healthActiveActive
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
Language / platformNodejs, DockerNodejs, Python, Docker
Docker Hub image––
Docker pulls––
Est. server size~4 GB, 2 vCPU~4 GB, 2 vCPU
Est. hosting from$20/mo$20/mo
CategoriesOffice SuitesOffice Suites
LinksWebsite · SourceWebsite · Source

What the numbers say

Summary: Etherpad leads on GitHub popularity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.

This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.

Frequently asked questions

Is Etherpad or Grist more popular?

Etherpad has more GitHub stars (18,616 vs 12,049 for Grist, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.

Which is more actively maintained, Etherpad or Grist?

Commits in the last 12 months: Etherpad 1,048, Grist 1,133. Both had repository activity on 2026-11-04. Our health labels: Etherpad is “Active”, Grist is “Active”.

What licenses do Etherpad and Grist use?

Both use Apache-2.0.

Can I run Etherpad and Grist with Docker?

We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for Etherpad and Grist. Check each project's documentation for install options.

Read more

Etherpad

Highly customizable online editor providing collaborative editing in real-time.

Active ★ 18.6k Apache-2.0 🐳 Docker~$20/mo

Grist

Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).

Active ★ 12k Apache-2.0 🐳 Docker~$20/mo

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