CryptPad is a privacy-focused collaboration platform that provides a full suite of office applications with end-to-end encryption ensuring that only document participants can read the content. The suite includes a rich text editor, spreadsheet, Markdown editor, presentation tool, kanban board, whiteboard, and form builder, all supporting real-time collaborative editing where changes synchronize between participants instantly while remaining encrypted in transit and at rest.
The zero-knowledge architecture means the server stores only encrypted data and never has access to decryption keys, which reside solely in the client browser. This design protects user content even in the event of a server breach or legal request to the hosting provider. CryptPad supports team drives for organizing shared documents, granular access control with view-only and edit links, password protection, document expiration, and a contacts system for managing collaborator permissions.
CryptPad has grown to over 5,500 GitHub stars and is developed by XWiki SAS with funding from European research grants focused on digital sovereignty. The project recently upgraded its office components to OnlyOffice 9 for improved spreadsheet and document compatibility, maintains a three-month release cycle, and offers both a hosted instance at cryptpad.fr and comprehensive self-hosting documentation for organizations that want complete control over their encrypted collaboration infrastructure.
