CryptPad — An end-to-end encrypted, open-source office suite (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, kanban, and whiteboards) built for teams and privacy-conscious users who want a self-hostable alternative to Google Workspace, free up to 1GB storage.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
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CryptPad in 20 seconds
Best for: privacy-conscious teams, schools, and nonprofits that want end-to-end encrypted, real-time collaborative documents
Pricing: Free to self-host or use anonymously; the CryptPad.fr free tier includes 1GB storage, paid upgrades roughly €5-€100/month; managed Enterprise instances from about €1,500/year (nonprofit rate).
- CryptPad is open source under AGPL-3.0 with 7,800 stars on GitHub.
- CryptPad encrypts every document type client-side, so server administrators cannot read stored content.
- Free CryptPad.fr accounts include 1GB of storage; paid plans on the flagship instance range from roughly €5 to €100/month.
- Self-hosted Enterprise/managed instances start around €1,500/year for nonprofits and education, scaling to about €25,000/year for 1,000 users.
- CryptPad can be used anonymously without creating an account.
Limitations: UI and real-time collaboration feel less polished than Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.; End-to-end encryption rules out server-side search or AI features over document content.; Free accounts are capped at 1GB of storage.
Top alternatives: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Nextcloud, Proton Drive, OnlyOffice — full list
What is CryptPad?
CryptPad is a browser-based, end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite: every document type — rich text, spreadsheet, presentation, kanban board, form, whiteboard, diagram, or code file — is encrypted client-side before it reaches the server, so even the operator of a CryptPad instance cannot read stored content as long as the code is unmodified. It's built as an open-source alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for users who want the same real-time multi-user editing without handing plaintext data to the provider. The software (AGPL-3.0, 7,800 stars on GitHub) can be self-hosted for free on a team's own servers, used anonymously without an account, or accessed through the flagship CryptPad.fr instance, which gives free accounts 1GB of storage and offers paid upgrades for more space and support. CryptDrive organizes files and folders inside an account, and sharing works through encrypted links rather than platform-managed permissions alone. Organizations that want a managed instance without running their own infrastructure can buy a hosted Enterprise plan with SSO support and guaranteed response times.
CryptPad is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted collaborative office suite offering rich-text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, and a code editor, positioned as a privacy-respecting alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for schools, nonprofits, journalists, and privacy-conscious businesses. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0 (7,800 GitHub stars) and can be self-hosted for free on a team's own infrastructure, or used on the flagship CryptPad.fr instance, which offers a free account with 1GB of storage and paid plans from roughly €5 to €100/month for more storage and priority support. Organizations that want their own managed instance can buy an Enterprise plan starting around €1,500/year (discounted 50% for nonprofits and education), which includes SSO support and guaranteed response times. Because encryption happens client-side, CryptPad's own administrators cannot read stored content as long as the code is unmodified.
Standout feature: Client-side end-to-end encryption across every document type — text, spreadsheet, presentation, kanban, forms, whiteboard — so even CryptPad's own server administrators cannot read stored content.
Biggest weakness: Real-time collaborative performance and UI polish lag behind Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and end-to-end encryption rules out server-side search and AI features across documents, since the server never sees plaintext content.
Pros
- End-to-end, client-side encryption across every included document type, not just file storage.
- Free to self-host under AGPL-3.0 with no per-seat licensing cost.
- Anonymous use is possible without creating an account.
- Covers documents, spreadsheets, presentations, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, and code editing in one suite.
Cons
- UI responsiveness and real-time collaboration feel less polished than Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- End-to-end encryption rules out server-side search, AI assistance, and integrations that need to read document content.
- Free CryptPad.fr accounts are capped at 1GB of storage.
- Self-hosting requires a team to run and maintain its own server infrastructure to get the zero-trust guarantee.
CryptPad pricing
Free · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free (self-hosted) | Free | Free to self-host on your own infrastructure under AGPL-3.0, or use anonymously on a public instance without an account. |
| Free (CryptPad.fr account) | Free | 1GB of storage on the flagship CryptPad.fr instance with full feature access, no credit card required. |
| CryptPad.fr paid | Custom | Additional storage and priority support on the CryptPad.fr instance, ranging from roughly €5 to €100/month depending on storage tier. |
| Enterprise (managed instance) | Custom | Hosted or on-premise managed instance starting around €1,500/year for nonprofits/education (list price roughly €3,000/year for the smallest tier); includes SSO support and guaranteed response times, scaling to about €25,000/year for 1,000 users and 1TB storage. |
What reviewers say
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