CryptPad
A persistent encrypted drive with collaborative whiteboards, folders, sharing, and access controls; less delightful drawing, stronger workspace bones.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0+
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- webself-hostedthey host it
- Installation
- Use a public CryptPad instance, or self-host the Node.js service behind a reverse proxy
- Operational Setup
- Public hosting is immediate; self-hosting requires two domains or subdomains, HTTPS, strict security headers, Node.js configuration, persistent storage, and careful upgrades/backups
- Where Your Data Lives
- Documents are encrypted in the browser before upload; the server stores encrypted document files, blobs, and account pin metadata on its filesystem and cannot read document content
- The Catch / Trade-off
- CryptPad provides a stronger encrypted drive but its whiteboard is markedly less delightful and capable for drawing, libraries, and diagram composition than Excalidraw+.
Replaces 6 paid apps
up to $43/mo ($516/yr) in subscriptions
CryptPad FAQ
Common questions
Is CryptPad free and open source?+
CryptPad is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0+ that runs on local or hosted. A persistent encrypted drive with collaborative whiteboards, folders, sharing, and access controls; less delightful drawing, stronger workspace bones.
What paid software does CryptPad replace?+
CryptPad serves as a free replacement for 6 paid SaaS applications: Excalidraw+, Google Workspace (Docs), Lucidchart, Lucidspark, Miro, Whimsical, saving up to $43/month ($516/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up CryptPad?+
Installation: Use a public CryptPad instance, or self-host the Node.js service behind a reverse proxy. Setup notes: Public hosting is immediate; self-hosting requires two domains or subdomains, HTTPS, strict security headers, Node.js configuration, persistent storage, and careful upgrades/backups
What is the catch or trade-off with CryptPad?+
CryptPad provides a stronger encrypted drive but its whiteboard is markedly less delightful and capable for drawing, libraries, and diagram composition than Excalidraw+.