What is Etherpad.net?
Etherpad.net is a free web-based editor that allows multiple users to edit documents collaboratively in real-time. It's an open source alternative to Google Docs that focuses on providing a simple collaborative writing experience.
Some key features of Etherpad.net include:
- Real-time collaborative editing - users can see edits from others appearing live on the document as they type
- Text formatting options like bold, italics, headings, lists, etc.
- Chat box for communication between collaborators
- Session history playback to see how the document evolved over time
- User name colors to see who made each change
- Export documents to HTML or plain text formats
As Etherpad.net is fully web-based, it allows teams to collaborate on documents from any device with an internet browser. There's no need for managing software versions or compatibility issues. The service is free to use without any user limits, though data may be cleared if pads are inactive for too long.
Etherpad.net lacks some advanced features like images, tables or diagrams. But for basic real-time text collaboration it provides a simple and efficient editor.
Google Docs, HackMD, Firepad, Google Docs Offline, eduPad, Airborn, Twake, Stekpad, Kirjoitusalusta, Arcane Docs, RexPad are some alternatives to Etherpad.net.