CryptPad review

CryptPad is an open-source office suite for creating and sharing content online. Its homepage describes the service as end-to-end encrypted, with real-time editing and collaboration. It offers text documents and spreadsheets, while users also mention private Kanban boards and CryptDrive for file storage.

That makes it a plausible alternative to Google Docs or Office Online for people who want collaborative editing without defaulting to those suites. It is not just a document editor: the product covers several kinds of shared work, though the published information does not establish feature-by-feature parity with Google or Microsoft.

There is a free plan for individuals on a public instance. Paid options range from CryptPad.fr subscriptions at €5–€100 per month to managed hosted instances priced annually. Our read: a credible encrypted Docs alternative, but the free tier is limited and team hosting can get expensive.

The clearest advantage is the combination of encryption and collaboration. CryptPad’s homepage describes its suite as end-to-end encrypted and built for real-time editing, so teams can work together on documents rather than passing files back and forth. That makes it worth considering when privacy is a requirement, not just a nice-to-have.

It also covers more than text documents. Based on the product details and user discussions, the suite includes:

• Text documents and spreadsheets for shared writing and tabular work.
• Kanban boards, which users say they use for private project tracking.
• CryptDrive for storing files within the suite.

The open-source model is another point in its favor. A Reddit commenter notes that the code is available under AGPLv3 and can be self-hosted. That gives organizations an option beyond using the public service, though running your own instance is a different operational commitment from signing up for a hosted office suite. CryptPad.fr is the simpler paid route for individuals, teams, and organizations, with plans starting at €5 per month according to the published pricing information.

The free plan is for individuals using a public instance, not a clearly defined team tier. A Reddit discussion, including a response from CryptPad’s CEO, describes the free service as having a 50MB storage limit. That is a meaningful constraint if a team wants to keep shared files in CryptDrive; the published pricing details do not list a larger free allowance.

Paid options need careful comparison. CryptPad.fr costs €5–€100 per month and lists additional storage and priority support, but the published details do not break down which storage amount or support level comes with each price. No annual billing option is stated for CryptPad.fr. Managed hosting starts at €1,500 per year; Enterprise Mini is €3,000 per year for up to 50 users and 100GB, while Enterprise Large is €25,000 per year for up to 1,000 users and 1TB.

Self-hosting may avoid hosted plan pricing, but it means taking on deployment and maintenance. A commenter also questioned whether the encryption has been independently audited; the materials here do not establish its audit status.

CryptPad has a free plan for individuals using a public instance. The paid CryptPad.fr option starts at €5/month, with plans listed from €5 to €100/month for individuals, teams, and organizations. The pricing details list additional storage and priority support, but don’t break down which tier includes what. They also state no annual billing option for CryptPad.fr.

For managed hosting, Your Own Instance starts at €1,500/year, or €125/month equivalent. Enterprise pricing jumps to €3,000/year for up to 50 users, then €6,000 for 250 users, €12,500 for 500, and €25,000 for 1,000. Education and nonprofit tiers start at €1,500/year for up to 50 users; larger tiers reach €12,500/year for 1,000 users. Storage ranges from 100GB to 1TB across these plans. No add-ons are listed. Budget for the annual commitment: hosted-instance prices are stated per year, not as monthly billing options.

CryptPad covers text documents, spreadsheets, and other collaboration use cases, with files stored in CryptDrive. But the published information doesn’t specify import tools, export formats, bulk migration, or whether existing files from another office suite can be brought across intact. Check those points before moving shared documents; they determine how much manual work a switch will involve.

The open-source label alone doesn’t settle lock-in. The published material doesn’t explain how encrypted files can be exported or opened outside CryptPad, so confirm that workflow before making it your long-term archive. Users are described as making private Kanban boards and using CryptDrive, but the Reddit discussion we read doesn’t document why people leave or report a specific migration problem. We can’t responsibly attribute churn reasons to Reddit from this evidence. If you’re leaving, verify your export and access options first; if you’re switching in, test a representative set of documents before moving a whole team.