Alternatives · Docs & Wikis
HackMD alternatives
HackMD compared with 5 alternatives: HedgeDoc, CryptPad, Etherpad, GitBook and Outline.
HackMD has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace). All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 6, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
How each one differs from HackMD
- Free
HedgeDoc
Open-source, self-hosted collaborative Markdown editor
- HedgeDoc is free. HackMD starts at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- HedgeDoc is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- HedgeDoc also covers diagrams.
- HackMD also covers templates.
Suits: Teams that write in Markdown and keep notes on their own server
- Free plan · from €5/mo
CryptPad
End-to-end encrypted, open-source collaborative office suite
- CryptPad starts at €5 per month, or €55 per year, for the Personal plan on cryptpad.fr. HackMD starts at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- CryptPad is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- CryptPad also covers kanban boards, documents and spreadsheets.
- HackMD also covers notes, Markdown, templates and presentations.
Suits: Groups that do not want their host to be able to read their documents
- Free
Etherpad
Open-source real-time collaborative editor you host yourself
- Etherpad is free. HackMD starts at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
- Only Etherpad lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- Etherpad is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Etherpad also covers documents.
Suits: Institutions that must keep drafts on their own servers
- Free plan · from $65/mo
GitBook
Documentation platform for product and API docs, synced with Git
- GitBook starts at $65 per site / month, billed annually, plus $12 per user / month. HackMD starts at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- GitBook also covers AI search, AI agents and documents.
- HackMD also covers notes, templates and presentations.
Suits: Public product and API documentation for software companies
- Free plan · from $10/mo
Outline
Fast team knowledge base and wiki, cloud-hosted or self-hosted
- Outline starts at $10 per month for a team of 1 to 10 members (cloud-hosted). HackMD starts at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
- Only Outline lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- Outline is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Outline also covers AI search and wiki.
Suits: Teams that want a fast, Markdown-friendly internal wiki
Limits worth knowing in HackMD
- Free team workspaces stop at 3 members; a larger private team pays per seat for Prime.
- Full-text search and PDF export are not on the Free plan, which also limits images to 1 MB each.
- SSO, role-based access control, custom domains, GitLab integration and self-hosting are Enterprise only.
- HackMD is used in the browser on desktop, tablet and phone; the site mentions browser and VS Code extensions rather than native apps.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to HackMD?
The alternatives to HackMD in this directory are HedgeDoc, CryptPad, Etherpad, GitBook and Outline. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with HackMD.
Is there a free alternative to HackMD?
Yes. HedgeDoc and Etherpad are free to use. CryptPad, GitBook and Outline have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which HackMD alternatives work on Windows?
The HackMD listing does not include a Windows app. Etherpad and Outline list one.
Which HackMD alternatives work on macOS?
The HackMD listing does not include a macOS app. Etherpad and Outline list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to HackMD?
HedgeDoc, CryptPad, Etherpad and Outline are described as open source on their own sites.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.