# CryptPad

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/cryptpad/

11 people recommended CryptPad in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 12 months, in 10 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Open-source, end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite that people pick for privacy and as part of openDesk. Most common caveat: end-to-end encryption brings strong limitations.

Summary written by Claude from 12 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- End-to-end encrypted documents and collaboration (3 comments in the sample): "CryptPad is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47659540)) "Crucially, it's end to end encrypted." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46384134)) "End-to-end encrypted google docs." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46768045))
- Part of the openDesk office solution (2 comments in the sample): "I'm thrilled to learn that CryptPad is part of the openDesk solution." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45839846)) "which is what openDesk uses for it's office component" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45843632))
- Recommended as an office suite alternative (2 comments in the sample): "Office > CryptPad / LibreOffice" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49874899)) "ideally something like Cryptpad" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49922682))

## What people warn about

- Strong limitations from end-to-end encryption (1 comment in the sample): "it has strong limitations inherent to a fully E2EE system" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46846117))

## Other office suites people recommend

- [LibreOffice](https://hackerapproved.com/p/libreoffice/): 253 recommend, 69 mixed, 171 criticize
- [Microsoft Office](https://hackerapproved.com/p/microsoft-office/): 130 recommend, 98 mixed, 364 criticize
- [Microsoft 365](https://hackerapproved.com/p/microsoft-365/): 70 recommend, 62 mixed, 316 criticize
- [Google Workspace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/google-workspace/): 56 recommend, 35 mixed, 204 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "CryptPad", https://hackerapproved.com/p/cryptpad/ (11 recommend, 1 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.