Feature Comparison: Edumaps vs CryptPad
EdumapsOverview
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Comparison: Edumaps and CryptPad – Features and Characteristics
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Edumaps is a platform for digital pinboards, teaching materials, collaboration, courses, and school organization. CryptPad is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite (by XWiki SAS, France) with documents, spreadsheets, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, and more. Both are privacy-friendly European tools – they differ mainly in focus: school-specific pinboards vs. a general encrypted office suite.
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🗺️ Basic concept and display formats
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Edumaps and CryptPad follow different basic ideas. Edumaps is designed for digital pinboards, learning landscapes, and school materials on one shared board. CryptPad is an encrypted office suite: each document type (text, spreadsheet, kanban, etc.) is a separate application, and documents are organized in the CryptDrive.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Digital pinboard ✔️ Yes, core feature – (whiteboard and kanban, but no pinboard with boxes) Rich text documents Text within boxes ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Spreadsheets Simple static tables can be created ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Presentations / slides Boards can be presented ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Kanban board ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Timeline ✔️ Yes – Whiteboard (freehand drawing) ✔️ Yes, sticker wall with arrows, lines, text ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Diagrams / flowcharts Partly, on the sticker wall ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Forms / surveys ✔️ Yes, poll module ✔️ Yes, dedicated form application Code / Markdown documents ✔️ Yes, Markdown in boxes ✔️ Yes, dedicated application with syntax highlighting Calendar ✔️ Yes, per box / course / booking ✔️ Yes, dedicated application Courses ✔️ Yes, boxes can become courses with bookings – World map view ✔️ With image upload – -
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📤 Export & import
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Edumaps offers export and import functions for entire pinboards and teaching materials. CryptPad focuses on document interoperability with standard office formats.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Export as Moodle course (MBZ) ✔️ Yes – Export as a static HTML package including all files ✔️ Yes – Export as PDF ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, per document Export as image (screenshot) ✔️ Yes – Export to office formats (docx, xlsx, odt, etc.) – ✔️ Yes, per document type Import office formats – ✔️ Yes, per document type Exporter for own pinboards / content in JSON ✔️ Yes – Importer for own pinboards / content in JSON ✔️ Yes – Import from Padlet including media ✔️ Yes – Duplicate content within the platform ✔️ Yes, boards and boxes ✔️ Yes, documents can be duplicated / used as templates -
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🤝 Collaboration & sharing
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Both tools enable real-time collaboration and anonymous participation. Edumaps is oriented toward school-based sharing with classes and groups; CryptPad is oriented toward document sharing with links and teams.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Real-time collaboration ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Share with groups / classes ✔️ Yes Teams with shared drives, not school-class-specific Share with individuals ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, via links and contacts Anonymous sharing (viewing) ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, view-only links Anonymous sharing (editing) ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, guests can edit without an account Link protection (password, expiry) ✔️ Yes, permission profiles ✔️ Yes, password, expiry date, access list per document Notification for shared content ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, notifications between contacts Built-in chat Via Comments and Teamtext ✔️ Yes, per document and with contacts Assign tasks ✔️ Yes, assignment system – Real-time writing in one document with 100+ users ✔️ Yes (Teamtext) Real-time editing, large-group limits not specified -
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🛠️ Editing options
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CryptPad offers solid document editing per application. Edumaps offers more options for board structure, teaching logic, and school-based sharing on one pinboard.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Custom background graphic ✔️ Yes – Change font (for entire pinboard) ✔️ Yes Fonts within documents Duplicate pinboard / document ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Tags ✔️ Yes, for boards and boxes ✔️ Yes, in the CryptDrive Templates ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, own documents as templates Move columns ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, in the kanban application Protect columns ✔️ Yes – Share individual columns / boxes with permission profiles ✔️ Yes Sharing per document, not per column / box Embed content from board A into board B ✔️ Yes Media from the drive can be embedded in documents Show columns / boxes at a specific time ✔️ Yes – (expiry dates for documents instead) Move box freely ✔️ Yes Only in whiteboard / diagram applications Lock individual boxes ✔️ Yes – Search function ✔️ Yes, on board and across boards ✔️ Yes, in the CryptDrive Change history / versions ✔️ Yes, per board and per box ✔️ Yes, document history Restore previous versions ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Poll module with any number of options ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, form application with many question types Convert box into course ✔️ Yes – Create and manage bookings (course system) ✔️ Yes – Receive payments via PayPal ✔️ Yes – Automatic certificates of participation ✔️ Yes – Calendar per box ✔️ Yes Calendar as separate application Lending module per box ✔️ Yes – Sales module per box ✔️ Yes – -
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📦 Elements of a box / document
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An Edumaps box collects many elements in one place on the board. In CryptPad, each content unit is a separate document in the CryptDrive:
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Edumaps (box) CryptPad (document) Label – Title Document title Color Color labels in the drive Collapse box – Protect box Password / access list per document Comments (per box) Comments in rich text documents Likes – Ratings – Calendar and bookings – Change visibility Expiry date / self-destructing documents Assign task – -
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📁 Materials & uploads
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Edumaps stands out with versatile upload options directly in boxes; CryptPad stores files encrypted in the CryptDrive:
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Free positioning of text / uploads ✔️ Yes Fixed document structure (except whiteboard) File uploads (PDF, photos, video, audio) ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, to the CryptDrive Number of uploads per box ✔️ unlimited Not applicable (uploads live in the drive) Upload limit per file 500 MB Depending on plan; higher maximum upload size in paid plans Storage quota Depending on plan and if state server (1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB) 1 GB free for registered users on cryptpad.fr; more with paid plans Recordings (microphone, photo, webcam) ✔️ Yes – Screenshots (clipboard) ✔️ Yes – Embed uploads in documents ✔️ Yes, in boxes ✔️ Yes, media from the drive in documents Real preview images for links ✔️ Yes – Rotate images ✔️ Yes – Hide content in box ✔️ Yes – -
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✏️ Input & formatting
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Both tools offer text formatting, but with different approaches: Edumaps uses a Markdown-like editor in boxes; CryptPad offers a WYSIWYG rich text editor plus a separate Code / Markdown application.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Text bold / italic ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Color for individual words ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, in rich text Lists and indents ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes LaTeX formulas ✔️ Yes Partly, in Code / Markdown documents Code (inline / block) ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, dedicated code application with syntax highlighting Headings ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Quotes ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Spoiler function ✔️ Yes – Image citations ✔️ Yes – Own notes (hidden) ✔️ Yes – Link text ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Text to Speech ✔️ Yes – Dynamic QR codes ✔️ Yes – Markdown content usable ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, in the Code / Markdown application Author colors – ✔️ Yes, color by author in code documents Editor type Markdown-like WYSIWYG (rich text) and Markdown (code app) -
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💬 Comments & ratings
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Differences in per-content interaction:
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Comments per box / document ✔️ Yes, per box ✔️ Yes, in rich text documents Comments with uploads ✔️ Yes – Comments with recordings ✔️ Yes (microphone, photo) – Delete all comments with one click ✔️ Yes – Likes per box ✔️ Yes – Ratings / voting per box ✔️ Yes Via the form application Notification for new comments ✔️ Yes Notifications between contacts -
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👥 User management
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Edumaps is designed for schools with teachers, students, classes, and central account administration. CryptPad deliberately requires minimal personal data: registration works with only a username and password, without an email address.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Admin accounts ✔️ Yes On self-hosted / cloud instances via admin panel Teacher accounts ✔️ Yes – (no role concept) Student accounts ✔️ Yes – (no role concept) Classes / groups ✔️ Yes Teams with shared drives, not school-class-specific Account creation (name / email) ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, username and password only, no email required Account creation (CSV import) ✔️ Yes – Single sign-on ✔️ Yes, depending on instance / SSO provider Partly, on self-hosted / enterprise instances Use without registration ✔️ Yes, via sharing links ✔️ Yes, as guest with limitations -
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✨ Other features
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CryptPad is convincing as an open-source, encrypted office suite that can also be self-hosted. Edumaps offers significantly more school-related functions for teaching materials, courses, and learning content.
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Feature Edumaps CryptPad Open source – ✔️ Yes, fully open source Self-hosting possible – (dedicated instances for state licenses) ✔️ Yes, on own servers; managed CryptPad Cloud available Public content ✔️ Yes, public pinboards Documents shareable via links, no public gallery Templates & examples ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, own templates Create quiz with AI ✔️ Yes – Create language course with AI ✔️ Yes – AI features ✔️ Yes – (deliberately none, to protect encryption) Upload manager ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, CryptDrive with folders, shared folders, tags Folders to collect content (incl. sharing and collaborative editing) ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, shared folders and team drives Gallery for all images on a pinboard ✔️ Yes – Bookmarks / favorites ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes Print content ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes, per document Follow content ✔️ Yes – Assign tasks ✔️ Yes – Accessibility focus ✔️ Yes (BITV) ✔️ Yes, declared development priority Mobile app Web app / usable on mobile Web app / usable on mobile Free plan Free account with many board features ✔️ Yes, free with 1 GB storage (cryptpad.fr); paid plans from €5/month -
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🔒 Technology & data protection
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Both tools take a privacy-friendly, European approach – a clear difference from US platforms. CryptPad goes one step further technically with end-to-end encryption: content is encrypted in the browser, so even the operator cannot read it. Edumaps is specialized for school use with German hosting, school data structures, and VIDIS approval.
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Metric / feature Edumaps CryptPad Provider focus School / teaching / educational organizations General encrypted collaboration for privacy-conscious users and organizations Provider / headquarters EU-based operation, German market focus XWiki SAS, Paris, France End-to-end encryption (zero knowledge) – (server-side processing) ✔️ Yes, content encrypted client-side GDPR compliance ✔️ Yes (VIDIS approved) ✔️ Yes; provider also references BSI C5 for CryptPad Cloud Server / data location Germany France / EU (cryptpad.fr); own server location when self-hosting Advertising / tracking None None Registration without email address ✔️ Yes, via Single-Sign-Ons or account creation by admins ✔️ Yes Use without registration ✔️ Yes ✔️ Yes School-specific data structures (classes, roles) ✔️ Yes – Suitable for personal student data ✔️ Designed for school use Technically strong (E2E encryption); school suitability depends on instance and own review Security mechanisms ✔️ Content-Security-Policy
✔️ Strict-Transport-Security
✔️ X-Frame-Options
✔️ X-Content-Type-Options
✔️ Referrer-Policy
✔️ Permissions-Policy✔️ Content-Security-Policy
✔️ Strict-Transport-Security
⛔ X-Frame-Options
✔️ X-Content-Type-Options
✔️ Referrer-Policy
✔️ Permissions-Policy - The information on security mechanisms refers to publicly checkable HTTP security headers and may change depending on domain, app area, and date. You can check it, for example, with securityheaders.com: For Edumaps here. – For CryptPad here.
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🔄 CryptPad and Edumaps in practice
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CryptPad for encrypted office documents – Edumaps for school boards and materials
The two tools can complement each other: CryptPad covers classic office documents with end-to-end encryption, while Edumaps maps digital pinboards, teaching units, collections of materials, courses, bookings, assignments, and quizzes in a school-oriented way – hosted in Germany. - Try Edumaps for free
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Typical use cases in Edumaps
Digital pinboards, teaching units, collections of materials, collaborative subject conferences, courses, bookings, assignments, quizzes, and AI-supported learning content. - View examples on Edumaps