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Comparison · Collab

HedgeDoc vs Mattermost

A side-by-side editorial comparison of HedgeDoc and Mattermost — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:self-hosted

HedgeDoc vs Mattermost: at a glance

FeatureHedgeDocMattermost
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score5.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesmarkdown, collaborative-editing, security-fixes, self-hostedaccess control, zero trust, defense, self-hosted
Last editorial update9d ago12h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is HedgeDoc?

HedgeDoc 1.12.1 fixes seven advisories, then gets pulled for a PostgreSQL migration bug

HedgeDoc 1.12.1 fixed seven security advisories, including an impersonation attack when two auth providers return the same profile id, a timing leak that revealed registered emails, and unescaped iframes in slides. It was pulled within minutes because a profile provider migration failed on PostgreSQL, and 1.12.2 replaces it. The release also lets OAuth2 and OIDC providers supply profile photos and updates mermaid to 11.17.

Read the full HedgeDoc trajectory →

What is Mattermost?

Mattermost v12.1 puts bots and burn-after-reading messages under the same access rules.

Mattermost v12 shipped in parts: agents limited to the requesting user's access, Cross Guard for transfers across security domains, and user, device and channel attributes in access policy. A November 9 partnership pairs v12 with Arqit's quantum-safe device trust. v12.1 on November 13 extends attribute-based access control to bot accounts and to Burn-on-Read permissions, and Desktop v6.4 fixes Boards on subpath deployments.

Read the full Mattermost trajectory →

HedgeDoc vs Mattermost: editorial side-by-side

H
HedgeDoc
COLLAB
5.0

HedgeDoc 1.12.1 fixes seven advisories, then gets pulled for a PostgreSQL migration bug

◆ Current state

HedgeDoc 1.12.1 fixed seven security advisories, including an impersonation attack when two auth providers return the same profile id, a timing leak that revealed registered emails, and unescaped iframes in slides. It was pulled within minutes because a profile provider migration failed on PostgreSQL, and 1.12.2 replaces it. The release also lets OAuth2 and OIDC providers supply profile photos and updates mermaid to 11.17.

◆ Where it's heading

The 1.x line remains driven by security response, with advisory batches arriving every one to three months. This release adds a schema migration, and the immediate PostgreSQL breakage shows the risk of mixing data changes into security patches. Small auth and rendering features keep arriving alongside the fixes.

◆ Prediction

More advisory batches on the 1.12.x line are likely, given the pattern; the entries do not show when the next major line will replace 1.x.

M6.3

Mattermost v12.1 puts bots and burn-after-reading messages under the same access rules.

◆ Current state

Mattermost v12 shipped in parts: agents limited to the requesting user's access, Cross Guard for transfers across security domains, and user, device and channel attributes in access policy. A November 9 partnership pairs v12 with Arqit's quantum-safe device trust. v12.1 on November 13 extends attribute-based access control to bot accounts and to Burn-on-Read permissions, and Desktop v6.4 fixes Boards on subpath deployments.

◆ Where it's heading

Each release closes another gap in one policy model for who and what can see a message: people, devices, channels, and now automation accounts and ephemeral messages. The audience stays defence and regulated buyers, and point releases are filling in v12 rather than starting new lines.

◆ Prediction

Further v12.x releases likely apply the same attribute rules to more objects, such as files, plugins or AI agent actions, following the pattern of v12.1.

Alternatives to HedgeDoc and Mattermost

Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either HedgeDoc or Mattermost.

See all HedgeDoc alternatives → · See all Mattermost alternatives →

Recent activity from HedgeDoc and Mattermost

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 23h agoMattermostMattermost v12.1: Control That Goes Beyond On and Off
  2. 4d agoMattermostYour MFA Isn't Phishing-Resistant. Here's What Is, and What the Deployment Decision Actually Involves
  3. 4d agoMattermostMattermost v12 pairs with Arqit for quantum-safe edge deployments
  4. 9d agoHedgeDocHedgeDoc 1.12.2
  5. 9d agoHedgeDocHedgeDoc 1.12.1
  6. 9d agoMattermostMattermost v12 adds device and channel attributes to access policy
  7. 18d agoMattermostMattermost v12 Cross Guard: managed cross-domain transfers
  8. 21d agoMattermostMattermost v12: Agents Are Doing the Work. Now Control What They Can See. ⚡
  9. 2mo agoHedgeDocHedgeDoc 1.12.0
  10. 3mo agoHedgeDocHedgeDoc 1.11.1
  11. 4mo agoHedgeDocHedgeDoc 1.11.0
  12. 7mo agoHedgeDocHedgeDoc 1.10.8

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between HedgeDoc and Mattermost?

Both compete on the same themes — self-hosted — within Collab. Mattermost is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is HedgeDoc better than Mattermost?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Mattermost is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to HedgeDoc?

Top HedgeDoc alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "HedgeDoc alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hedgedoc for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Mattermost?

Top Mattermost alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Mattermost alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/mattermost for the full list with editorial commentary on each.