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Clear Ideas Platform
Secure external collaboration, engagement analytics, and strong security controls for sensitive document sharing
External Collaboration & Sharing
Secure document sharing, permissions, notifications, and in-app viewing
Document Signing
Request signatures, verify signers, and generate audit-ready completion artifacts
Analytics & Insights
Real-time analytics, user journey mapping, and comprehensive reporting
Security & Data Protection
Enterprise-grade security with encryption, permissions, watermarking, redaction, and audit trails
Organization Policy & Governance
Organization policy, governed AI records, evidence export, and lifecycle controls for sensitive work
Community Edition
Self-hosted secure file sharing and AI-ready collaboration for teams that want inspectable infrastructure
Feature Comparison
See how Clear Ideas compares to traditional VDRs and file sharing services
AI Features
AI Chat Grounded in Your Documents, Workflows, Builder, and Enhanced Search powered by leading AI models
Clear Ideas™ AI Platform
Do more with your private data with Clear Ideas' AI features.
AI Chat
Ask questions across approved documents and receive cited answers inside a governed workspace.
AI Workflows
Turn recurring document work into controlled, repeatable AI workflows.
AI Workflow Builder
Upload a finished document and turn it into a repeatable workflow automatically.
AI Workflow Designer
Describe what you need in plain language and AI designs the workflow for you.
AI Enhanced Search
Transform how you find information with advanced AI-powered search capabilities that understand context and meaning.
Automation & Integration
Extend capabilities with Public AI Chat, scheduled content automation, and desktop sync
Public AI Chat
Add an AI-powered chat interface for your website for lead generation and 24/7 visitor support
Content Automation
Automatically import and monitor content from external websites with scheduled imports
Desktop Sync App
Seamless two-way synchronization between your desktop and Clear Ideas cloud
Solutions
Solutions Overview
Due Diligence & Deal Rooms
Client Portals & File Exchange
Secure Document Sharing
Governed AI for Private Documents
Governed AI Operations
Audit-Ready External Collaboration
Board & Investor Reporting
Audit & Compliance
AI Workflow Automation
ROI Calculator
by Industry
Mergers & Acquisitions
Financial Services
Legal & Professional Services
Manufacturing
Not for Profit Organizations
Board Management & Governance
Real Estate
Property Management
Investment Management & Capital Markets
Resources
Site Templates
Compare Clear Ideas
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Support Center
Announcements
Changelog
About Clear Ideas
Security & Trust
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Open Source Community Edition

Clear Ideas Community Edition

Self-hosted secure file sharing and AI-ready collaboration for professional teams. Run a lightweight version of Clear Ideas with Docker in minutes, inspect the source, and own the foundation of your collaboration layer.

View on GitHub Try hosted Clear Ideas
Clear Ideas Community Edition sites dashboard
License
AGPL-3.0
Start path
Docker Compose
Runtime shape
Single app server
Database
MongoDB
Local email
Mailpit quick start
AI access
Bring your own key

Local deployment

Start a local workspace with Docker Compose, MongoDB, HTTPS, and Mailpit for sign-in codes.

Self-hosted workspace

Create sites, invite users, upload files, preview documents, search content, and review activity.

Clear upgrade path

Move to hosted Clear Ideas when you need the full managed product, support, and advanced workflows.

Quick Start

From clone to workspace quickly

Community Edition gives technical teams a fast way to try the self-hosted core of Clear Ideas without setting up production infrastructure first.

1

Start locally

Clone the repo and run the quick-start Compose stack with app, HTTPS, MongoDB, and Mailpit.

2

Sign in and create a site

Use Mailpit to read the sign-in code, then create a site for internal or client-style document work.

3

Upload and search files

Upload documents, preview files in the browser, search metadata, and review activity records.

4

Try AI integrations

Optionally configure your own AI provider key and MCP access keys for approved site content.

Run Locally

Docker in minutes

The quick-start stack includes HTTPS, the app, MongoDB, and Mailpit for local sign-in codes. Open https://localhost:4100 after startup. 

git clone https://github.com/clearideas/clearideas-ce.git
cd clearideas-ce
docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.quickstart.yml up -d --build

Community Edition and Hosted Clear Ideas

Self-host the core, or use the complete managed product.

Use Community Edition when

  • You want to evaluate the architecture before buying anything.
  • You want a focused self-hosted workspace for secure internal file collaboration.
  • Your team is comfortable operating Docker, MongoDB, storage, secrets, email, and backups.
  • You want to test MCP access keys or site-scoped AI with your own provider keys.

Use hosted Clear Ideas when

  • Clients, auditors, partners, or external stakeholders depend on the workspace.
  • You need managed hosting, product support, upgrades, uptime, and operational help.
  • You need the broader product: advanced governance, organization policy, signing, analytics, and business-ready controls.
  • You want repeatable AI workflows, richer collaboration, and managed AI capabilities without running the infrastructure yourself.

Feature Scope

Community Edition is focused. Hosted Clear Ideas is the full product.

Community Edition includes the self-hosted collaboration core. Hosted Clear Ideas adds the broader product surface for teams working with clients and sensitive documents in production.

CapabilityCommunity EditionHosted Clear Ideas
DeploymentSelf-hosted Docker stackHosted Clear Ideas
Best forEvaluation, self-hosting, internal teamsProfessional teams working with clients
File sharingFocused site-based workflowsFull team and client experience
External collaborationInternal and evaluation-orientedClient-ready collaboration features
AnalyticsSimple activity reportingExpanded analytics and business visibility
AI chatBring your own provider keyManaged capabilities by plan
AI workflowsNot part of the CE scopeRepeatable governed workflows
Document signingNot part of the CE scopeAvailable in hosted editions
Admin controlsBasic roles and settingsAdvanced governance, policy, and controls
SupportCommunityProduct support

Product Screenshots

What the self-hosted workspace looks like

Clear Ideas Community Edition sites dashboard
Sites and access
Clear Ideas Community Edition file viewer
Secure file viewer
Clear Ideas Community Edition site settings
Site settings
Clear Ideas Community Edition analytics dashboard
Activity analytics

What is included

  • Passwordless email-code authentication
  • Users, groups, site roles, and invitations
  • Sites, folders, uploads, downloads, previews, and search
  • Activity logs, analytics reports, and scheduled digest notifications
  • Scoped MCP access keys for permitted AI clients and tools
  • Optional non-persisted AI chat over approved site content

What is not included

  • Managed hosting and commercial support
  • Advanced organization policy controls
  • Expanded analytics and business reporting
  • Document signing workflows
  • Hosted AI workflow automation
  • Advanced client collaboration workflows
  • Enterprise identity and production deployment services

Community Resources

Repository, docs, and project resources

Start with the source, then use the README, issue tracker, and security policy for setup details and project information.

GitHub repositoryBrowse the source, clone the repo, and follow the launch README.
Quick-start READMERun CE locally, configure environment variables, and understand deployment options.
Issues and roadmapTrack known limitations, request improvements, and follow community work.
Security policyReview how to report security issues and what to expect from the project.

Community Edition FAQ

What is Clear Ideas Community Edition?

Clear Ideas Community Edition is the open-source, self-hosted foundation of Clear Ideas for secure file sharing and AI-ready collaboration. It is designed for teams that want to inspect the source, run the stack themselves, and understand the product architecture before choosing the managed platform.

Is Community Edition the same as hosted Clear Ideas?

No. Community Edition includes the focused self-hosted collaboration core. Hosted Clear Ideas is the complete managed product with richer collaboration, advanced governance, document signing, repeatable AI workflows, business controls, support, and hosted operations.

Can I use Community Edition in production?

You can self-host it, but you are responsible for production operations: infrastructure, secrets, email, storage, backups, monitoring, upgrades, incident response, and security review. For managed production use with support and advanced product capabilities, use hosted Clear Ideas.

What is included in Community Edition?

Community Edition includes the essentials for a self-hosted workspace: passwordless email-code authentication, users and groups, site roles and invitations, folders and file uploads, browser previews, local search, activity logging, simple analytics, scheduled digest notifications, scoped MCP access keys, and optional site-scoped AI chat with your own provider keys.

What is not included in Community Edition?

Community Edition does not include the broader hosted product surface: managed hosting, commercial support, advanced organization policy controls, expanded analytics, advanced client collaboration workflows, enterprise identity features, document signing, hosted AI workflow automation, or production deployment services.

What license does Community Edition use?

Clear Ideas Community Edition is released under AGPL-3.0. Review the repository license before using, modifying, or redistributing the software.

Do I need my own AI provider key?

Yes for optional site-scoped AI chat in Community Edition. CE is designed to let you bring your own provider keys. Hosted Clear Ideas offers managed AI capabilities depending on plan and configuration.

How do I get help with Community Edition?

Use the GitHub repository for the README, issues, security policy, and community project activity. Hosted Clear Ideas customers receive product support through the hosted product.

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Share sensitive information securely with clients, auditors, and partners. Then turn approved content into cited answers, repeatable workflows, and measurable engagement.
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