BookStack vs Docmost
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
BookStack
Simple self-hosted documentation and wiki platform
VS
Docmost
Open-source collaborative wiki and documentation
| Feature | BookStack | Docmost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,974 | ★ 21,287 |
| First released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Confluence, Notion |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is BookStack or Docmost better?
Neither is universally better. Docmost has the larger community, while BookStack is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are BookStack and Docmost free and open-source?
Yes. BookStack is licensed under MIT and Docmost under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BookStack and Docmost with Docker?
BookStack: yes. Docmost: yes.