Dendron vs TiddlyWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
TiddlyWiki
A non-linear personal web notebook in a single file
| Feature | Dendron | TiddlyWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 55 · Fair | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | binary, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,470 | ★ 8,661 |
| First released | 2020 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Notion, Confluence | Notion, OneNote |
What are Dendron and TiddlyWiki?
Dendron
Dendron is an open-source, local-first note-taking tool that works as a hierarchical personal knowledge wiki on top of VS Code. It uses a structured naming scheme to organize thousands of Markdown notes and can publish them as a static site.
- Hierarchical note schema
- Local Markdown storage
- Static site publishing
- VS Code integration
TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki is a unique open-source wiki that can run as a single self-contained HTML file. It is a non-linear notebook for capturing and organizing information, also runnable as a Node.js server.
- Runs as a single HTML file
- Non-linear note structure
- Highly customizable
- Optional Node.js server mode
Dendron vs TiddlyWiki: key differences
Dendron is written in TypeScript, while TiddlyWiki is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dendron versus BSD-3-Clause for TiddlyWiki. TiddlyWiki is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendron. TiddlyWiki is the more established project (first released 2004), while Dendron arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Dendron if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 7.5k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Tied to VS Code
- Learning curve for hierarchy
Choose TiddlyWiki if…
- Extremely portable
- Works fully offline
Watch out for
- Idiosyncratic concepts
- Multi-user needs the server mode
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendron or TiddlyWiki better?
TiddlyWiki is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Dendron if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dendron and TiddlyWiki free and open-source?
Yes. Dendron is licensed under GPL-3.0 and TiddlyWiki under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendron and TiddlyWiki with Docker?
Dendron: check the project docs for container support. TiddlyWiki: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dendron or TiddlyWiki?
TiddlyWiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendron. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.