Dendron vs Wiki.js
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Dendron
Hierarchical note-taking and personal knowledge wiki
VS
Wiki.js
Modern and powerful open-source wiki
| Feature | Dendron | Wiki.js |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,458 | ★ 28,727 |
| First released | 2020 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Notion, Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
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
Choose Wiki.js if…
- Flexible and full-featured
- Many auth options
- Good content management
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendron or Wiki.js better?
Neither is universally better. Wiki.js has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Dendron and Wiki.js free and open-source?
Yes. Dendron is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Wiki.js under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendron and Wiki.js with Docker?
Dendron: check the project docs for container support. Wiki.js: yes.