Django Wiki vs MoinMoin
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Django Wiki | MoinMoin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 73 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source, docker | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,936 | ★ 373 |
| First released | 2013 | 2000 |
| Replaces | Confluence, MediaWiki | Confluence |
What are Django Wiki and MoinMoin?
Django Wiki
Django Wiki is a wiki engine implemented as a reusable Django application, offering Markdown editing, revision history, and a permission system. It can be embedded into existing Django projects or run as a standalone site.
- Markdown editing
- Revision history
- Granular permissions
- Pluggable architecture
MoinMoin
MoinMoin is an open-source wiki engine written in Python with a focus on being easy to use yet extensible. It stores pages as files and supports access control, themes, and a plugin macro system.
- File-based page storage
- Access control lists
- Macro and plugin system
- Theming support
Django Wiki vs MoinMoin: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Django Wiki versus GPL-2.0 for MoinMoin. MoinMoin is the more established project (first released 2000), while Django Wiki arrived in 2013. Django Wiki has the considerably larger community, at 1,936 GitHub stars versus 373. Django Wiki lists first-class Docker deployment; MoinMoin does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Django Wiki if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose MoinMoin if…
- No database to manage
- Long-running, stable project
Watch out for
- Smaller modern community
- Dated interface in older versions
Frequently asked questions
Is Django Wiki or MoinMoin better?
Neither is universally better. Django Wiki has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Django Wiki and MoinMoin free and open-source?
Yes. Django Wiki is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MoinMoin under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django Wiki and MoinMoin with Docker?
Django Wiki: yes. MoinMoin: check the project docs for container support.