Docmost vs DokuWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Docmost
Open-source collaborative wiki and documentation
VS
DokuWiki
Simple, file-based wiki without a database
| Feature | Docmost | DokuWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,773 | ★ 4,721 |
| First released | 2024 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Confluence |
What are Docmost and DokuWiki?
Docmost
Docmost is an open-source collaborative documentation and wiki software for teams to create and organize knowledge. It targets organizations seeking a self-hosted Confluence alternative. It is deployed via Docker with PostgreSQL.
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Spaces and nested pages
- Permissions and SSO
- Diagrams and embeds
DokuWiki
DokuWiki is a simple, versatile wiki engine that stores all content in plain text files, needing no database. It targets users who want an easy-to-back-up, low-maintenance wiki. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- No database required
- Large plugin and template library
- Built-in versioning and ACLs
- Plain-text storage
Docmost vs DokuWiki: key differences
Docmost is written in TypeScript, while DokuWiki is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Docmost versus GPL-2.0 for DokuWiki. DokuWiki is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Docmost. DokuWiki is the more established project (first released 2004), while Docmost arrived in 2024. Docmost has the considerably larger community, at 21,773 GitHub stars versus 4,721.
Why pick each one
Choose Docmost if…
- Clean modern interface
- Good team collaboration
- Active development
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires Postgres
Choose DokuWiki if…
- Trivial to back up
- Very stable and mature
- Low resource needs
Watch out for
- Dated default look
- Markup is wiki-specific
Frequently asked questions
Is Docmost or DokuWiki better?
Neither is universally better. Docmost has the larger community, while DokuWiki is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Docmost and DokuWiki free and open-source?
Yes. Docmost is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and DokuWiki under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Docmost and DokuWiki with Docker?
Docmost: yes. DokuWiki: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Docmost or DokuWiki?
DokuWiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Docmost. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.