Docsify vs Phile
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | Docsify | Phile |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 31,442 | ★ 255 |
| First released | 2024 | 2014 |
| Replaces | — | WordPress |
Why pick each one
Choose Docsify if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 31.4k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Phile if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Docsify or Phile better?
Neither is universally better. Docsify has the larger community, while Phile is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Docsify and Phile free and open-source?
Yes. Docsify is licensed under MIT and Phile under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Docsify and Phile with Docker?
Docsify: check the project docs for container support. Phile: check the project docs for container support.