Doctave 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 | Doctave | MoinMoin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 12 · At risk | 73 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 670 | ★ 373 |
| First released | 2021 | 2000 |
| Replaces | Confluence, GitBook | Confluence |
What are Doctave and MoinMoin?
Doctave
Doctave is an opinionated documentation site generator that builds fast static documentation sites from Markdown files. It includes built-in search, Mermaid diagram support, and live preview without requiring complex configuration.
- Markdown documentation
- Built-in search
- Mermaid diagrams
- Live preview server
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
Doctave vs MoinMoin: key differences
Doctave is written in Rust, while MoinMoin is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Doctave versus GPL-2.0 for MoinMoin. Doctave is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for MoinMoin. MoinMoin is the more established project (first released 2000), while Doctave arrived in 2021.
Why pick each one
Choose Doctave if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Static output only
- Limited theming
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 Doctave or MoinMoin better?
Doctave is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MoinMoin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Doctave and MoinMoin free and open-source?
Yes. Doctave is licensed under MIT and MoinMoin under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Doctave and MoinMoin with Docker?
Doctave: check the project docs for container support. MoinMoin: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Doctave or MoinMoin?
Doctave has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for MoinMoin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.