DokuWiki vs MkDocs
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?
DokuWiki
Simple, file-based wiki without a database
VS
MkDocs
Documentation site generator for technical teams
| Feature | DokuWiki | MkDocs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,694 | ★ 22,317 |
| First released | 2004 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence, GitBook |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is DokuWiki or MkDocs better?
Neither is universally better. MkDocs has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are DokuWiki and MkDocs free and open-source?
Yes. DokuWiki is licensed under GPL-2.0 and MkDocs under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run DokuWiki and MkDocs with Docker?
DokuWiki: yes. MkDocs: check the project docs for container support.