Feather Wiki vs Wikmd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Feather Wiki | Wikmd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 900 | ★ 424 |
| First released | 2021 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Notion, TiddlyWiki | Confluence, Notion |
What are Feather Wiki and Wikmd?
Feather Wiki
Feather Wiki is an extremely small single-file personal wiki and note-taking application that runs entirely in the browser. The whole wiki, including content and code, lives in one tiny HTML file that is easy to back up and host anywhere.
- Single HTML file
- Tiny footprint
- Works offline
- Page linking
Wikmd
Wikmd is a lightweight, file-based wiki that stores all pages as Markdown files and tracks changes with Git. It offers a clean web interface for editing without a database.
- Markdown file storage
- Git-tracked history
- No database required
- Search across pages
Feather Wiki vs Wikmd: key differences
Feather Wiki is written in JavaScript, while Wikmd is built with Python. Feather Wiki is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Wikmd. Feather Wiki has the considerably larger community, at 900 GitHub stars versus 424. Wikmd lists first-class Docker deployment; Feather Wiki does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Feather Wiki if…
- Trivial to host
- Highly portable
Watch out for
- No multi-user editing
- Limited at large scale
Choose Wikmd if…
- Easy to back up with Git
- Simple to host
Watch out for
- Smaller feature set
- Basic access control
Frequently asked questions
Is Feather Wiki or Wikmd better?
Neither is universally better. Feather Wiki has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Feather Wiki and Wikmd free and open-source?
Yes. Feather Wiki is licensed under MIT and Wikmd under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Feather Wiki and Wikmd with Docker?
Feather Wiki: check the project docs for container support. Wikmd: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Feather Wiki or Wikmd?
Feather Wiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Wikmd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.