Feather Wiki vs YesWiki
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 | YesWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 900 | ★ 138 |
| First released | 2021 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Notion, TiddlyWiki | Confluence, Notion |
What are Feather Wiki and YesWiki?
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
YesWiki
YesWiki is a free wiki engine focused on simplicity and collaboration, allowing groups to build databases of structured information through form-based content. It is widely used by associations and community networks.
- Form-based databases
- Bazar content system
- Simple page editing
- Theme customization
Feather Wiki vs YesWiki: key differences
Feather Wiki is written in JavaScript, while YesWiki is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Feather Wiki versus AGPL-3.0 for YesWiki. Feather Wiki is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for YesWiki. YesWiki is the more established project (first released 2010), while Feather Wiki arrived in 2021. Feather Wiki has the considerably larger community, at 900 GitHub stars versus 138.
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 YesWiki if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Feather Wiki or YesWiki 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 YesWiki free and open-source?
Yes. Feather Wiki is licensed under MIT and YesWiki under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Feather Wiki and YesWiki with Docker?
Feather Wiki: check the project docs for container support. YesWiki: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Feather Wiki or YesWiki?
Feather Wiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for YesWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.