Feather Wiki vs Zim
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 | Zim |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 900 | ★ 2,202 |
| First released | 2021 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Notion, TiddlyWiki | OneNote, Notion |
What are Feather Wiki and Zim?
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
Zim
Zim is an open-source desktop application that works as a graphical text editor for maintaining a collection of wiki pages. Each page is a plain text file, making it a portable personal knowledge base.
- Desktop wiki application
- Plain text page files
- Plugin system
- Works fully offline
Feather Wiki vs Zim: key differences
Feather Wiki is written in JavaScript, while Zim is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Feather Wiki versus GPL-2.0 for Zim. Feather Wiki is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Zim. Zim is the more established project (first released 2008), while Feather Wiki arrived in 2021. Zim has the considerably larger community, at 2,202 GitHub stars versus 900.
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 Zim if…
- Truly portable notes
- No server needed
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No built-in multi-user mode
Frequently asked questions
Is Feather Wiki or Zim better?
Neither is universally better. Zim has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Feather Wiki and Zim free and open-source?
Yes. Feather Wiki is licensed under MIT and Zim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Feather Wiki and Zim with Docker?
Feather Wiki: check the project docs for container support. Zim: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Feather Wiki or Zim?
Feather Wiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Zim. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.