Gollum vs Read the Docs
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Gollum
A simple, Git-powered wiki with a sweet API
VS
Read the Docs
Documentation hosting platform you can self-host
| Feature | Gollum | Read the Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,308 | ★ 8,373 |
| First released | 2010 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | GitBook, Confluence |
Why pick each one
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Frequently asked questions
Is Gollum or Read the Docs better?
Gollum is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Read the Docs if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gollum and Read the Docs free and open-source?
Yes. Gollum is licensed under MIT and Read the Docs under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gollum and Read the Docs with Docker?
Gollum: yes. Read the Docs: yes.