MDwiki 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?
MDwiki
CMS-free wiki that renders Markdown in the browser
VS
Read the Docs
Documentation hosting platform you can self-host
| Feature | MDwiki | Read the Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,191 | ★ 8,373 |
| First released | 2013 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Confluence | GitBook, Confluence |
Why pick each one
Choose MDwiki if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Frequently asked questions
Is MDwiki or Read the Docs better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while MDwiki is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are MDwiki and Read the Docs free and open-source?
Yes. MDwiki is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Read the Docs under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MDwiki and Read the Docs with Docker?
MDwiki: check the project docs for container support. Read the Docs: yes.