MDwiki vs Realms Wiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MDwiki | Realms Wiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 19 · At risk | 16 · At risk |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,187 | ★ 824 |
| First released | 2013 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence |
What are MDwiki and Realms Wiki?
MDwiki
MDwiki is a completely client-side wiki engine that renders a set of Markdown files into a navigable site without any server-side processing or database. Pages are loaded and rendered on demand directly in the browser.
- Pure client-side rendering
- No server logic
- Markdown content
- Themeable layout
Realms Wiki
Realms Wiki is a lightweight, self-hosted wiki that stores all pages as Markdown files in a Git repository. This gives full version history and lets pages be edited either through the web UI or directly in Git.
- Git-backed pages
- Markdown editing
- Full version history
- Simple web UI
MDwiki vs Realms Wiki: key differences
MDwiki is written in JavaScript, while Realms Wiki is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for MDwiki versus GPL-2.0 for Realms Wiki. MDwiki is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Realms Wiki. MDwiki has the considerably larger community, at 3,187 GitHub stars versus 824. Realms Wiki lists first-class Docker deployment; MDwiki does not.
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 Realms Wiki if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Maintenance has slowed
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is MDwiki or Realms Wiki better?
MDwiki is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Realms Wiki if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MDwiki and Realms Wiki free and open-source?
Yes. MDwiki is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Realms Wiki under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MDwiki and Realms Wiki with Docker?
MDwiki: check the project docs for container support. Realms Wiki: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MDwiki or Realms Wiki?
MDwiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Realms Wiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.