MDwiki vs W
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
W
Lightweight, mutli-user, flat-file-database Wiki engine
| Feature | MDwiki | W |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,191 | ★ 55 |
| First released | 2013 | 2026 |
| Replaces | 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 W if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is MDwiki or W better?
MDwiki is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider W if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MDwiki and W free and open-source?
Yes. MDwiki is licensed under GPL-3.0 and W under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MDwiki and W with Docker?
MDwiki: check the project docs for container support. W: check the project docs for container support.