MDwiki vs XWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
XWiki
Advanced enterprise wiki and application platform
| Feature | MDwiki | XWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 19 · At risk | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,187 | ★ 1,313 |
| First released | 2013 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
What are MDwiki and XWiki?
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
XWiki
XWiki is an open-source enterprise wiki and structured collaboration platform written in Java. It goes beyond simple wikis with scripting, custom applications, and structured data within pages.
- Structured data in pages
- App building within the wiki
- Extension marketplace
- LDAP and SSO support
MDwiki vs XWiki: key differences
MDwiki is written in JavaScript, while XWiki is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for MDwiki versus LGPL-2.1 for XWiki. MDwiki is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for XWiki. XWiki is the more established project (first released 2004), while MDwiki arrived in 2013. MDwiki has the considerably larger community, at 3,187 GitHub stars versus 1,313. XWiki 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 XWiki if…
- Powerful structured content
- Strong enterprise features
Watch out for
- High memory requirements
- Complex to administer
Frequently asked questions
Is MDwiki or XWiki better?
MDwiki is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider XWiki if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MDwiki and XWiki free and open-source?
Yes. MDwiki is licensed under GPL-3.0 and XWiki under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MDwiki and XWiki with Docker?
MDwiki: check the project docs for container support. XWiki: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MDwiki or XWiki?
MDwiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for XWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.