MDwiki vs YesWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MDwiki | YesWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 19 · At risk | 73 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,187 | ★ 138 |
| First released | 2013 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
What are MDwiki and YesWiki?
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
YesWiki
YesWiki is a free wiki engine focused on simplicity and collaboration, allowing groups to build databases of structured information through form-based content. It is widely used by associations and community networks.
- Form-based databases
- Bazar content system
- Simple page editing
- Theme customization
MDwiki vs YesWiki: key differences
MDwiki is written in JavaScript, while YesWiki is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for MDwiki versus AGPL-3.0 for YesWiki. MDwiki is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for YesWiki. YesWiki is the more established project (first released 2010), while MDwiki arrived in 2013. MDwiki has the considerably larger community, at 3,187 GitHub stars versus 138.
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 YesWiki if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is MDwiki or YesWiki better?
Neither is universally better. MDwiki has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MDwiki and YesWiki free and open-source?
Yes. MDwiki is licensed under GPL-3.0 and YesWiki under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MDwiki and YesWiki with Docker?
MDwiki: check the project docs for container support. YesWiki: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, MDwiki or YesWiki?
MDwiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for YesWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.