MediaWiki vs OutWiker
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MediaWiki | OutWiker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 77 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,174 | ★ 331 |
| First released | 2002 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Notion, OneNote |
What are MediaWiki and OutWiker?
MediaWiki
MediaWiki is the free, open-source wiki software developed for and used by Wikipedia. It is built to handle large collaborative knowledge bases with powerful templating, extensions, and revision history.
- Powers Wikipedia at scale
- Powerful template system
- Vast extension library
- Full revision history
OutWiker
OutWiker is a cross-platform desktop application for storing notes and knowledge in a tree structure, functioning as a personal wiki. Each page can use wiki markup, HTML, or Markdown, and plugins extend its capabilities.
- Tree-structured pages
- Multiple markup modes
- Plugin support
- Cross-platform desktop app
MediaWiki vs OutWiker: key differences
MediaWiki is written in PHP, while OutWiker is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MediaWiki versus GPL-3.0 for OutWiker. OutWiker is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for MediaWiki. MediaWiki is the more established project (first released 2002), while OutWiker arrived in 2010. MediaWiki has the considerably larger community, at 5,174 GitHub stars versus 331. MediaWiki lists first-class Docker deployment; OutWiker does not.
Why pick each one
Choose MediaWiki if…
- Battle-tested at massive scale
- Huge extension ecosystem
Watch out for
- Wikitext has a learning curve
- Setup can be involved
Choose OutWiker if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No built-in collaboration
Frequently asked questions
Is MediaWiki or OutWiker better?
Neither is universally better. MediaWiki has the larger community, while OutWiker is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are MediaWiki and OutWiker free and open-source?
Yes. MediaWiki is licensed under GPL-2.0 and OutWiker under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MediaWiki and OutWiker with Docker?
MediaWiki: yes. OutWiker: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, MediaWiki or OutWiker?
OutWiker has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for MediaWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.