MediaWiki vs TiddlyWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
TiddlyWiki
A non-linear personal web notebook in a single file
| Feature | MediaWiki | TiddlyWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,174 | ★ 8,662 |
| First released | 2002 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Notion, OneNote |
What are MediaWiki and TiddlyWiki?
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
TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki is a unique open-source wiki that can run as a single self-contained HTML file. It is a non-linear notebook for capturing and organizing information, also runnable as a Node.js server.
- Runs as a single HTML file
- Non-linear note structure
- Highly customizable
- Optional Node.js server mode
MediaWiki vs TiddlyWiki: key differences
MediaWiki is written in PHP, while TiddlyWiki is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MediaWiki versus BSD-3-Clause for TiddlyWiki. TiddlyWiki is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for MediaWiki. MediaWiki is the more established project (first released 2002), while TiddlyWiki arrived in 2004. MediaWiki lists first-class Docker deployment; TiddlyWiki 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 TiddlyWiki if…
- Extremely portable
- Works fully offline
Watch out for
- Idiosyncratic concepts
- Multi-user needs the server mode
Frequently asked questions
Is MediaWiki or TiddlyWiki better?
TiddlyWiki is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MediaWiki if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MediaWiki and TiddlyWiki free and open-source?
Yes. MediaWiki is licensed under GPL-2.0 and TiddlyWiki under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MediaWiki and TiddlyWiki with Docker?
MediaWiki: yes. TiddlyWiki: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, MediaWiki or TiddlyWiki?
TiddlyWiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for MediaWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.