MoinMoin vs Read the Docs
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MoinMoin | Read the Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 373 | ★ 8,390 |
| First released | 2000 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Confluence | GitBook, Confluence |
What are MoinMoin and Read the Docs?
MoinMoin
MoinMoin is an open-source wiki engine written in Python with a focus on being easy to use yet extensible. It stores pages as files and supports access control, themes, and a plugin macro system.
- File-based page storage
- Access control lists
- Macro and plugin system
- Theming support
Read the Docs
Read the Docs is an open-source documentation hosting platform that automatically builds and versions documentation from a Git repository. The community edition can be self-hosted for internal docs.
- Automatic docs builds from Git
- Version and language management
- Webhook-triggered rebuilds
- Full-text search
MoinMoin vs Read the Docs: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MoinMoin versus MIT for Read the Docs. MoinMoin is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Read the Docs. MoinMoin is the more established project (first released 2000), while Read the Docs arrived in 2010. Read the Docs has the considerably larger community, at 8,390 GitHub stars versus 373. Read the Docs lists first-class Docker deployment; MoinMoin does not.
Why pick each one
Choose MoinMoin if…
- No database to manage
- Long-running, stable project
Watch out for
- Smaller modern community
- Dated interface in older versions
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Watch out for
- Complex to self-host
- Heavier resource needs
Frequently asked questions
Is MoinMoin or Read the Docs better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while MoinMoin is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are MoinMoin and Read the Docs free and open-source?
Yes. MoinMoin is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Read the Docs under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MoinMoin and Read the Docs with Docker?
MoinMoin: check the project docs for container support. Read the Docs: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MoinMoin or Read the Docs?
MoinMoin has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Read the Docs. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.