phpMyFAQ 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 | phpMyFAQ | Read the Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 620 | ★ 8,390 |
| First released | 2001 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Zendesk Guide, Confluence | GitBook, Confluence |
What are phpMyFAQ and Read the Docs?
phpMyFAQ
phpMyFAQ is a mature open-source FAQ and knowledge base system written in PHP. It supports multi-language content, categories, user permissions, and a powerful search for building help centers.
- FAQ-focused knowledge base
- Multi-language content
- Granular permissions
- Powerful search
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
phpMyFAQ vs Read the Docs: key differences
PhpMyFAQ is written in PHP, while Read the Docs is built with Python. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for phpMyFAQ versus MIT for Read the Docs. PhpMyFAQ is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Read the Docs. PhpMyFAQ is the more established project (first released 2001), while Read the Docs arrived in 2010. Read the Docs has the considerably larger community, at 8,390 GitHub stars versus 620.
Why pick each one
Choose phpMyFAQ if…
- Purpose-built for help centers
- Mature and stable
Watch out for
- Interface feels dated
- Less suited to free-form wikis
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 phpMyFAQ or Read the Docs better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while phpMyFAQ is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are phpMyFAQ and Read the Docs free and open-source?
Yes. phpMyFAQ is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Read the Docs under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run phpMyFAQ and Read the Docs with Docker?
phpMyFAQ: yes. Read the Docs: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, phpMyFAQ or Read the Docs?
phpMyFAQ has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 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.