phpMyFAQ vs Realms Wiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | phpMyFAQ | Realms Wiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 16 · At risk |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 620 | ★ 824 |
| First released | 2001 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Zendesk Guide, Confluence | Confluence |
What are phpMyFAQ and Realms Wiki?
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
Realms Wiki
Realms Wiki is a lightweight, self-hosted wiki that stores all pages as Markdown files in a Git repository. This gives full version history and lets pages be edited either through the web UI or directly in Git.
- Git-backed pages
- Markdown editing
- Full version history
- Simple web UI
phpMyFAQ vs Realms Wiki: key differences
PhpMyFAQ is written in PHP, while Realms Wiki is built with Python. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for phpMyFAQ versus GPL-2.0 for Realms Wiki. Realms Wiki is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for phpMyFAQ. PhpMyFAQ is the more established project (first released 2001), while Realms Wiki arrived in 2014.
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 Realms Wiki if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Maintenance has slowed
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is phpMyFAQ or Realms Wiki better?
Neither is universally better. Realms Wiki has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are phpMyFAQ and Realms Wiki free and open-source?
Yes. phpMyFAQ is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Realms Wiki under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run phpMyFAQ and Realms Wiki with Docker?
phpMyFAQ: yes. Realms Wiki: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, phpMyFAQ or Realms Wiki?
Realms Wiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for phpMyFAQ. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.