Read the Docs 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.
Not the right match-up?
Read the Docs
Documentation hosting platform you can self-host
VS
Realms Wiki
Git-backed wiki that stores pages as Markdown
| Feature | Read the Docs | Realms Wiki |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,373 | ★ 824 |
| First released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | Confluence |
Why pick each one
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or Realms Wiki better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while Realms Wiki is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and Realms Wiki free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and Realms Wiki under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and Realms Wiki with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. Realms Wiki: yes.