Read the Docs vs Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Read the Docs | Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,390 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2010 | 2002 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | Confluence, SharePoint |
What are Read the Docs and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware?
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
Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware
Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is an open-source platform combining a wiki, CMS, forums, and groupware features in a single application. It is known for having a very large set of built-in features.
- Wiki, CMS, and groupware in one
- Huge built-in feature set
- Forums and trackers
- Granular permissions
Read the Docs vs Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware: key differences
Read the Docs is written in Python, while Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Read the Docs versus LGPL-2.1 for Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware. Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Read the Docs. Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is the more established project (first released 2002), while Read the Docs arrived in 2010. Read the Docs has the considerably larger community, at 8,390 GitHub stars versus 300.
Why pick each one
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Watch out for
- Complex to self-host
- Heavier resource needs
Choose Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware if…
- Everything included out of the box
- No add-ons needed for most needs
Watch out for
- Can feel overwhelming
- Interface is dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Read the Docs or Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware?
Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware 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.