Read the Docs vs W
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
W
Lightweight, mutli-user, flat-file-database Wiki engine
| Feature | Read the Docs | W |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,373 | ★ 55 |
| First released | 2010 | 2026 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Choose W if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or W better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while W is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and W free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and W under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and W with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. W: check the project docs for container support.