Read the Docs vs Wikmd
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 | Wikmd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,390 | ★ 424 |
| First released | 2010 | 2020 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
What are Read the Docs and Wikmd?
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
Wikmd
Wikmd is a lightweight, file-based wiki that stores all pages as Markdown files and tracks changes with Git. It offers a clean web interface for editing without a database.
- Markdown file storage
- Git-tracked history
- No database required
- Search across pages
Read the Docs vs Wikmd: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Wikmd is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Read the Docs. Read the Docs is the more established project (first released 2010), while Wikmd arrived in 2020. Read the Docs has the considerably larger community, at 8,390 GitHub stars versus 424.
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 Wikmd if…
- Easy to back up with Git
- Simple to host
Watch out for
- Smaller feature set
- Basic access control
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or Wikmd better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while Wikmd is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and Wikmd free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and Wikmd under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and Wikmd with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. Wikmd: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Read the Docs or Wikmd?
Wikmd has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 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.