Read the Docs vs XWiki
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
XWiki
Advanced enterprise wiki and application platform
| Feature | Read the Docs | XWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,373 | ★ 1,292 |
| First released | 2010 | 2004 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
Why pick each one
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or XWiki better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while XWiki is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and XWiki free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and XWiki under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and XWiki with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. XWiki: yes.