Read the Docs vs YesWiki
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 | YesWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 73 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,390 | ★ 138 |
| First released | 2010 | 2010 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
What are Read the Docs and YesWiki?
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
YesWiki
YesWiki is a free wiki engine focused on simplicity and collaboration, allowing groups to build databases of structured information through form-based content. It is widely used by associations and community networks.
- Form-based databases
- Bazar content system
- Simple page editing
- Theme customization
Read the Docs vs YesWiki: key differences
Read the Docs is written in Python, while YesWiki is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Read the Docs versus AGPL-3.0 for YesWiki. YesWiki is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Read the Docs. Read the Docs has the considerably larger community, at 8,390 GitHub stars versus 138. Read the Docs lists first-class Docker deployment; YesWiki does not.
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 YesWiki if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or YesWiki better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while YesWiki is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and YesWiki free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and YesWiki under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and YesWiki with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. YesWiki: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Read the Docs or YesWiki?
YesWiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 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.