Read the Docs vs Zim
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
Zim
A desktop wiki and personal knowledge base
| Feature | Read the Docs | Zim |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,373 | ★ 2,194 |
| First released | 2010 | 2008 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | OneNote, 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 Zim better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while Zim is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and Zim free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and Zim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and Zim with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. Zim: check the project docs for container support.