Realms Wiki vs Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Realms Wiki | Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 824 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2014 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence, SharePoint |
What are Realms Wiki and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware?
Realms Wiki
Realms Wiki is a lightweight, self-hosted wiki that stores all pages as Markdown files in a Git repository. This gives full version history and lets pages be edited either through the web UI or directly in Git.
- Git-backed pages
- Markdown editing
- Full version history
- Simple web UI
Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware
Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is an open-source platform combining a wiki, CMS, forums, and groupware features in a single application. It is known for having a very large set of built-in features.
- Wiki, CMS, and groupware in one
- Huge built-in feature set
- Forums and trackers
- Granular permissions
Realms Wiki vs Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware: key differences
Realms Wiki is written in Python, while Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Realms Wiki versus LGPL-2.1 for Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware. Realms Wiki is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware. Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware is the more established project (first released 2002), while Realms Wiki arrived in 2014. Realms Wiki has the considerably larger community, at 824 GitHub stars versus 300.
Why pick each one
Choose Realms Wiki if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Maintenance has slowed
- Basic feature set
Choose Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware if…
- Everything included out of the box
- No add-ons needed for most needs
Watch out for
- Can feel overwhelming
- Interface is dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Realms Wiki or Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware better?
Neither is universally better. Realms Wiki has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Realms Wiki and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware free and open-source?
Yes. Realms Wiki is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Realms Wiki and Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware with Docker?
Realms Wiki: yes. Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Realms Wiki or Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware?
Realms Wiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.