Realms Wiki 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 | Realms Wiki | Wikmd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 16 · At risk | 78 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 824 | ★ 424 |
| First released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
What are Realms Wiki and Wikmd?
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
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
Realms Wiki vs Wikmd: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Realms Wiki versus MIT for Wikmd. Wikmd is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Realms Wiki. Realms Wiki is the more established project (first released 2014), while Wikmd arrived in 2020.
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 Wikmd if…
- Easy to back up with Git
- Simple to host
Watch out for
- Smaller feature set
- Basic access control
Frequently asked questions
Is Realms Wiki or Wikmd better?
Neither is universally better. Realms Wiki 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 Realms Wiki and Wikmd free and open-source?
Yes. Realms Wiki is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Wikmd under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Realms Wiki and Wikmd with Docker?
Realms Wiki: yes. Wikmd: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Realms Wiki or Wikmd?
Wikmd has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Realms Wiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.