Realms Wiki vs XWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
XWiki
Advanced enterprise wiki and application platform
| Feature | Realms Wiki | XWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 16 · At risk | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 824 | ★ 1,313 |
| First released | 2014 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Confluence | Confluence, Notion |
What are Realms Wiki and XWiki?
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
XWiki
XWiki is an open-source enterprise wiki and structured collaboration platform written in Java. It goes beyond simple wikis with scripting, custom applications, and structured data within pages.
- Structured data in pages
- App building within the wiki
- Extension marketplace
- LDAP and SSO support
Realms Wiki vs XWiki: key differences
Realms Wiki is written in Python, while XWiki is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Realms Wiki versus LGPL-2.1 for XWiki. Realms Wiki is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for XWiki. XWiki is the more established project (first released 2004), while Realms Wiki arrived in 2014.
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 XWiki if…
- Powerful structured content
- Strong enterprise features
Watch out for
- High memory requirements
- Complex to administer
Frequently asked questions
Is Realms Wiki or XWiki better?
Neither is universally better. XWiki has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Realms Wiki and XWiki free and open-source?
Yes. Realms Wiki is licensed under GPL-2.0 and XWiki under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Realms Wiki and XWiki with Docker?
Realms Wiki: yes. XWiki: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Realms Wiki or XWiki?
Realms Wiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for XWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.