TiddlyWiki vs WikidPad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
TiddlyWiki
A non-linear personal web notebook in a single file
VS
WikidPad
Single-user wiki notebook for thoughts and ideas
| Feature | TiddlyWiki | WikidPad |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 62 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,662 | ★ 210 |
| First released | 2004 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Notion, OneNote | OneNote, Evernote |
What are TiddlyWiki and WikidPad?
TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki is a unique open-source wiki that can run as a single self-contained HTML file. It is a non-linear notebook for capturing and organizing information, also runnable as a Node.js server.
- Runs as a single HTML file
- Non-linear note structure
- Highly customizable
- Optional Node.js server mode
WikidPad
WikidPad is an open-source single-user desktop wiki for storing thoughts, ideas, and notes with wiki-style cross-linking. It keeps everything in a local database or plain files on your machine.
- Single-user desktop wiki
- Automatic cross-linking
- Local storage
- Works offline
TiddlyWiki vs WikidPad: key differences
TiddlyWiki is written in JavaScript, while WikidPad is built with Python. TiddlyWiki is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for WikidPad. TiddlyWiki has the considerably larger community, at 8,662 GitHub stars versus 210.
Why pick each one
Choose TiddlyWiki if…
- Extremely portable
- Works fully offline
Watch out for
- Idiosyncratic concepts
- Multi-user needs the server mode
Choose WikidPad if…
- Simple personal wiki
- Fully local and private
Watch out for
- Dated interface
- Single-user only
Frequently asked questions
Is TiddlyWiki or WikidPad better?
Neither is universally better. TiddlyWiki has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are TiddlyWiki and WikidPad free and open-source?
Yes. TiddlyWiki is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and WikidPad under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run TiddlyWiki and WikidPad with Docker?
TiddlyWiki: check the project docs for container support. WikidPad: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, TiddlyWiki or WikidPad?
TiddlyWiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for WikidPad. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.