WackoWiki vs YesWiki
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | WackoWiki | YesWiki |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 73 · Good |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55 | ★ 138 |
| First released | 2003 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Confluence, Notion |
What are WackoWiki and YesWiki?
WackoWiki
WackoWiki is a lightweight, open-source wiki engine focused on ease of installation and multilingual support. It includes WYSIWYG editing, access control, and file uploads.
- Easy installation
- WYSIWYG editing
- Multilingual interface
- Access control lists
YesWiki
YesWiki is a free wiki engine focused on simplicity and collaboration, allowing groups to build databases of structured information through form-based content. It is widely used by associations and community networks.
- Form-based databases
- Bazar content system
- Simple page editing
- Theme customization
WackoWiki vs YesWiki: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for WackoWiki versus AGPL-3.0 for YesWiki. WackoWiki is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for YesWiki. WackoWiki is the more established project (first released 2003), while YesWiki arrived in 2010. YesWiki has the considerably larger community, at 138 GitHub stars versus 55. WackoWiki lists first-class Docker deployment; YesWiki does not.
Why pick each one
Choose WackoWiki if…
- Lightweight and simple
- Good multilingual support
Watch out for
- Small community
- Limited extensions
Choose YesWiki if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is WackoWiki or YesWiki better?
Neither is universally better. YesWiki has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are WackoWiki and YesWiki free and open-source?
Yes. WackoWiki is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and YesWiki under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WackoWiki and YesWiki with Docker?
WackoWiki: yes. YesWiki: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, WackoWiki or YesWiki?
WackoWiki has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for YesWiki. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.