XWiki vs Zim
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
XWiki
Advanced enterprise wiki and application platform
VS
Zim
A desktop wiki and personal knowledge base
| Feature | XWiki | Zim |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,292 | ★ 2,194 |
| First released | 2004 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | OneNote, Notion |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is XWiki or Zim better?
Zim is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider XWiki if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are XWiki and Zim free and open-source?
Yes. XWiki is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Zim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run XWiki and Zim with Docker?
XWiki: yes. Zim: check the project docs for container support.