YesWiki vs Zim
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted wikis & documentation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | YesWiki | Zim |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 138 | ★ 2,202 |
| First released | 2010 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | OneNote, Notion |
What are YesWiki and Zim?
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
Zim
Zim is an open-source desktop application that works as a graphical text editor for maintaining a collection of wiki pages. Each page is a plain text file, making it a portable personal knowledge base.
- Desktop wiki application
- Plain text page files
- Plugin system
- Works fully offline
YesWiki vs Zim: key differences
YesWiki is written in PHP, while Zim is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for YesWiki versus GPL-2.0 for Zim. Zim is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for YesWiki. Zim is the more established project (first released 2008), while YesWiki arrived in 2010. Zim has the considerably larger community, at 2,202 GitHub stars versus 138.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Zim if…
- Truly portable notes
- No server needed
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No built-in multi-user mode
Frequently asked questions
Is YesWiki or Zim better?
Neither is universally better. Zim has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are YesWiki and Zim free and open-source?
Yes. YesWiki is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run YesWiki and Zim with Docker?
YesWiki: check the project docs for container support. Zim: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, YesWiki or Zim?
Zim 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.