Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

DokuWiki VS Zim Wiki

Compare DokuWiki VS Zim Wiki and see what are their differences

Insightful.io
The #1 monitoring employee software for clear insights into how your team works. Get real-time and historical data. Understand productivity at every level. featured
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

DokuWiki logo DokuWiki

DokuWiki is a simple to use and highly versatile Open Source wiki software that doesn't require a database.

Zim Wiki logo Zim Wiki

Zim is a graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages. Each page can contain links to other pages, simple formatting and images.
  • DokuWiki Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-16
  • Zim Wiki Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-03

DokuWiki features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    DokuWiki is known for its simple and straightforward installation process. It does not require a database, making it easy for users to set up and manage.
  • File-based Storage
    Instead of using a database, DokuWiki stores its data in text files. This makes it easy to backup, transfer, and maintain.
  • Extensibility
    DokuWiki has a wide range of plugins and templates available, which allows users to extend its functionality and customize its appearance.
  • Built-in Access Controls
    DokuWiki provides built-in access controls and authentication mechanisms, allowing administrators to manage user permissions effectively.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Friendly
    DokuWiki is designed to be SEO-friendly, making content more discoverable by search engines.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, DokuWiki is free to use and benefits from community contributions and support.

Possible disadvantages of DokuWiki

  • Limited Scalability
    Due to its file-based storage, DokuWiki may face performance issues as the amount of content grows significantly.
  • Learning Curve
    Though it is user-friendly, users without technical knowledge might still find it challenging to utilize advanced features or customize their wiki.
  • Basic Features
    While it covers the basics well, some users may find DokuWiki lacking in advanced features compared to other wiki software.
  • Plugin Dependency
    While extensibility is a pro, relying on plugins for additional functionality can lead to maintenance issues, especially if plugins become outdated or incompatible.
  • Less Professional Support
    As an open-source project, professional support is limited compared to commercial options. Users primarily rely on community support.

Zim Wiki features and specs

  • Offline Accessibility
    Zim Wiki is a desktop application, which means all your data is stored locally on your computer. This allows you to access and edit your notes without needing an internet connection.
  • Simple Interface
    The interface of Zim Wiki is clean and simple, making it easy to use even for beginners. It also supports keyboard shortcuts for more efficient note-taking.
  • Rich Formatting Options
    Zim Wiki provides extensive formatting options, including rich text, images, links, and various forms of media. This makes it flexible for different types of note-taking.
  • Backlinking
    Zim Wiki supports backlinks, which allows you to easily create a network of interconnected notes, similar to a personal knowledge base or a personal wiki.
  • Cross-Platform
    Zim Wiki is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a versatile option for users on different platforms.

Possible disadvantages of Zim Wiki

  • No Native Mobile App
    Zim Wiki does not have a dedicated mobile application, which limits accessibility on smartphones and tablets.
  • Limited Collaboration Features
    There are no built-in collaboration features, so it's not ideal for team projects or sharing notes in real-time.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic functions are easy to use, the more advanced features can be challenging to learn and may require reading additional documentation.
  • Manual Syncing
    Unlike cloud-based note-taking applications, you need to manually handle file syncing if you want to use Zim Wiki across multiple devices.
  • No Cloud Backup
    Without built-in cloud storage options, users need to manually backup their notes to prevent data loss.

Analysis of DokuWiki

Overall verdict

  • DokuWiki is a well-regarded choice, particularly for users who need a straightforward and reliable wiki solution without the overhead of a database. It is suitable for both personal use and small to medium-sized enterprises seeking an efficient documentation system.

Why this product is good

  • DokuWiki is considered a good option for its simplicity and ease of use. It is a versatile and lightweight wiki software that doesn't require a database, making it easy to install and maintain. It uses plain text files, which simplifies backups and data portability. DokuWiki also supports a range of plugins and templates, allowing for customization, and it includes features like version control, access control lists, and multilingual support.

Recommended for

    DokuWiki is recommended for individuals or organizations looking for a simple, no-database wiki system. It is especially suitable for small teams, educational projects, personal knowledge management, and internal company documentation that prioritizes ease of use and low maintenance.

Analysis of Zim Wiki

Overall verdict

  • Zim Wiki is generally considered a good tool for individuals looking for a simple, efficient way to organize notes and information locally. It offers a balance of simplicity and powerful features that can satisfy a wide range of users' needs, from students to professionals.

Why this product is good

  • Zim Wiki is a versatile desktop wiki application that allows users to effortlessly organize information using a notebook-like interface. Its simplicity and ability to integrate text, images, and other media make it a powerful tool for note-taking, project management, and personal information management. Users appreciate its offline capabilities, the ability to create hierarchical structures, and its support for plugins that extend its functionality. The application is also open-source, which attracts users who value transparency and customizability.

Recommended for

    Zim Wiki is recommended for students, writers, researchers, and professionals who want a straightforward yet powerful tool for organizing their notes and managing projects. It is particularly suited for those who prefer a local application that doesn't rely on cloud services and who appreciate the ability to work offline with an open-source solution.

DokuWiki videos

+ Add

Dokuwiki Tutorial: Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Dokuwiki: Quick Walk Through

Zim Wiki videos

+ Add

Zim Wiki FavoriteFeatures from ProductiveLinux

More videos:

  • Review - Toma nota de todo con Zim Wiki

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DokuWiki and Zim Wiki)

DokuWiki

Zim Wiki

WiKis
51 51%
WiKis
49% 49
Note Taking
26 26%
Note Taking
74% 74
Task Management
0 0%
Task Management
100% 100
Knowledge Base
100 100%
Knowledge Base
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using DokuWiki and Zim Wiki. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DokuWiki and Zim Wiki

DokuWiki Reviews

Top 12 Self-hosted Wiki Engines for 2024: A Comprehensive Guide
DokuWiki is an open-source wiki software that stands out for its simplicity and versatility. Key features include ease of installation and use, low system requirements, built-in access control lists, support for over 50 languages, and device independence. It doesn't require a database, making it easier to maintain and back up. DokuWiki is extensible with a large variety of...
Source: medevel.com
The 10 Best Self-hosted Wiki Software for Linux System
Dokuwiki is a highly flexible and easy-to-use open source wiki software that does not require a database. Many users love it due to its ease to use and fluent syntax. The lack of limitations, backup, and installation make it the favorite of any user who wishes to maintain a collaborative website.
Source: www.ubuntupit.com
Best 11 Open-source Free Wiki Engines for teams and enterprise in 2022
DokuWiki is a popular PHP-based open-source wiki that has been standing for years. It offers a multilingual support as it packed by a large community of experienced users and developer from all over the world.
Source: medevel.com
The Best 20 Wiki Software For Your Business& Internal Knowledge for 2022
DocuWiki is a versatile open-source wiki tool that is noted for its clean and readable syntax. Feature-packed and easy to install, this software can be used to build a corporate wiki, private notebook, and software manual. Its built-in access controls and authentication connectors make it a perfect choice for enterprises looking for a solid security system. Creating a...
Source: www.proprofskb.com
17 open source wiki engine/software
DokuWiki is a lightweight, standards compliant free PHP Wiki engine that allow you to create any kind of documentation. It has a simple yet powerful syntax which makes sure the data files remain readable outside the Wiki and eases the creation of structured texts. All data stored in plain text files – no database backend are required.
Source: gadgetxplore.com

Zim Wiki Reviews

8 Free Note Taking Software For Windows – Evernote Alternatives
Zim is a graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages. Each page can contain links to other pages, simple formatting and images. Pages are stored in a folder structure, like in an outliner, and can have attachments. Creating a new page is as easy as linking to a nonexistent page. All data is stored in plain text files with wiki formatting. Various...
Source: www.geckoandfly.com
Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?
One problem is that some notes tend to become spread out and somewhat chaotic, especially when having to multitask under time pressure. Many notes taken have little if any value after some weeks or months so I don't pay much attention to strict discipline there. Zim is essentially a somewhat messy lab journal intended for myself.
Source: news.ycombinator.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zim Wiki seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 120 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DokuWiki mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DokuWiki yet. Tracking of DokuWiki recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Zim Wiki mentions (120)

  • Why and How I use "Org Mode" for my writing and more
    FWIW, I ended up doing a lot of org-mode-like things by starting with https://zim-wiki.org a VERY long time ago; I use it for notes, scheduling, publishing my own website, and even slides with the s5 thing. Somewhere in there, I gave org-mode 2 or so years and eventually gave it up entirely; it just really plays SO un-nicely with literally everything else. Anyone else looking for this sort of thing, I'd probably... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • MKWS – Simplest Static Site Generator
    Love it. Reminds me quite a bit of what I do; which is https://zim-wiki.org + a custom template I designed. Plus some scripts and such to keep up with (bleh) Canvas CMS. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ask HN: What Process/Applications Do You Use for Todo/Knowledge Management?
    Zim - Wysiwyg for markdown files https://zim-wiki.org/ My only complaints are that it uses .txt instead of .md and that I haven't been able to get it to work on Mac. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • What App to Use for Notes?
    I have used many open source notes taking apps. My goto used to be Zim Desktop Wiki [0] but its just a desktop app and the was no built in sync solution. On mobile I used Markor [1] which understood Zims syntax, as well as markdown. Due to lack of mobile client and built in sync options I moved to Joplin [2]. Its markdown, cross platform, and I can sync with WebDav. People don't like that its SQLite based, but... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Notepad Tab
    For me it's the risk of littering in a project repo. So I use Zim wiki instead: https://zim-wiki.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing DokuWiki and Zim Wiki, you can also consider the following products

MediaWiki - MediaWiki is a free software wiki package written in PHP, originally for use on Wikipedia.

OneNote - Get the OneNote app for free on your tablet, phone, and computer, so you can capture your ideas and to-do lists in one place wherever you are. Or try OneNote with Office for free.

TiddlyWiki - a non-linear personal web notebook

Joplin - Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.

XWiki - A powerful Open Source collaborative platform enhancing collaboration and communication.

Evernote - Bring your life's work together in one digital workspace. Evernote is the place to collect inspirational ideas, write meaningful words, and move your important projects forward.

Loading...