Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MediaWiki VS PortableApps.com

Compare MediaWiki VS PortableApps.com and see what are their differences

MediaWiki logo MediaWiki

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

PortableApps.com logo PortableApps.com

PortableApps.com is a website offering many free, commonly used Windows applications that have been...
  • MediaWiki Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-23
  • PortableApps.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-02

MediaWiki features and specs

  • Open Source
    MediaWiki is free and open-source software, allowing users to modify the source code to fit their specific needs without incurring licensing fees.
  • Scalable
    MediaWiki is designed to handle large-scale projects, making it suitable for enterprise-level documentation as well as large communal knowledge bases like Wikipedia.
  • Version Control
    Each edit in MediaWiki is stored, allowing users to track changes, revert to previous versions, and see the edit history, which is crucial for collaborative environments.
  • Extensive Documentation
    MediaWiki comes with comprehensive documentation, making it easier for developers and users to get started and troubleshoot any issues that arise.
  • Multilingual Support
    MediaWiki supports multiple languages, enabling the creation of content in various languages, useful for global organizations.
  • Extensible
    MediaWiki is highly extensible via plugins and extensions, allowing users to add functionalities tailored to their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of MediaWiki

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up and configuring MediaWiki can be complex and time-consuming, potentially requiring technical expertise.
  • Maintenance
    MediaWiki requires regular maintenance, including updates, backups, and performance tuning, which can be resource-intensive.
  • Learning Curve
    For users not familiar with wikis or MediaWiki syntax, the learning curve can be steep, requiring training or time to become proficient.
  • Performance
    MediaWiki can become resource-intensive as the database grows, potentially requiring robust server resources to maintain performance.
  • Limited Features Out-of-the-Box
    While highly extensible, the core installation of MediaWiki has limited features, requiring additional plugins to add necessary functionalities.
  • Security Vulnerabilities
    As with any widely-used software, MediaWiki may be targeted for security vulnerabilities, necessitating regular updates and security patches.

PortableApps.com features and specs

  • Portability
    PortableApps.com allows users to carry their software and settings on a USB drive, enabling them to work on different computers without needing to install software anew.
  • No Installation Required
    Applications from PortableApps.com do not require installation on the host machine, which simplifies software management and avoids modifying system files and settings.
  • Privacy and Security
    Since applications run from a portable drive, users can ensure their personal data and app settings are not left on public or shared computers.
  • Space Efficiency
    Many portable apps are designed to be lightweight, consuming less disk space compared to their installed counterparts.
  • Ease of Updates
    PortableApps.com offers a built-in updater that keeps all portable applications current, streamlining the maintenance process.

Possible disadvantages of PortableApps.com

  • Performance Issues
    Running applications from a USB drive can be slower compared to running them from a local hard drive, especially if the USB drive is of low quality or an older standard.
  • Compatibility Limitations
    Not all software can be made portable due to dependencies or performance requirements, limiting the selection of available portable apps.
  • Less Integration
    Portable applications may lack deep system integration, affecting some features and functionality that depend on tight coupling with the operating system.
  • Data Corruption Risk
    Using a USB drive intensively has a higher risk of data corruption or loss, especially if the drive is improperly ejected during read/write operations.
  • User Dependency
    If the portable drive is lost, damaged, or stolen, the user loses access to their applications and settings, creating a dependency on the portable medium.

Analysis of MediaWiki

Overall verdict

  • MediaWiki is a highly effective platform for creating and managing collaborative and information-centric websites. Its stability, scalability, and active community support make it a solid choice for individuals and organizations seeking a comprehensive wiki solution.

Why this product is good

  • MediaWiki is a robust, open-source wiki platform originally developed for Wikipedia. Its extensibility and large collection of modules allow users to customize and expand their wikis according to specific needs. The wide community and comprehensive documentation make it approachable for developers and administrators seeking a reliable content management system. Furthermore, MediaWikiโ€™s strong version control and permission system are advantageous for collaborative environments, ensuring that information is managed efficiently and securely.

Recommended for

  • Organizations needing robust documentation platforms
  • Communities aiming to develop collaborative knowledge bases
  • Developers seeking a highly customizable and extensible CMS
  • Educational institutions requiring structured content management

Analysis of PortableApps.com

Overall verdict

  • Yes, PortableApps.com is generally considered a good platform for using and managing portable software applications.

Why this product is good

  • Wide range of applications: PortableApps.com offers a large selection of applications that can be run from a USB drive without installation, making it convenient for users who switch between multiple computers.
  • No installation required: Applications on PortableApps.com do not require installation on a computer, which helps keep your system clean and clutter-free.
  • Free and open-source: Most of the software available through PortableApps.com is free and open-source, making it accessible to a broad audience.
  • Ease of use: The platform is user-friendly, with a dedicated menu and easy update capabilities, allowing users to manage their portable apps efficiently.
  • Cross-platform support: PortableApps.com supports Windows primarily, but many of the portable apps also work on Linux through Wine or on a Mac via similar tools.

Recommended for

  • Users who frequently switch between different computers and need their software accessible on a USB drive.
  • IT professionals and technicians who require a suite of tools for troubleshooting and maintenance that can be carried easily.
  • Privacy-conscious users who prefer not to leave traces of their software usage on computers they work on.
  • Individuals who want to test software without altering their main operating systemโ€™s configuration.

MediaWiki videos

Using A Self Hosted MediaWiki As A Private Documentation Server with Visual Editor

More videos:

  • Review - MediaWiki vs. Confluence

PortableApps.com videos

PortableApps.com Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MediaWiki and PortableApps.com)
WiKis
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
32 32%
68% 68
Knowledge Base
100 100%
0% 0
LMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using MediaWiki and PortableApps.com. 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 MediaWiki and PortableApps.com

MediaWiki Reviews

Top 12 Self-hosted Wiki Engines for 2024: A Comprehensive Guide
Released in 2002, MediaWiki replaced the initial UseModWiki software used by Wikipedia. It evolved with Wikipedia's growth, introducing features like namespaces, watchlists, and user talk pages. It's been adopted by many organizations for their wikis due to its robust and scalable nature.
Source: medevel.com
The 10 Best Self-hosted Wiki Software for Linux System
MediaWiki is an outstanding self-hosted Wiki software for editing rich multimedia and developing collaborative projects. It is based on the Open Source Technology Project (OST), which allows the distribution of software modules. The main difference between MediaWiki and other wiki software is that MediaWiki uses a lightweight wiki markup, which is easier to learn in the...
Best 11 Open-source Free Wiki Engines for teams and enterprise in 2022
MediaWiki is an open-source Wiki engine that runs Wikipedia. It is the oldest system in the list and some may consider it the king of Wiki engines. It supports almost all available languages as it is easy to install and use.
Source: medevel.com
The Best 20 Wiki Software For Your Business& Internal Knowledge for 2022
MediaWiki is a free wiki software that runs platforms like Wikipedia and Wiktionary. It helps in collecting and managing knowledge and making it available to your target audience. Customizable and reliable, this wiki tool requires server maintenance and installation. The best part about MediaWiki is that it provides translation services that help you localize the wiki in...
17 open source wiki engine/software
MediaWiki is a free and open source server based wiki engine written in PHP developed by Wikipedia. MediaWiki is an extremely powerful, scalable software and a feature-rich wiki implementation, that uses PHP to process and display data stored in its MySQL database. Pages use MediaWikiโ€™s wiki-text format, so that users without knowledge of XHTML or CSS can edit pages easily...

PortableApps.com Reviews

We have no reviews of PortableApps.com yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PortableApps.com seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 150 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.

MediaWiki mentions (0)

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

PortableApps.com mentions (150)

  • Ask HN: What tools do you recommend for working on Windows?
    Always put all your portable programs in the "A:\MyPC\Programs\" folder. Always put all your documents in the "A:\MyPC\Documents\" folder. Put driver files and runtime libraries in the "A:\MyPC\Install\" folder. For all three, feel free to create subfolders as needed, either per topic, per group, or however your brain envisions data trees. You can find plenty of portable windows software in the links provided... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Recommended lightweight apps like Paint.NET, Notepad++, SumatraPDF etc.
    If I'm on windows I like portable applications. I always have: https://portableapps.com/ "Installed" and if I'm looking for a program I tend to go here: https://www.portablefreeware.com/ first. There's also sysmenu: https://www.ugmfree.it/ Which has way more programs, and let's not forget nirsoft: https://www.nirsoft.net/ Someone's already mention sysinternals. Much as I like Linux over windows, portable app have... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • I wanna switch browsers, any recommendations
    Until you can makeup your mind about a different browser, do what I normally do & check out this site: https://portableapps.com/ by utilizing this platform the ONLY software that actually gets installed to a users computer is the portableapps setup file so you can utilize the application itself. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Is there a way to package a desktop app so that it can run in "any" environment?
    I would ask over at portableapps.com. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Why do people still use VBA?
    >no software install... https://portableapps.com I think there's even a Lazarus IDE available for every company user who. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MediaWiki and PortableApps.com, you can also consider the following products

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

SyMenu - SyMenu is a portable menu launcher and Start Menu replacement to organize your applications quickly...

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

The Portable Freeware Collection - One of the largest collections of free, portable software on the web.

Wiki.js - An open source, modern and powerful wiki app built on Node.js, Git, and Markdown.

PStart - PStart is a simple tray tool to start user defined applications.