Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Wiki.js VS BookStack

Compare Wiki.js VS BookStack and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Wiki.js logo Wiki.js

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

BookStack logo BookStack

An open source knowledge management application that's focused on ease of use.
  • Wiki.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-24
  • BookStack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-31

Wiki.js features and specs

  • Open-Source
    Wiki.js is open-source software, which means it is free to use, and the source code is available for anyone to review, modify, and contribute to.
  • Modern Interface
    The platform features a sleek, modern interface that is user-friendly and customizable, employing responsive design that works well on various devices.
  • Markdown Support
    Wiki.js natively supports Markdown, which is a simple and efficient way to format text. This makes content creation quick and easy for users familiar with Markdown.
  • Extensibility
    The system supports numerous modules and extensions, allowing for high customization to suit the needs of different projects and teams.
  • Multi-Language
    It supports multiple languages, making it accessible and usable by a global audience without the need for additional translation tools.
  • Authentication Methods
    Wiki.js integrates with various authentication methods, including LDAP, OAuth, and even custom authentication, providing flexible security options.
  • Real-Time Collaboration
    With real-time collaborative editing, multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, improving efficiency and teamwork.
  • Content Management
    The platform includes robust version control and content management features, ensuring that all changes are tracked and reversible.
  • Search Functionality
    Advanced search functionality ensures users can quickly find the information they are looking for, enhancing the overall user experience.

Possible disadvantages of Wiki.js

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up Wiki.js can be more complex compared to other wiki solutions, requiring knowledge of JavaScript and server management.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues on larger installations, indicating that scalability might be a concern for very large deployments.
  • Limited WYSIWYG Editor
    The WYSIWYG editor is not as feature-rich as some other wiki platforms, which might be a drawback for users who prefer a more robust visual editing experience.
  • Dependency on Node.js
    Wiki.js requires Node.js to run, which could be a limitation for environments where installing and maintaining Node.js is not feasible.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    While the interface is modern and sleek, there can be a steeper learning curve for users who are not familiar with Markdown or the various configuration options.
  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    Compared to more established wiki platforms, Wiki.js has a relatively smaller plugin ecosystem, which could limit some functionalities out of the box.
  • Documentation Gaps
    Users have reported that the official documentation can be lacking in certain areas, making troubleshooting and advanced configuration more challenging.

BookStack features and specs

  • Open Source
    BookStack is an open-source platform, meaning it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and contribute to. This ensures a large community support and continuous updates.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software has a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create and manage documentation.
  • Integrated WYSIWYG Editor
    The application includes a built-in 'What You See Is What You Get' editor, making it simple to format text and add multimedia without HTML knowledge.
  • Permission Management
    BookStack offers granular permission settings, which allow administrators to control access on a per-page, book, or shelf level.
  • Customizable
    With open-source software, the level of customization available is high, allowing organizations to tailor the software to their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of BookStack

  • Hosting and Maintenance
    As an open-source product, users need to handle their own hosting and maintenance, which could be challenging for those without technical expertise.
  • Limited Integrations
    BookStack does not natively integrate with as many third-party applications compared to some proprietary knowledge management systems.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, setting up and customizing the platform may require a learning curve, especially for those unfamiliar with open-source software.
  • Performance
    In some instances, performance issues have been reported, especially when handling a large volume of data or concurrent users.
  • Feature Limitations
    Some advanced features found in proprietary knowledge management systems, such as advanced analytics or AI-driven search, may be lacking.

Wiki.js videos

WIKI.JS REVIEW + 1 CLICK INSTALL + DEMO TUTORIAL + $50 FREE TRIAL 👨‍💻

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How To Deploy Wiki.js on Ubuntu 18.04 With Nginx web server
  • Review - Tenha sua própria plataforma de wiki com o Wiki.js

BookStack videos

BookStack Review- 7 Brief Lessons in Physics

More videos:

  • Review - Bookstack, a free, open source, self hosted documentation wiki with style.
  • Review - Bookstack - Meine favorisierte Wiki Software

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Wiki.js and BookStack)
WiKis
72 72%
28% 28
Knowledge Base
71 71%
29% 29
Note Taking
71 71%
29% 29
Documentation
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Wiki.js Reviews

Top 12 Self-hosted Wiki Engines for 2024: A Comprehensive Guide
Wiki.js is an exceptional open-source wiki software that boasts impressive power and extensibility. Its remarkable key features include seamless compatibility with a variety of databases (such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MS SQL Server, SQLite), an extensive and user-friendly admin area, a performance-driven design utilizing Node.js, and a customizable appearance with both...
Source: medevel.com
The 10 Best Self-hosted Wiki Software for Linux System
The best thing is Wiki.js supports the maximum types of available databases, including MySQL and MariaDB. It has a built-in authentication feature that supports password encrypted file sharing. It allows integrating with other authentication services along with 2FA such as Google, GitHub, Microsoft, and many more. Wiki.js offers a wide range of features, which makes it one...
Best 11 Open-source Free Wiki Engines for teams and enterprise in 2022
Wiki.js is our first pick here because it is an enterprise-grade Wiki engine with dozens of features and options. It exceeds other engines in performance, features, and customizations.
Source: medevel.com
The Best 20 Wiki Software For Your Business& Internal Knowledge for 2022
Wiki.js is a modern version of traditional wiki platforms. It is an open-source wiki tool with an intuitive interface, easy installation process, and a bundle of features that make wiki creation a fun-filled experience. Based on Node.js, the software comes with a wide array of modules that can be turned on and off depending on which features you need and which ones you don’t.

BookStack Reviews

Best Gitbook Alternatives You Need to Try in 2023
Bookstack is a simple, self-hosted platform for organizing and storing information, focusing on creating a knowledge base. It is similar to Gitbook in its functionality but differs in how it is organized and presented. It allows you to collect information in a hierarchical structure, similar to a book, with chapters and sections. This can make it easier to navigate large...
Source: www.archbee.com
The 10 Best Self-hosted Wiki Software for Linux System
Another powerful self-hosted Wiki software for Linux is BookStack. One of the most attractive features of BookStack is its cross-book sorting capability. It can sort all books based on tags such as title, author name, publisher, and genre. Users can even use it to search for particular titles based on a keyword. Other features of this open-source software include image...
Best 11 Open-source Free Wiki Engines for teams and enterprise in 2022
The BookStack App is not just a Wiki Engine, but it works the same. It aims for creating books by easing collaboration among writers and editors, we run it for us and some clients as a Wiki Engine, where they use books as projects.
Source: medevel.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Wiki.js seems to be a lot more popular than BookStack. While we know about 68 links to Wiki.js, we've tracked only 3 mentions of BookStack. 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.

Wiki.js mentions (68)

  • Show HN: We built a FOSS documentation CMS with a pretty GUI
    Congrats on launching! Quick question: is this closer to WikiJS (https://js.wiki/), TinaCMS (https://tina.io/), Docusaurus (https://docusaurus.io/), or something else? - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Adding a simple light box in wiki.js
    Wiki.js is a self hosted, open source Wiki that has a lot of awesome functionality. Unfortunately it's lacking some small, but important UI features, like a light box, to enlarge downsized images to it's full size. And unless you want to add a link to each image, to open it in a new tab, you would probably go for a modal view here. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What are some good documentation OSS offerings
    Https://js.wiki/ is what we’ve decided to go with at my company. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • How do you host documentation for your spouse or other users?
    Can't think of anything that meets all the criteria, there's always some compromise, which might just be the way it is. For example I could 'self-host' otterwiki or wiki.js on a VPS for a pretty small monthly fee, which I could also use for other stuff that doesn't make sense for a home lab, but then I also need to deal with security since it's hosted on the internet. Or I could self-host and just accept that... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Documentation as Code for Cloud Using PlantUML
    I love PlantUML. I was always fond of it in my early days as a software engineer and still use it today, along with all the various ways to draw diagrams out there, whether it's through a web tool like draw.io or Miro or through markup like PlantUML and Mermaid. Some stuff I'd like to share with the rest: - PlantUML's default style has improved since the days of red/brown borders, pale yellow boxes, drop shadows... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
View more

BookStack mentions (3)

  • Customize the theme a bit?
    That said, is it possible to customize the theme a bit? Specifically, how can I set the code-block background to dark-grey? Also, how can I make the horizontal line a bit taller than 1px? I saw the Customizing Visuals page on bookstackapp.com (specifically the "Changing Code Block Themes" topic) but was a little lost on exactly how to make the changes. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Looking to move internal docs from share Onenote to.. ?
    Maybe look at BookStack to see if it fits your needs. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Self hosting WordPress website
    If you’re looking for a books-styled documentation platform, look into https://bookstackapp.com. Source: over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Wiki.js and BookStack, 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.

TiddlyWiki - a non-linear personal web notebook

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

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

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

Fandom - The entertainment site where fans come first.