the catalog · 🧠 Notes & knowledge
Wiki.js
★ 26kModern, powerful wiki engine on Node.js with dozens of auth and storage backends
Wiki.js does the job of Confluence and GitBook, self-hosted. It is AGPL-licensed, so a hosted fork has to publish its changes, and it installs in about one command. Confluence bills $6-12/user for it. 26k stars on GitHub.
Open-source replacement for Confluence, GitBook.
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Self-hosting
- Easy
- The paid one costs
- $6-12/user
- GitHub stars
- 26k
Is it actually a replacement?
We have written a verdict on what it replaces — what you lose, and why people still pay:
How Wiki.js runs
Where it runs
Wiki.js runs on your server.
Installing it
Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, or a Node.js package plus a supported database.
Where your data lives
Pages, users, authentication data, and history in the configured database; optional storage modules can mirror content and assets to Git, local disk, or cloud storage.
What setup takes
You must provision a database and persistent volumes, then configure backups and a TLS reverse proxy for public use.
The catch compared with Confluence
It lacks Confluence's mature enterprise templates, macros, whiteboards, marketplace and Atlassian integrations, while shifting hosting and upgrades to you.
Wiki.js questions
Is Wiki.js open source?
Yes — it is released under AGPL-3.0.
Can Wiki.js replace Confluence?
Our verdict on Confluence is YES. Outline (40k stars), Wiki.js (29k stars), Focalboard (26k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Confluence — self-host with docker and stop paying.
Can I self-host Wiki.js?
Yes — we rate it easy to self-host, and it runs on your server. Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, or a Node.js package plus a supported database.