DokuWiki is a free, open-source, database-free wiki engine. Explore its features, plugin ecosystem, access control, and how it compares to other wikis.
Category
Knowledge Base
Pricing
Free / Open Source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2004
Free PlanWeb AppOpen SourceTemplatesSelf-Hosted
Overview
DokuWiki is a free, open-source wiki engine notable for storing all content as plain text files rather than in a database, making it exceptionally simple to install, back up, and maintain.
Created by Andreas Gohr in 2004 for his own sysadmin documentation needs, DokuWiki has been continuously developed for over two decades and remains a popular choice for lightweight, self-hosted knowledge bases.
Key Features
DokuWiki requires only a web server and PHP, with automatic page versioning, namespace-based organization, and fine-grained access control lists at the page and namespace level.
A generic plugin interface supports roughly a thousand community plugins, and built-in internationalization covers around 70 languages, including proper right-to-left text rendering.
Pricing
DokuWiki is completely free and open-source under the GPL license, with no paid tiers or usage limits from the project itself.
Because it requires no database server, it can run on inexpensive shared hosting, keeping total hosting costs low compared to database-dependent wiki platforms.
Key Features
No database required — Stores all pages and metadata as plain text files, simplifying installation, backup, and version control.
Automatic page versioning — Every edit is saved as a revision, allowing users to compare and revert to any prior version of a page.
Fine-grained access control — Page- and namespace-level ACLs combined with a built-in user/group manager control who can read or edit content.
External authentication support — Integrates with LDAP, Active Directory, and other external authentication backends.
Large plugin ecosystem — Roughly 1,000 community-built plugins extend syntax, functionality, and integrations.
Multilingual support — Ships with translations for around 70 languages, including full right-to-left language rendering.
Lightweight hosting requirements — Runs on any web server with PHP, making it suitable for low-cost or shared hosting environments.
Template system — Change the visual appearance of a wiki independently of its content and plugins.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open-source with no licensing costs.
No database dependency makes installation, backup, and migration simple.
Fine-grained, namespace-based access control beyond what many database-backed wikis offer.
Long track record of stability with over two decades of continuous development.
Cons
File-based storage can become slower to search at very large page counts compared to database-backed wikis.
User interface and editing experience feel dated compared to modern collaborative tools like Notion or Confluence.
No official managed hosting or commercial support from the core project.
Plugin quality varies since most are community-maintained rather than officially vetted.
Pricing
Open Source Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DokuWiki free?
Yes, DokuWiki is entirely free and open-source under the GPL license, with no paid tiers or usage restrictions.
Does DokuWiki need a database?
No, DokuWiki stores all pages and metadata as plain text files on disk, which is one of its main differentiators from database-backed wikis like MediaWiki.
Who created DokuWiki?
DokuWiki was created by German developer Andreas Gohr, who began work on it in June 2004 to document his own system administration tasks.
Can DokuWiki control who edits specific pages?
Yes, DokuWiki includes a built-in access control list system that can restrict read or write permissions at the individual page or namespace level.
What languages does DokuWiki support?
DokuWiki has been translated into roughly 70 languages and includes full support for right-to-left languages such as Hebrew and Arabic.
How is DokuWiki different from MediaWiki?
DokuWiki uses file-based storage and requires no database, while MediaWiki (which powers Wikipedia) requires a MySQL or MariaDB database and offers a larger extension ecosystem geared toward very large-scale wikis.