Choosing a Wiki Tool for Small Sized Business

Wikis are a very popular choice among small businesses to manage internal information. If you picture outdated interfaces and clunky workflows now, then you've probably missed the new generation of wiki tools. To help you quickly find the right tool for your team, I'll cover established wiki tools as well as new and modern candidates that might surprise you.

Overview of Wiki Tools

There is no one size fits all, so this overview also covers tools that are not exactly wikis by definition, but still help with internal information management. I'll focus on solutions appropriate for teams up to 50 people with modest IT resources.

The overview does not include enterprise wiki solutions like Confluence or SaaS platforms for knowledge management like Notion, Slite, or Nuclino, since I believe that small companies should keep ownership of their data through self-hosted options whenever possible. This means you'll have complete control over where your information lives.

BookStack – Organizing Information with Shelves and Books

BookStack is one of the most popular solutions for a modern, self-hosted Wiki. As the name suggests, BookStack organizes information into Books and Shelves – each Book consists of a collection of articles, and multiple Books can be grouped into Shelves. This structure might feel a bit specific at first, but BookStack’s popularity proves that the information architecture works well for many users. The user interface of BookStack is clean, modern, and intuitive, so you can get familiar with it in no time.

BookStack is lightweight software that runs on PHP 8.2 and MySQL/MariaDB, making it easy to host on any standard server setup with Apache or Nginx. As an open-source solution, it’s completely free to use. The main developer is active and regularly releases updates and security patches, so you won’t be left with abandoned software.

The feature set covers most common use cases, with support for LDAP, SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and even Multi-Factor Authentication. You can also customize BookStack, create themes, use the public API, or extend functionality through a JavaScript event system. While BookStack does not provide real-time collaboration or advanced third-party integrations, it does offer Webhooks to connect with external services like Slack or Discord. Overall, BookStack is one of the best choices if you want to get started quickly and keep things simple.

Pros:

• Clean and modern interface
• Intuitive, no training required
• Easy setup with PHP and MySQL
• Strong authentication support
• Popular and well-maintained
• Completely free and open-source

Cons:

• No real-time collaboration
• Navigation structure may take a bit of getting used to
• Limited integrations with external tools

Typemill - Easy Navigation with Clear Hierarchy

Typemill is often used by small companies for internal knowledge bases, documentation, manuals, or handbooks. Different to other tools on this list, Typemill follows a hierarchical and easy to navigate content structure out of the box. Typemill isn’t a wiki by definition, but an open-source flat-file CMS based on Markdown files. It can produce public or private websites, or even a mixture of both. One standout feature is the ability to export the entire content or selected parts of the website as professional eBooks in PDF and ePUB formats, which is particularly useful for sharing information with clients or users.

Typemill only requires PHP and no database, so it runs even on low-budget hosting with Apache or Nginx. The tech stack is modern, featuring Vue.js and Tailwind CSS. If you don’t want to set up everything manually, there's a Docker image that gets you started in minutes. The Typemill CMS is open-source (MIT license), but some plugins and themes require a paid license at a low cost.

Typemill offers a very clean and user-friendly interface with a visual block editor for Markdown. The feature set covers most common use cases, with flexible customization options through its theme and plugin system. It also provides more advanced features like access control out of the box. Unlike traditional wikis, Typemill does not track changes by default, but it offers a (paid) plugin for page revisions. Other trade-offs include the lack of authentication features like LDAP or SAML. Real-time collaboration and third-party integrations are also missing, but the REST API can help in many cases. Overall, Typemill is a perfect option if you want a simple setup with clearly structured navigation out of the box and plenty of customization options to adapt it to your brand.

Pros:

• User-friendly and intuitive
• No database required
• Highly customizable via themes and plugins
• Markdown-based with visual editing
• Export to PDF and ePUB

Cons:

• Limited integrations with external tools
• No advanced collaboration features
• Plugin licenses are not fully open-source

DokuWiki - Best for Documentation Management

DokuWiki is a more traditional option with a long history. While it doesn’t have the most modern interface, it’s robust and combines powerful features with a lightweight flat file approach that requires no database. This architecture makes it especially popular among admins for managing documentation in small companies and organizations.

DokuWiki runs on PHP 7.4+ and supports a wide range of servers, including Apache, Nginx, IIS, Lighttpd, Caddy, and more. There’s also an official Docker image on DockerHub to get you started in minutes.

DokuWiki offers a strong feature set, including built-in access controls, authentication connectors, and a large selection of community-supported plugins. However, if you prefer hierarchically structured pages or want to organize content more easily, DokuWiki might require a bit more effort – for example, by using namespaces. Other limitations include the lack of real-time collaboration or integrations with tools like Slack, but this is generally outside the scope of lightweight solutions like DokuWiki, BookStack, or Typemill.

Pros:

• Lightweight with flat-file storage
• Access control out of the box
• Authentication connectors
• Many plugins
• Battle-tested and reliable

Cons:

• Outdated user interface
• No real-time collaboration or integrations
• Navigation structure requires more manual setup

Wiki.js – Best for Performance and Customization

With Wiki.js, we move to a more advanced option that requires a bit more setup, but it is still much more lightweight than the traditional MediaWiki software that powers Wikimedia. Thanks to its powerful features and high performance, Wiki.js is also a popular alternative to Confluence.

Wiki.js is built on the Node.js engine and supports multiple databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL. It is fast and responsive, making it perfect for businesses that need a powerful solution with strong performance.

The interface of Wiki.js is very modern, and the overall look and feel are excellent. The feature set is extensive, supporting multiple authentication methods, including enterprise solutions like LDAP, SAML, CAS, Auth0, Okta, and Azure AD, as well as two-factor authentication. The appearance is customizable with color schemes, logos, and CSS tweaks. However, Wiki.js does not offer an easy way to create custom themes, and it does not support real-time collaboration. Another downside is that it requires some technical knowledge to set up and maintain, which can be a challenge for small businesses without dedicated IT staff. But if you can manage the technical part, Wiki.js is a powerful and highly customizable wiki solution.

Pros:

• Modern interface
• Fast with Node.js engine
• Supports multiple authentication methods
• Full wiki implementation

Cons:

• Requires technical knowledge to set up
• Resource-intensive
• Limited customization options

Docmost - Best for Real-Time Collaboration

Docmost is a relative new and promising alternative to Confluence and Notion. While not strictly a wiki, it is often used to manage internal knowledge within companies. It especially stands out with its real-time collaboration features and native integration of Draw.io/diagrams. However, setting up Docmost requires more technical skills and resources than solutions like BookStack, Typemill, or DokuWiki. Docmost is also not fully free and open source – paid plans are required for advanced features like SSO management, SAML, OpenID Connect (OIDC), and more.

Docmost requires Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Redis. It uses a modern stack with Vite and React for the frontend and the Nest.js framework for the server. Installation is done via Docker.

The user interface is very modern, and the feature set is extensive, including real-time collaboration, diagram integrations, spaces, permissions management, groups, comments, page history, and embeds from Airtable, Loom, Miro, and more. While Docmost has recently introduced public page sharing, it is primarily designed for internal usage. Since it focuses mainly on internal knowledge management, Docmost offers limited customization or theming options.

For businesses that prioritize real-time collaboration and knowledge sharing, Docmost is a strong option, and most users praise its functionality.

Pros:

• Modern interface
• Real-time editing and collaboration
• Native integration of diagrams

Cons:

• Advanced setup and technical stack required
• Enterprise plans needed for authentication options
• Still in an early stage of development

Outline - Best for Integration

Outline is another popular alternative to Confluence and Google Docs. It is available as a desktop application (Mac and Windows), through the browser, and as an installable mobile web app (PWA), making it quite different from other tools on this list. This flexibility also means that setting up the self-hosted version can be more challenging. However, Outline offers a commercial cloud version for those who prefer a managed solution. If you choose to install it yourself, you can opt for the free community edition with limited features or one of the two commercial plans.

Outline is a mature and feature-rich platform, offering real-time collaboration, workspaces, permissions management, versioning, an API, webhooks, and much more. There are more than 20 integrations for tools like Slack, Google Docs, or Figma, and there is even an import and export feature for Confluence. Public sharing of documents is also fully supported. The interface is very modern, and the application's performance is fast.

Naturally, the community edition has limitations and only supports one workspace. The customization options are also limited, as Outline does not provide theming. However, you can use the API and create an external app.

Pros:

• Real-time collaboration
• Access via desktop app, mobile app, and browser
• Many integrations

Cons:

• Challenging to self-host
• Limited customization options

Choosing a Wiki for Small Business

Selecting the right wiki solution for your small business depends largely on your team's needs, technical resources, and future growth plans.

If you prioritize ease of use and a simple setup, tools like BookStack and Typemill are excellent choices. Both provide a clean, intuitive user experience and are lightweight to host, with BookStack offering a book-and-shelf metaphor, while Typemill provides a more traditional hierarchical navigation – particularly useful for structured documentation or manuals.

For teams that need a battle-tested and plugin-rich environment with minimal server requirements, DokuWiki remains a reliable option, despite its older interface. It's ideal for businesses that value function over form and need solid access control features without a database.

If you require higher performance, enterprise-grade authentication, or anticipate complex integration needs, Wiki.js and Outline are more fitting solutions. Wiki.js offers strong performance with extensive authentication options but requires technical know-how. Outline excels in integrations and offers broad accessibility across devices, although self-hosting can be challenging.

Finally, if real-time collaboration is a top priority, Docmost stands out as a new option. It brings modern collaboration features and diagramming tools, though it comes with a more complex technical setup and costs for advanced features.

In short:

• Choose BookStack or Typemill for simplicity and fast setup.
• Choose DokuWiki for reliability and plugin flexibility.
• Choose Wiki.js or Outline if you have tech resources and need strong integrations.
• Choose Docmost if your team needs collaborative editing similar to Notion or Confluence.