Best self-hosted software
The best self-hosted wiki in 2026, after Confluence Data Center
BookStack is the simplest self-hosted wiki for non-technical teams, Wiki.js suits technical teams, and XWiki suits enterprises that need structured content and fine-grained rights. Outline is popular but is source-available under the Business Source License, not open source.
At a glance
Checked on 8 November 2026 from each project's licence file, release tags and official pricing pages.
| Option | Licence | Paid option | Latest release checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| BookStack | MIT [1] | Free; paid support from 450 GBP a year [2] | v26.09.2, Oct 2026 [3] |
| Wiki.js | AGPL-3.0 [4] | Free, no paid edition listed [5] | 3.2.0, Nov 2026 [5] |
| Outline | Business Source License 1.1 (not open source) [6] | Self-hosted Business from $4 per user per month [7] | v1.12.0, Oct 2026 [8] |
| XWiki | LGPL-2.1 [9] | Free; Pro and support per user per month [10] | 18.9.0, Oct 2026 [11] |
| Nextcloud Hub | AGPL-3.0 [12] | Enterprise from 71.29 EUR per user per year, 100 users minimum [13] | v35.0.2, Oct 2026 [14] |
BookStack
Best for: teams that want a simple, well-organised documentation wiki that non-technical staff can use.
Watch for: Content is organised in a set shelves, books, chapters and pages structure, which can feel rigid for free-form or deeply nested knowledge. [15]
Wiki.js
Best for: technical teams that want a modern Markdown wiki with many authentication and storage integrations.
Watch for: Version 3 shipped only in November 2026 after a long beta, so the 3.x line is very new; the 2.5 line (last 2.5.315, 2026-09-21) is the long-proven one. [16]
Outline
Best for: teams that want a fast, Notion-style knowledge base with real-time collaborative editing.
Watch for: The licence is BSL rather than open source, and the free Community Edition has limited features and no support. [7]
XWiki
Best for: enterprises that want a structured, extensible wiki with fine-grained rights and app-building features.
Watch for: Several business applications (Pro Apps) are paid add-ons rather than part of the free open-source wiki. [10]
Nextcloud Hub
Best for: organisations that want self-hosted file sharing, office documents, chat and calendars, with knowledge pages as one part.
Watch for: It is a broad collaboration suite rather than a dedicated wiki, and Enterprise subscriptions start at 100 users. [13]
How to choose
- If you are leaving Confluence Data Center before it becomes read-only in March 2029, test page import and permissions first.
- Check the licence: Outline uses the Business Source License, and some XWiki business apps are paid.
- Wiki.js 3 shipped in November 2026; the 2.5 line is the long-proven one.
Where OwnWiki fits
OwnWiki is a commercial product, not open source. It combines pages and inline databases in function-owned spaces, with review trails and a full audit trail on every change. It is sold as a perpetual licence or a managed subscription and runs on your infrastructure, alongside the other OwnApps.
Choose an open-source option above if you want no licence cost and have the team to run it. Choose Own360 if you want one supported product across functions, bought outright, on your own infrastructure.
Questions buyers ask
- What is the best self-hosted wiki?
- BookStack is the simplest self-hosted wiki for non-technical teams, Wiki.js suits technical teams, and XWiki suits enterprises that need structured content and fine-grained rights. Outline is popular but is source-available under the Business Source License, not open source.
- Are these options really free?
- The software in the open-source editions is free to run, but hosting, upgrades and support are not, and several projects keep features such as SSO, payroll or reporting in paid editions. Check each Watch for note above.
- Is Own360 open source?
- No. OwnWiki is a commercial product sold as a perpetual licence or a managed subscription, deployed on your own infrastructure.
Read next
Sources: [1] GitHub, BookStackApp/BookStack, LICENSE; [2] www.bookstackapp.com/support; [3] GitHub, BookStackApp/BookStack at v26.09.2; [4] GitHub, requarks/wiki, LICENSE; [5] js.wiki; [6] GitHub, outline/outline, LICENSE; [7] www.getoutline.com/pricing; [8] GitHub, outline/outline at v1.12.0; [9] GitHub, xwiki/xwiki-platform, LICENSE; [10] xwiki.fr/en/pricing; [11] GitHub, xwiki/xwiki-platform at xwiki-platform-18.9.0; [12] GitHub, nextcloud/server, COPYING; [13] www.nextcloud.com/pricing; [14] GitHub, nextcloud/server at v35.0.2; [15] www.bookstackapp.com/docs/user/roles-and-permissions; [16] GitHub, requarks/wiki at 3.0.0. Licences, prices and releases change often; check the vendor or project before you decide.
Buy it once. Run it on your infrastructure.
Own360 is sold as a perpetual licence to enterprises that want their business software as an asset, not a subscription. Here is how a licence comes together.
- 01
Discovery call
Walk us through the stack you run today and the renewals coming up. We map which OwnApps replace which tools.
- 02
Free stack audit and written quote
You get a migration plan and a licence quote for the apps you need. Perpetual licence (CapEx) or managed subscription (OpEx).
- 03
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