"Most popular" wiki software
The “most popular” wiki software varies heavily depending on who you are (a corporation, a developer, or an individual) and what you need it for.
Based on market share and user adoption in 2024/2025, here are the top wiki tools broken down by category.
1. The Corporate Standards (Enterprise)
These are the heavy hitters used by Fortune 500 companies and large teams.
- Confluence (by Atlassian)
| Status | The overwhelming market leader for corporate wikis |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It integrates deeply with Jira (the standard for software project management). It offers powerful permissions, enterprise-grade security, and structured hierarchies. |
| Best for | Medium to large businesses, especially software development teams. |
- SharePoint (by Microsoft)
| Status | The default choice for companies using Microsoft 365. |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It comes “free” with Office 365. It integrates with Word, Excel, and Teams. |
| Best for | Non-technical corporate environments that are already locked into the Microsoft ecosystem. |
- Notion
| Status | The modern challenger that has exploded in popularity. |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It is an “all-in-one” workspace that combines a wiki, database, and task manager. It is visually beautiful and very flexible (like digital LEGOs). |
| Best for | Startups, creative agencies, and teams that want a flexible, modern UI over rigid structure. |
2. The Open Source Leaders (Self-Hosted)
These are free, open-source engines that you host on your own servers.
- MediaWiki
| Status | The most famous wiki software in history (powers Wikipedia). |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It handles massive amounts of data and traffic better than anything else. It is the standard for “public” wikis. |
| Best for | Public encyclopedias or massive organizations that need a Wikipedia-like interface. |
- DokuWiki
| Status | The most popular “lightweight” wiki. |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It doesn't use a database (saves data as text files). It is incredibly easy to back up and maintain. |
| Best for | Technical teams, system administrators, and personal offline wikis. |
- Wiki.js
| Status | The modern open-source favorite. |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It is built on modern technology (Node.js) and looks beautiful out of the box (unlike MediaWiki/DokuWiki, which look dated without themes). It supports syncing data to Git. |
| Best for | Developers who want a self-hosted wiki that looks modern and sleek. |
3. The "Personal Knowledge" Favorites
These are often used by individuals or very small teams to build a “second brain.”
- Obsidian
| Status | A cult favorite among knowledge workers. |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | It stores data locally on your computer (fast and private). It emphasizes “linking” thoughts together in a graph network. |
| Best for | Personal research, taking complex notes, and building a personal knowledge base. |
- BookStack
| Status | A rising star for its unique structure. |
|---|---|
| Why it’s popular | Instead of a confusing web of links, it organizes content strictly into Books → Chapters → Pages. It is very intuitive for non-technical users. |
| Best for | Creating manuals, handbooks, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). |