Alternatives · Docs & Wikis
PBworks alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the best PBworks alternative for most people is Confluence (3.0 GPA), second in our ranking of docs and wiki tools. It's also the best free one. The catch, in its listing's words: "Free plan for up to 10 users."
PBworks compared with 5 alternatives: Wikidot, Confluence, Nuclino, BookStack and MediaWiki.
PBworks has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per user / month. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a PBworks sale?
At a glance
Price against what you get
PBworks starts at $20 a month for each person and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Confluence and Nuclino.
Wikidot and MediaWiki start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from PBworks
Wikidot
Hosted wiki sites with free and paid accounts
- Wikidot starts at $49.90 per year.
- Wikidot does not cover documents and file sharing, which PBworks does.
Suits: Community and fan wikis that want a free host
Confluence
Team wiki and docs workspace from Atlassian, tied to Jira
- Confluence starts at $6.70 per user / month, billed monthly (first 100 users).
- Confluence also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Confluence also covers databases, whiteboard and templates.
- Confluence does not cover file sharing, which PBworks does.
Suits: Teams that run Jira and want documentation linked to their issues
Nuclino
Lightweight team wiki with docs, boards and whiteboards
- Nuclino starts at $6 per user / month, billed yearly ($8 billed monthly).
- Nuclino also lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Nuclino also covers whiteboard and kanban boards.
- Nuclino does not cover file sharing, which PBworks does.
Suits: Small teams that want a simple wiki with little setup
BookStack
Free self-hosted wiki organized into books, chapters and pages
- BookStack starts at £450 per year for an optional support plan; the software itself is free.
- BookStack is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- BookStack also covers Markdown, templates and diagrams.
- BookStack does not cover documents and file sharing, which PBworks does.
Suits: Teams that want a free wiki running on their own server
MediaWiki
The free wiki software that powers Wikipedia
- MediaWiki is free.
- MediaWiki is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- MediaWiki does not cover documents and file sharing, which PBworks does.
Suits: Large public wikis and encyclopedia-style reference sites
Limits worth knowing in PBworks
- The free account is capped at 50 MB of storage.
- The pages read are marked with a 2020 copyright and the pricing page states the $20 per user figure without a billing period, so re-check before relying on it.
- Separate Hub versions exist for projects, agencies, legal, business and education, and a custom quote is offered.
- The pages read list no desktop or mobile app; the vendor says content is reachable by computer, smartphone or tablet.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to PBworks?
The alternatives to PBworks in this directory are Wikidot, Confluence, Nuclino, BookStack and MediaWiki. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with PBworks.
Is there a free alternative to PBworks?
Yes. MediaWiki is free to use. Wikidot, Confluence, Nuclino and BookStack have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which PBworks alternatives work on Windows?
The PBworks listing does not include a Windows app. Nuclino lists one.
Which PBworks alternatives work on macOS?
The PBworks listing does not include a macOS app. Nuclino lists one.
Is there an open-source alternative to PBworks?
BookStack and MediaWiki are described as open source on their own sites.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.