DokuWiki vs An Otter Wiki (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DokuWiki grades higher than An Otter Wiki: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
DokuWiki grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
An Otter Wiki
Minimal self-hosted wiki powered by Python, Markdown and Git
Free
Which one is for you
Pick DokuWiki if
- Fits if you want a small team wiki without running a database
- Works for internal docs that need access controls at no cost, with someone to host them
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if nobody can host a PHP site, though partners do offer hosting with it pre-installed
- Not for you if your writers expect a visual editor, since pages use DokuWiki's own syntax
- Too light for teams who need vendor support, as help comes from a forum and a mailing list
- Watch out: the bundled web server is for 64-bit Windows and meant for one person's use only
- Skip it if you want apps or integrations, as none are listed and extras come as plugins
Pick An Otter Wiki if
- Fits if you want a plain wiki whose pages live as Markdown in a Git repo
- Works for small teams with a server and no budget for a hosted wiki
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, because the site describes none
- Not for you if you rely on embeds, which are labeled experimental
- Too light for a large company wiki, since the listing shows accounts but no wider admin features
- Watch out: support is through GitHub issues
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADokuWikiGood | 2.0GPAAn Otter WikiFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree of charge under the GNU General Public License version 2, with no paid edition anywhere in sight. The project simply asks companies that use it to consider a donation. | C$0 under the MIT license, but you host it on your own server, so it sits in the middle for value. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole wiki engine is a free download for your own web server, nothing held back and no cap to hit. There's no paid plan you'll be nudged towards. | BFree with no paid plan, and one person could run it. You supply the server. |
| Features | CAccess controls, sign-in connectors, feeds pulled in from other sites, interwiki links and dozens of languages. Wiki basics, and the listing shows where they stop: pages are typed in DokuWiki's own syntax rather than a visual editor, everything else comes from plugins, and no integrations are listed. | CMarkdown editor, Git backend, page history, attachments and user accounts. It does the wiki job fully but it's a small one, and embeds are experimental. |
| Ease of use | DYou install it yourself on a web server with PHP. Having no database to run means one less thing to maintain, but it's still hosting, every editor has to learn the wiki syntax, and help is a community forum and a mailing list. | DNo store rating on record. It is installed on your own server, so there is setup and upkeep. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA browser, served from your own machine, and that's the lot. No phone or desktop apps, no integrations on record, and anything extra arrives as a plugin. | CWeb only. Git is the only integration named, and no phone or desktop apps. |
| Best for | a wiki with no database to run | a small wiki backed by Git |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DokuWiki and An Otter Wiki. How we grade
Price against what you get
DokuWiki has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. An Otter Wiki has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, none scores higher than DokuWiki for less, and none scores higher than An Otter Wiki for less.
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
Where they differ
- An Otter Wiki also covers Markdown.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableWiki
At a glance
| DokuWiki | An Otter Wiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | DokuWiki is available free of charge under the GNU General Public License version 2. The project asks companies that use it to consider donating. | Free and open source under the MIT license; you host it yourself. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Andreas Gohr and the DokuWiki Community | An Otter Wiki |
| Price read from | download.dokuwiki.org | otterwiki.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DokuWiki
- You install and host it yourself on a web server with PHP. The download page points to partners that offer hosting with DokuWiki pre-installed.
- Pages are written in DokuWiki's own formatting syntax, which editors have to learn.
- The bundled web server option is for 64-bit Windows and is recommended for personal, single-user use only.
- Help comes from the community forum and mailing list; the author asks not to be contacted directly for support.
An Otter Wiki
- It is self-hosted only; the site describes no hosted service.
- Embeds are labeled experimental.
- Support is through GitHub issues, per the contributing section.
Key features
DokuWiki
- No database required
- DokuWiki runs without a database server, which the project presents as the reason it is easy for administrators to maintain, back up and integrate.
- Plain-text wiki syntax
- Pages are written in a readable formatting syntax that covers headings, links, lists, tables, footnotes and media files, with syntax highlighting for code blocks.
- Access controls and authentication
- Built-in access controls and authentication connectors decide who can read or edit, which the project highlights as useful in an enterprise setting.
- Plugins
- Hundreds of plugins are available. The download page can bundle popular ones, such as CAPTCHA, Upgrade, Wrap, Translation and Gallery, into the package.
- Feeds and interwiki links
- A page can pull in data from external RSS and Atom feeds, and interwiki links give quick links to pages on other wikis such as Wikipedia.
- Languages and a portable option
- The interface comes in dozens of languages, and an optional download adds a minimal Windows web server with PHP for trying DokuWiki or running it from a USB stick.
An Otter Wiki
- Git backend
- Full changelog and page history, with an optional Git web server.
- Markdown editor
- Editor tools for Markdown, with tables, footnotes, alerts, formulas and mermaid diagrams.
- Attachments
- Files can be uploaded to pages and images pasted straight into the editor.
- User accounts
- Self-registration and password recovery are supported.
- Embeds
- Experimental embeds include page indexes, data tables, includes and video.
Plans
DokuWiki
DokuWiki$0
The full wiki engine, downloaded and installed on your own web server. The download can be customized with languages and popular plugins.
An Otter Wiki
Open source$0
The whole wiki under an MIT license, self-hosted.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DokuWiki or An Otter Wiki?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both DokuWiki and An Otter Wiki are free to use.
Which has a free plan, DokuWiki or An Otter Wiki?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both DokuWiki and An Otter Wiki have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.