Foswiki vs Tiki Wiki (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Tiki Wiki grades higher than Foswiki: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tiki Wiki grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Foswiki if
- Fits if you have a server and someone to look after it and want a wiki you fully control
- Works for teams moving off TWiki who want to keep its syntax
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting, as you provide and maintain the server
- Not for you if you need paid support, as it comes from the community with no vendor plan
- Watch out: security releases were posted in 2023 and 2026, and the site says to upgrade when they appear
- Tight if you lack Perl and Apache, Nginx or Lighttpd skills
Pick Tiki Wiki if
- Fits if you want one self-hosted package for a wiki, trackers and a website
- Works for an organisation with a technical person to run it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not want to run a server, as you install and host it
- Watch out: you apply frequent security releases yourself
- Not for you if you want a simple wiki, since it is a broad framework with many options
- Tight if you need vendor support, as it comes from the community or paid consultants
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFoswikiFair | 2.4GPATiki WikiFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree to download, but it only runs on a server you provide, with Perl and Apache, Nginx or Lighttpd, so it is not free in practice and lands at the middle. | CFree software, but it only runs on a server you provide or on TikiHosting, which is sold separately. That needs a server, so it sits at the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree to download and run, with no plan caps. The cost is the server and the upkeep, which sit outside the listing. | AFree and open source with no plan caps. You pay only for hosting and any consultant help. |
| Features | CEditing in the browser, macros for dynamic pages, extensions, layout customisation and TWiki compatibility. The wiki job is done, but there is no vendor support plan and no hosted version. | BWiki pages with full layout control, trackers, built-in CMS parts and groupware, on an active release line. It covers the whole wiki job and more, and nothing in the listing shows a gap. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it yourself, which needs a Perl server and, on Unix-like systems, a few shell commands. | DYou install and maintain it yourself, including the frequent security releases, and it has many more options to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, served from your own machine. No integrations or apps are listed on the pages read. | CWeb only, served from your own server. No integrations or apps are listed on the pages read. |
| Best for | a wiki you run on your own Perl server | a wiki, CMS and groupware you host yourself |
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: Foswiki and Tiki Wiki. How we grade
Price against what you get
Foswiki has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Tiki Wiki has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Tiki Wiki scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, none scores higher than Foswiki for less, and none scores higher than Tiki 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
- Tiki Wiki is open source, according to its own site.
- Foswiki also covers documents.
- Tiki Wiki also covers databases, no-code and forms.
In commonFree planWebSelf-hostableWiki
At a glance
| Foswiki | Tiki Wiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download and run; you provide and maintain the server. | Free open source software; you host it yourself or pay a separate hosting provider. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Foswiki community | Tiki Software Community Association |
| Price read from | foswiki.org | tiki.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Foswiki
- You install and maintain it yourself: it needs a Perl server with Apache, Nginx or Lighttpd and, on Unix-like systems, a few shell commands.
- Support comes from the community; there is no vendor support plan on the site.
- The project posted security releases in 2023 and 2026, and its site recommends upgrading when they appear.
Tiki Wiki
- You install and maintain it yourself, including applying the frequent security releases.
- Support comes from the community or from paid consultants and hosts.
- It is a broad framework rather than a focused wiki, so it has many more options to configure.
Key features
Foswiki
- Browser editing
- Team members create and edit pages directly in the web browser with a built-in WYSIWYG text editor.
- Macros for dynamic pages
- Macros automate pages and let users build applications such as status boards, to-do lists, inventory systems and bug trackers from within the browser.
- Extensions
- The site lists over 200 maintained extensions that expand what the wiki does out of the box.
- Layout customization
- The look of the site can be changed for the whole site, or per page, user or group.
- TWiki compatibility
- Foswiki is compatible with TWiki and offers a migration path from it.
Tiki Wiki
- Wiki pages with full layout control
- Pages are edited like a wiki but can take any layout and style, built on Bootstrap with custom themes.
- Trackers
- Tiki Trackers handle data input, management and display, with 45 field types, and a wiki page can act as a form or output template.
- Built-in CMS parts
- File galleries, article publishing and a blog engine come with the standard install.
- Community and groupware
- Forums, teams and chat are part of the project's own site, which runs on Tiki.
- Active release line
- The news feed shows Tiki 30 LTS released in August 2026 and security releases for 30.2, 27.9 and 24.16 in November 2026.
Plans
Foswiki
Foswiki$0
Free platform with community-based support. You install and host it yourself.
Tiki Wiki
Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware$0
Free and open source. You install and host it yourself; TikiHosting managed hosting is sold separately.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foswiki or Tiki Wiki?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Foswiki and Tiki Wiki are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Foswiki or Tiki Wiki?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Foswiki and Tiki 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.