Foswiki vs XWiki (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, XWiki grades higher than Foswiki: 3.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
XWiki grades higher on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
XWiki
Open-source enterprise wiki with structured data and apps
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 XWiki if
- Fits if you want an open-source alternative to Confluence that you can host yourself
- Works for wikis that need structured data and small apps, not only pages
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a simple wiki with no setup, as the free version is yours to install and run with no vendor support
- Pricey if you need SAML or OIDC sign-in, as Business is listed at €11,216.70 a year for 250 users, and SCIM needs Enterprise
- Not for you if you need round-the-clock support, since hours are 09:00 to 17:00 CET on every paid plan
- Tight if you're on Starter, which is cloud only, stops at 25 users and has one sub-wiki; Pro applications start on Basic
- Watch out: prices are in euros from a calculator that scales with team size, the cloud trial's length isn't stated, and there are no apps
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFoswikiFair | 3.4GPAXWikiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AThe Community version costs nothing at all. Hosted, Starter is 309 € a year for 10 users and Basic 5,796.84 € a year for 100, which works out at 4.83 € a user a month against $6.30 for the cheapest quarter here. From Basic up, the same price covers XWiki Cloud or your own servers. |
| 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 outright: the Community version is the open-source software with around 600 community extensions, yours to run for good. You go without XWiki SAS support and the Pro applications, and there's a free trial of XWiki Cloud whose length the pricing page never states. |
| 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. | AA WYSIWYG editor with full history, comments, annotations and mentions, and then what most wikis lack: your own data structures built by drag and drop, with forms and filterable tables, backed by 700-plus extensions and Office import and PDF export. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it yourself, which needs a Perl server and, on Unix-like systems, a few shell commands. | CNo app rating on record, and it's a lot of platform to meet: the free version is yours to download and run with no vendor support, and even on XWiki Cloud there are permissions, sub-wikis and extensions to work through. Support hours are 09:00 to 17:00 CET. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, served from your own machine. No integrations or apps are listed on the pages read. | BA web app, on XWiki Cloud or your own servers, with no phone or desktop apps listed. It connects to OnlyOffice, Office 365, OpenProject, draw.io, Active Directory and Entra ID, and the extensions stretch it further. |
| Best for | a wiki you run on your own Perl server | an open-source wiki you can build small apps in |
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 XWiki. 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. XWiki starts at about $28.77 a month and scores 3.0.
XWiki scores higher, and starts $28.77 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, none scores higher than Foswiki for less, and 6 score higher than XWiki 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
- XWiki is open source, according to its own site.
- Foswiki also covers documents.
- XWiki also covers databases.
At a glance
| Foswiki | XWiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | 309 € per year for 10 users (Starter, XWiki Cloud only) |
| Free plan | Free to download and run; you provide and maintain the server. | Community version: the open-source software with community extensions, downloaded and set up on your own servers, without XWiki SAS support or the XWiki Pro applications. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of XWiki Cloud; the pricing page does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Foswiki community | XWiki SAS |
| Price read from | foswiki.org | xwiki.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 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.
XWiki
- Paid plans are priced in euros by a calculator that scales with team size; Starter stops at 25 users and runs on XWiki Cloud only.
- The free Community version comes without vendor support, and the XWiki Pro applications start on the Basic plan.
- OIDC, Entra ID, CAS and SAML sign-in need the Business plan, and SCIM needs Enterprise.
- Support hours on every paid plan are 09:00 to 17:00 CET.
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.
XWiki
- WYSIWYG editing with history
- Pages are edited in a WYSIWYG editor with link and macro editors and in-place editing. A full history of changes is kept, alongside comments, annotations and user mentions.
- Structured data and apps
- AppWithinMinutes builds custom data structures by drag and drop. Entries are edited through forms and browsed in filterable tables that XWiki calls livetables.
- Permissions and sign-in
- User and group management and an advanced permission system are built in. Paid plans add LDAP and Active Directory, then OIDC, Entra ID, CAS and SAML, and SCIM on Enterprise.
- Extensions
- More than 700 extensions are available: about 600 from the community plus 60 recommended and Pro extensions such as diagrams, task management and calendars.
- Office and PDF handling
- Office documents can be imported or previewed, images and other attachments previewed in the page, and pages viewed and exported as PDF.
- Cloud or on-premises
- From the Basic plan up, the same subscription price covers XWiki Cloud or your own servers; Starter is cloud only. One instance can hold several sub-wikis.
Plans
Foswiki
Foswiki$0
Free platform with community-based support. You install and host it yourself.
XWiki
CommunityFree
The open-source software and community extensions, set up and run on your own servers without vendor support.
Starter309 €
per year for 10 users, the smallest team size
XWiki Cloud only, for up to 25 users and ordered online: early security patches, the antivirus application, one sub-wiki and portal support.
Basic5,796.84 €
per year for 100 users (4.83 € per user / month)
Cloud or on-premises for up to 1,000 users: XWiki Pro applications, LDAP and Active Directory sign-in, a custom domain on XWiki Cloud and 25 sub-wikis.
Business11,216.70 €
per year for 250 users (3.74 € per user / month)
Up to 10,000 users: adds OIDC, Entra ID, CAS and SAML sign-in, IP allowlisting, the Confluence migration toolkit and faster support response times.
Enterprise33,990 €
per year for 500 users (5.67 € per user / month)
Unlimited users: adds SCIM, Kubernetes, Windows and clustered installations, a dedicated account manager, AI integration in beta and 100 sub-wikis.
Ways to pay less
Foswiki
No public discounts listed.
XWiki
- Other savings
20% off with a 3-year subscription
The pricing calculator offers a 3-year subscription period that saves 20% compared with the yearly price.
- Other savings
5% off for ordering online
The Basic, Business and Enterprise plans list a 5% reduction when the subscription is ordered online rather than manually.
- Nonprofit
50% off for NGOs
The special discounts on the pricing page give NGOs a 50% discount on support, hosting and apps.
- Education
50% off for academic institutions
Academic institutions are listed for a 50% discount on support and hosting.
- Other savings
Free cloud hosting for open source projects
Open source software projects get free cloud hosting at the Starter level and Pro Apps licenses, plus a 50% discount on support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foswiki or XWiki?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Foswiki is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $28.77 a month for XWiki. Foswiki is free, and XWiki starts at 309 € per year for 10 users (Starter, XWiki Cloud only).
Which has a free plan, Foswiki or XWiki?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Foswiki and XWiki 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.