BookStack
Free self-hosted wiki organized into books, chapters and pages
What is BookStack?
BookStack is a free, MIT-licensed wiki that you install on your own server. Content is organized into books, chapters and pages and written in a WYSIWYG editor or an optional Markdown editor, with full search, page revisions and a role and permission system. The project runs no hosted service and has no paid edition; optional annual support plans are sold through its creator's company.
BookStack has a free plan. Paid plans start at £450 per year for an optional support plan; the software itself is free. See every plan
Good for
- Teams that want a free wiki running on their own server
- Mixed technical and non-technical staff writing documentation
- Organizations that need LDAP, SAML2 or OIDC sign-in at no cost
Worth knowing
- There is no official hosted version: you install and maintain it yourself, which takes some knowledge of hosting a PHP application and database.
- It needs PHP 8.2 or later with MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6 or later, and shared PHP hosting is not supported.
- Paid support is priced in pounds, at £450 or £4,500 a year before VAT; free community support has no assured response.
Key features
- Books, chapters and pages
- All content sits in a three-level structure of books, chapters and pages, and pages can be re-sorted across books.
- WYSIWYG and Markdown editors
- Pages are written in a simple WYSIWYG editor by default. An optional Markdown editor shows a live preview as you write.
- Search and paragraph links
- Search works within a single book or across every book, chapter and page, and any paragraph can be linked to directly.
- Built-in diagrams
- The page editor has diagrams.net drawing built in, so diagrams can be created without leaving the documentation.
- Roles, permissions and sign-in
- A role and permission system locks down content and actions. Sign-in supports OIDC, SAML2 and LDAP besides email and password, and multi-factor authentication can be enforced per role.
- Revisions and API
- Page revisions and image management are built in, and each instance documents an API covering pages, chapters, books, shelves and attachments.
BookStack pricing
- Starts at
- £450 per year for an optional support plan; the software itself is free
- Free plan
- The whole application is free and MIT licensed, with no cost to download and install your own instance. Community support carries no assurance of a response.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| BookStack (self-hosted) | Free | The full application on your own server, with community support through the project's discussions, Codeberg and Reddit. |
| Professional Support Plan | £450per year, VAT not included | Email and help-desk support covering installation and updating issues, with high-priority handling of bug and issue reports. |
| Enterprise Support Plan | £4,500per year, VAT not included | Everything in Professional, plus highest-priority handling, help with API integrations and up to 10 hours of video support a year. |
Read from bookstackapp.com on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with BookStack before you buy.
Works with
- diagrams.net
BookStack alternatives
- BookStack vs Outline
Free plan · from $10/mo
- BookStack vs Docmost
Free plan · from $6/mo
Common questions
Is BookStack free?
BookStack has a free plan. The whole application is free and MIT licensed, with no cost to download and install your own instance. Community support carries no assurance of a response. Paid plans start at £450 per year for an optional support plan; the software itself is free.
How much does BookStack cost?
BookStack lists 3 plans. BookStack (self-hosted): Free. Professional Support Plan: £450 per year, VAT not included. Enterprise Support Plan: £4,500 per year, VAT not included. Prices were read from bookstackapp.com on Oct 5, 2026.
What platforms does BookStack work on?
BookStack is available on Web.
Does BookStack have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. BookStack is listed for Web.
Does BookStack have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. BookStack is listed for Web.
Is BookStack open source?
Yes. BookStack is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does BookStack have an API?
Yes. BookStack offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does BookStack integrate with?
BookStack's listing names diagrams.net. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes BookStack?
BookStack is made by Dan Brown. It dates from 2015.
What are the alternatives to BookStack?
The closest alternatives to BookStack in our directory are Wiki.js, DokuWiki, MediaWiki, Outline and Docmost. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with BookStack.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.