Foswiki review (2026): is it any good?
Free wiki platform you run on your own server
Foswiki report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for a wiki you run on your own Perl server
Foswiki is a free wiki you install and run yourself, with browser editing, macros and extensions. It needs a Perl server, support comes only from the community, and the site recommends upgrading when its security releases appear.
Who Foswiki is for
- 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
Who Foswiki is not for
- 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
Why Foswiki gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree 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.
- AFree plan and trialFree to download and run, with no plan caps. The cost is the server and the upkeep, which sit outside the listing.
- CFeaturesEditing 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.
- DEase of useYou install and maintain it yourself, which needs a Perl server and, on Unix-like systems, a few shell commands.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, served from your own machine. No integrations or apps are listed on the pages read.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Foswiki's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Foswiki? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/foswiki#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/foswiki.svg" alt="Foswiki: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Foswiki stands among docs and wiki tools
Foswiki's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 10 of the 69 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 51 of 69) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Foswiki has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Foswiki’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 15 of 69, level with 25
- AFree plan and trialAbove 51 of 69, level with 18
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 69, level with 34
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 69, level with 14
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 69, level with 17
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 63 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Foswiki, or make your own?
Keep it
Foswiki is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 45 of the 69 other docs and wiki tools grade higher.
What you could make
- Wiki and documents: an app builder makes these well.
What this rests on. Foswiki’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Foswiki?
Foswiki is a wiki platform that teams edit in the web browser. Macros let users build dynamic pages such as status boards, to-do lists and trackers, and more than 200 extensions add functions. It is written in Perl, installed on your own server, and compatible with TWiki.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Foswiki pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Foswiki is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free to download and run; you provide and maintain the server.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Foswiki | $0 | Free platform with community-based support. You install and host it yourself. |
Read from foswiki.org on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Foswiki before you buy.
Foswiki alternatives
- Foswiki vs XWiki
Free plan · from €309/yr
- Foswiki vs BookStack
Free plan · from £450/yr
Common questions
Does Foswiki have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Foswiki is listed for Web.
Does Foswiki have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Foswiki is listed for Web.
Is Foswiki open source?
Foswiki is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Can Foswiki be self-hosted?
Yes. Foswiki's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.