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The MediaWiki Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about MediaWiki in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

MediaWiki

The Insider’s Guide

The free wiki software that powers Wikipedia

MediaWiki, as pictured on mediawiki.org

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among docs and wiki tools, read from MediaWiki’s own pages.

Made by Wikimedia Foundation · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.6GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from MediaWiki’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on MediaWiki’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.6

GPA, above 25 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade

MediaWiki is free, GPL-licensed wiki software, originally written for Wikipedia, that you install on your own web server. Pages are written in wikitext or with the bundled VisualEditor, every revision is kept so changes can be reverted, and extensions add further functions. It was designed for large, open, high-traffic sites, and its own manual warns that it is often not suited to wikis that need to restrict access to part of their content.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about MediaWiki, taken from its own pages and our grades.

Its own manual says it's often the wrong pick when part of a wiki has to be private.
From our report card of MediaWiki
  1. 1

    Best for large public wikis that anyone can read

    But you host it yourself on PHP and a database and keep up with security upgrades, and hosting comes only from third parties.

  2. 2

    It is free

    MediaWiki has no paid plan at all. The software is free of charge and licensed under version 2 or later of the GNU General Public License, with no warranty.

  3. 3

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  4. 4

    Wikitext and VisualEditor

    Pages use MediaWiki's wikitext format, which needs no knowledge of HTML or CSS. The VisualEditor extension, bundled since version 1.35, allows editing pages as rich content instead.

  5. 5

    Full revision history

    Every edit is written to the database without deleting earlier versions of the page, so vandalism, spam or mistakes can be reverted easily.

  6. 6

    Extensions

    Administrators add functions by installing extensions. Some are bundled with the software; third-party ones may be unmaintained or incompatible with each other.

  7. 7

    A 2.6 GPA, above 25 of 51

    That is against the other docs and wiki tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    MediaWiki is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

MediaWiki at a glance

Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
Wikimedia Foundation, since 2003
Category
Docs & Wikis
Our grade
2.6 GPA, good

The report card

Best for large public wikis that anyone can read

MediaWiki is the free software behind Wikipedia, built for big, open wikis with a lot of traffic, and it keeps every edit so changes can be undone. But you host it yourself on PHP and a database and keep up with security upgrades, and hosting comes only from third parties. Its own manual says it's often the wrong pick when part of a wiki has to be private.

ToolGPA report cardMediaWikiGraded Oct 10, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyAFree of charge under the GNU General Public License, with no paid edition and nothing to upgrade to. You pay for a server and nothing else, and it comes with no warranty.
Free plan and trialAFree outright. The full software is a download for your own server, and help comes from the community support desk. There is no paid tier to be nudged towards.
FeaturesCWikitext or the bundled VisualEditor, a full history of every revision, extensions, an API and room for millions of hits a day. The gap is a big one, and the manual says it: MediaWiki is often not suitable when access to part of a wiki must be restricted. Third-party extensions may also be unmaintained.
Ease of useDYou host it yourself. It needs PHP 8.3 or later, web server software, a database such as MariaDB or MySQL, and ongoing security upgrades. Ready-made hosting comes only from third parties the Wikimedia Foundation doesn't endorse.
Platforms and integrationsCA browser and nothing else: no phone or desktop app, and no integrations at all on record. The Action API is the one way in for programs, letting them log in, read data and post changes over HTTP.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.6

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who MediaWiki is for

  • Fits if you're building a large public wiki or an encyclopedia-style reference site
  • Works for organizations with a server administrator to install and update it

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if parts of your wiki must stay private, because the manual says it was designed for open content
  • Not for you if nobody can look after PHP 8.3, a web server, a database and regular security upgrades
  • Tight if your server is short on disk space or memory, since it's tuned for very high-traffic sites
  • Watch out: hosting comes only from third parties the Wikimedia Foundation neither guarantees nor endorses
  • Not for you if you want phone apps or ready-made integrations: none are on record, and extensions may be unmaintained

Good to know

Good for

  • Large public wikis and encyclopedia-style reference sites
  • Organizations with a server administrator to install and update it
  • Communities that already know how to edit Wikipedia

Worth knowing

  • The manual says MediaWiki is often not suitable when access to part of a wiki must be restricted, because it was designed for open content.
  • You host it yourself: it needs PHP 8.3 or later, web server software and a database such as MariaDB or MySQL, and ongoing security upgrades.
  • It is optimized for very high-traffic sites and may not suit small sites where disk space or memory is the tighter limit.
  • Hosting comes only from third parties: the site lists hosting services that the Wikimedia Foundation neither guarantees nor endorses.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

Free

No paid plan at all

MediaWiki is free to use.

Free of charge under the GNU General Public License, with no paid edition and nothing to upgrade to.
From our grade for value for money

  • MediaWiki

    $0

    The full software, downloaded and installed on your own server, with help from the community support desk.

The free plan

The software is free of charge and licensed under version 2 or later of the GNU General Public License, with no warranty.

Read from mediawiki.org on Oct 5, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

The free wiki software that powers Wikipedia. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, wiki.

Wikitext or the bundled VisualEditor, a full history of every revision, extensions, an API and room for millions of hits a day.
From our grade for features
Wikitext and VisualEditor
Pages use MediaWiki's wikitext format, which needs no knowledge of HTML or CSS. The VisualEditor extension, bundled since version 1.35, allows editing pages as rich content instead.
Full revision history
Every edit is written to the database without deleting earlier versions of the page, so vandalism, spam or mistakes can be reverted easily.
Extensions
Administrators add functions by installing extensions. Some are bundled with the software; third-party ones may be unmaintained or incompatible with each other.
Action API
A web service at the api.php endpoint lets programs log in, read data and post changes over HTTP, covering features such as page operations and search.
Built for high traffic
The software was designed to serve sites that get millions of hits a day. It supports caching and can be coupled with proxy server software.
Image and media files
MediaWiki also manages images and multimedia files, which are stored in the server's file system rather than in the database.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

MediaWiki is made by Wikimedia Foundation, and has been around since 2003.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

25/51

Other docs and wiki tools it is graded above

MediaWiki's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 25 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 8.

It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 39 of 51) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).

MediaWiki 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 52 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. MediaWiki’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 51
  • AFree plan and trialAbove 39 of 51
  • CFeaturesAbove 1 of 51
  • DEase of useAbove 0 of 51
  • CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 51

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 47 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. MediaWiki is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessMediaWikiONLYOFFICEZoho WriterZoho LearnWiki.jsGoogle Docs

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

MediaWiki is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

What you could make

  • Wiki: an app builder makes this well.

What you could not

  • An API that other software can build on.

What this rests on. MediaWiki’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.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

DokuWiki, XWiki, BookStack, Wiki.js and BlueSpice

The 5 tools MediaWiki is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is MediaWiki free?

Yes. MediaWiki is free to use.

How much does MediaWiki cost?

MediaWiki lists one plan. MediaWiki: $0.

What platforms does MediaWiki work on?

MediaWiki is available on Web.

Does MediaWiki have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. MediaWiki is listed for Web.

Does MediaWiki have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. MediaWiki is listed for Web.

Is MediaWiki open source?

Yes. MediaWiki is open source, according to its own site.

Does MediaWiki have an API?

Yes. MediaWiki offers a public API, according to its own site.

Who makes MediaWiki?

MediaWiki is made by Wikimedia Foundation. It dates from 2003.

What are the alternatives to MediaWiki?

The closest alternatives to MediaWiki in our directory are DokuWiki, XWiki, BookStack, Wiki.js and BlueSpice.

How does MediaWiki compare with other docs and wiki tools?

MediaWiki's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 25 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 8.

Is MediaWiki good value for money?

ToolGPA grades MediaWiki A for value for money. MediaWiki has no paid plan.

Could I make my own version of MediaWiki?

MediaWiki is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: An API that other software can build on.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from MediaWiki’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MediaWiki's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-23.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Wikimedia Foundation. Prices change, so check mediawiki.org before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "MediaWiki: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mediawiki

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The best-graded docs and wiki tools after MediaWiki, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what MediaWiki’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. MediaWiki is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Wikimedia Foundation. Prices and plans change: check mediawiki.org before you buy.