Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Guru

Wiki.js is a modern wiki and documentation platform designed for teams to create, organize, and publish internal knowledge and technical documentation. It focuses on a clean authoring experience (Markdown and visual editing), flexible content organization, and enterprise-style access controls.

Key Features

• Markdown editor and visual (WYSIWYG) editing experience for pages
• Powerful content organization with navigation, pages, and hierarchy
• Fine-grained access control with roles and permissions
• Authentication integrations (e.g., local auth and external identity providers)
• Version history and page revisions with restore/compare capabilities
• Git-based storage/synchronization options for backing content with repositories
• Search functionality for quickly finding content across the wiki
• Extensible architecture with modules/integrations (e.g., storage, auth, rendering)

Use Cases

• Internal company wiki for SOPs, onboarding, and team knowledge sharing
• Engineering documentation portal for runbooks, architecture docs, and APIs
• Project documentation site with controlled access for stakeholders

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced capabilities depend on configuring modules (auth/storage/search) and may require additional services
• Major version upgrades can require migration planning due to platform changes

Wiki.js is well-suited for organizations that want a polished documentation experience with strong permissions and integration options. Its modular approach makes it adaptable to different infrastructures, from small teams to larger environments with SSO and Git-backed workflows.

Docmost is a self-hosted, collaborative wiki for creating and organizing internal documentation and team knowledge. It focuses on structured content (spaces and pages), collaborative editing, and search, making it suitable for product docs, runbooks, and internal knowledge bases.

Key Features

• Spaces and hierarchical pages for structured documentation
• Rich-text/Markdown-style editor for writing and formatting content
• Real-time collaboration features for team editing and updates
• Permissions and access control for organizing content by team/space
• Full-text search to quickly find pages and information
• Attachments and media support for documentation assets

Use Cases

• Internal engineering runbooks, SOPs, and incident playbooks
• Company knowledge base (policies, onboarding, FAQs)
• Product/ops documentation organized by teams or projects

Docmost provides a lightweight Confluence/Notion-style documentation experience that can be deployed on your own infrastructure. It is best suited for teams that want a focused wiki/knowledge base with collaboration, permissions, and search without relying on a hosted SaaS.

BookStack is a web-based documentation and wiki platform designed for creating and organizing content in a clear hierarchy of Books, Chapters, and Pages. It provides an approachable editing experience while still supporting richer technical workflows for teams that need structured internal documentation.

Key Features

• Structured content model: Books → Chapters → Pages (plus optional “Shelves” to group books)
• WYSIWYG editor with Markdown support, including code blocks and formatting tools
• Granular permissions & roles to control access at shelf/book/chapter/page levels
• Full-text search across content to quickly find pages and references
• Page revision history with change tracking and the ability to review/restore past versions
• Images and file attachments management for documentation assets
• Linkable content with easy page linking and navigation via a consistent hierarchy
• Authentication options including LDAP integration and SSO via SAML2/OAuth2 (via supported identity providers)
• REST API for integrating content and automating documentation workflows
• Theme and customization options (including customization via configuration and UI styling)

Use Cases

• Internal team knowledge base for SOPs, runbooks, onboarding, and troubleshooting guides
• Product/engineering documentation with organized manuals and versionable pages
• Lightweight company wiki for policies, processes, and cross-team collaboration

Limitations and Considerations

• Content organization is opinionated around the book/chapter/page hierarchy, which may not suit all wiki styles
• Real-time collaborative editing (simultaneous co-authoring like Google Docs) is not the primary editing model

BookStack is well-suited for teams that want a clean, navigable documentation system without the complexity of a full CMS. Its structured hierarchy, permissions, and revision history make it a practical choice for maintaining internal documentation at scale.

TiddlyWiki is a non-linear personal wiki designed to be flexible, portable, and heavily customizable. It can run entirely in the browser as a single self-contained HTML file (easy to carry, backup, and open anywhere), or it can be hosted using Node.js for multi-page/server-based workflows.

Key Features

• Single-file wiki mode that stores the app and your content together in one HTML file
• Non-linear note model (“tiddlers”) with powerful linking, tagging, and organization
• Transclusion and “wikitext” templating to reuse and compose content across pages
• Built-in search, filtering, and dynamic lists powered by a rich filter language
• Extensible plugin architecture (themes, macros, widgets, custom renderers)
• Multiple saving/hosting options (classic file saving, Node.js server, and adapters)
• Import/export and inter-wiki sharing via core import tools and plugin ecosystem

Use Cases

• Personal knowledge management (Zettelkasten-style notes, research notebooks)
• Lightweight documentation and project wikis (run locally or on a server)
• Building custom, form-like tools and dashboards using templates/widgets

Limitations and Considerations

• Collaboration is not a primary design focus in classic single-file mode; multi-user editing typically requires additional server/storage choices.
• The learning curve can be steep for advanced customization (filters, widgets, macros).

TiddlyWiki is a strong fit for users who want an offline-friendly knowledge base with deep customization and composable content. Its single-file mode makes it uniquely portable, while Node.js hosting enables more traditional server-backed deployments when needed.

HumHub is a self-hosted social networking platform designed for building private social networks, team intranets, and community portals. It centers collaboration around “Spaces” (groups) with an activity stream, posts, and integrated apps via a modular extension system.

Key Features

• Space-based structure (teams/projects/groups) with configurable permissions and visibility
• Activity stream with posts, comments, likes, mentions, and notifications
• Built-in collaboration modules such as tasks, calendar, files, polls, and wiki/knowledge features (via modules)
• Extensible module system and marketplace for adding functionality without forking core
• User profiles, directory, and social features (following, messaging depending on modules)
• Administration tools for users, spaces, modules, theming, and system settings
• REST API support for integrations (where enabled/available in the platform)

Use Cases

• Company intranet for internal announcements, knowledge sharing, and team coordination
• Private community portal for associations, schools, or member groups
• Project hubs using dedicated Spaces to coordinate updates, tasks, and files

Limitations and Considerations

• Many capabilities are delivered through optional modules; required features may depend on selecting and maintaining specific extensions.

HumHub fits organizations that want a customizable, Space-centric social intranet with an app/module ecosystem. It is especially suitable when you want a familiar social feed UX combined with structured group workspaces and extensibility.

DokuWiki is a lightweight, PHP-based wiki engine designed for documentation and knowledge bases. It stores content as plain text files (no database required), making it easy to deploy, back up, and migrate while still supporting multi-user collaboration.

Key Features

• Plain-text file storage with automatic revision history and diff viewing
• Built-in Access Control Lists (ACL) for namespaces/pages and user/group permissions
• Full-text search and structured navigation using namespaces and backlinks
• Plugin and template ecosystem for extending functionality and theming
• Media management for file uploads and embedding images/documents
• Interwiki links, page locking, and conflict handling for concurrent edits
• Built-in authentication options with support for external auth via plugins

Use Cases

• Internal team wiki for SOPs, runbooks, and technical documentation
• Project documentation portal for software/hardware teams
• Personal or small-organization knowledge base with fine-grained permissions

Limitations and Considerations

• Does not use Markdown by default (uses DokuWiki syntax; Markdown available via plugins)
• Advanced workflows (e.g., WYSIWYG editing, complex approvals) typically require plugins

DokuWiki is well-suited for teams that want a dependable wiki with minimal operational dependencies and strong permissioning. Its file-based design and mature extension ecosystem make it a practical choice for long-lived documentation.

Colanode is an open-source collaborative workspace that brings team documentation, notes, and lightweight project organization into a single place. It is designed as a Notion-style knowledge hub that you can run on your own infrastructure and tailor to internal team workflows.

Key Features

• Workspace structure for organizing content (pages/collections-style organization)
• Collaborative editing for team documentation and shared notes
• Rich-text/Markdown-oriented writing experience with structured content blocks
• Search and navigation to quickly find workspace content
• User and workspace access management for team collaboration
• API-first / developer-friendly approach (project ships as a full web application)

Use Cases

• Internal team wiki for processes, runbooks, and onboarding documentation
• Project space for specs, meeting notes, and lightweight planning
• Central knowledge base to replace scattered documents across multiple tools

Limitations and Considerations

• Feature set and integrations may be narrower than mature hosted suites (e.g., automation/integration marketplace)
• Some enterprise controls (advanced compliance features) may be limited depending on your deployment needs

Colanode fits teams that want an all-in-one shared workspace without depending on proprietary SaaS. It is most suitable for documentation-centric collaboration with simple project organization in the same product.

Raneto is a lightweight knowledge base and documentation portal that renders a folder of Markdown files into a searchable web site. It is designed to be easy to deploy and manage, using simple files on disk instead of a database.

Key Features

• Markdown-based content stored as plain files/folders (Git-friendly)
• Automatic navigation generated from the directory structure
• Built-in search across pages
• Configurable UI (theme/customization via config)
• Optional authentication to restrict access
• Supports images and other static assets in the content tree

Use Cases

• Internal team knowledge base and runbooks
• Product or project documentation site from a Git repository
• Simple “wiki-like” documentation for small orgs without a CMS

Limitations and Considerations

• Project appears largely unmaintained compared to newer documentation platforms
• File-based workflow is simple but lacks advanced wiki features (e.g., granular permissions, rich collaboration)

Raneto fits teams that want a minimal, Markdown-first documentation portal that can be versioned with Git and deployed quickly. It is most suitable when simplicity and file-based editing matter more than advanced editorial workflows or enterprise governance.

Grimoire is a self-hosted personal knowledge base (PKM) focused on storing and organizing Markdown notes in a simple web interface. It is designed for individuals who want a lightweight, private alternative to hosted note apps, while keeping notes in a portable, text-first format.

Key Features

• Markdown-based notes with a web UI for browsing and editing
• Tagging and organization features to group and filter notes
• Backlinks / note linking to build connections between pages
• Full-text search to quickly find content across the knowledge base
• Designed around a straightforward, minimal workflow (create, link, search)

Use Cases

• Maintain a personal “second brain” for research notes, references, and daily logs
• Document internal processes/runbooks for a small team in a lightweight wiki-like way
• Keep a private journal or reading notes in a searchable, interlinked archive

Limitations and Considerations

• Compared to mature wiki/PKM platforms, integrations and advanced collaboration features may be limited.

Grimoire is a good fit if you want a compact, text-first PKM with linking and search, without committing to a heavyweight wiki suite. It emphasizes portability and simplicity for personal or small-scale knowledge management.

XWiki is a Java-based wiki and collaboration platform designed for creating and managing structured knowledge bases, intranets, and documentation sites. It combines classic wiki editing with an extensible application framework (pages, objects, scripts, extensions) to build custom collaborative apps.

Key Features

• Rich wiki pages with attachments, full version history, and diffs/rollback
• Fine-grained permissions with groups/users and rights management
• Powerful extension system (XWiki Extension Manager) to add apps/features
• Scripting and templating capabilities to build applications inside the wiki
• Structured data via “objects” attached to pages (forms/metadata)
• Search across content and attachments (configurable search backends)
• Collaboration features: comments, notifications, and activity tracking (depending on installed apps)
• REST APIs for integrating and automating content operations

Use Cases

• Team knowledge base / internal documentation portal
• Company intranet with spaces for departments and projects
• Custom lightweight business apps (forms + workflows) built on wiki data

Limitations and Considerations

• Advanced functionality often depends on installing/configuring extensions
• Operating at scale typically requires tuning the servlet container, database, and search backend

XWiki is a mature, modular platform suited for organizations that need a customizable wiki beyond simple page editing. Its extension ecosystem and in-wiki development model make it practical for both documentation and bespoke collaborative applications.