XWiki
Open-source wiki platform for teams and enterprises, offering structured content, apps, and custom page development.
Open source alternative to:
XWiki is a mature open-source wiki and knowledge platform developed since 2003 by XWiki SAS and a large community. It is written in Java and ships with a full-featured wiki engine: page editing (WYSIWYG and wiki syntax), version history, rights management, and a queryable structure, so content can be organized as structured data rather than only free-form text.
Beyond the core wiki, XWiki is designed as a platform: applications such as blogs, forums, calendars, task boards, and spreadsheets can be installed on top of it from its extension repository, or built with its own scripting and app-development tools. It supports nested wikis for organizing departments or projects with isolation.
XWiki commonly replaces Confluence for organizations that want a self-hosted knowledge base without per-user licensing costs. It self-hosts via Docker, Debian packages, or standalone Java deployments on Tomcat with MySQL or PostgreSQL, and XWiki SAS sells cloud hosting and support for teams that prefer a managed service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platforms does XWiki run on?
XWiki is a server-based web application accessible from any modern browser. It runs on a servlet container such as Tomcat with a supported database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, HSQLDB), and official installation options include a Zipped distribution, an installer, a Docker image, and Debian/Ubuntu packages.
Can I import data from Confluence into XWiki?
Yes. XWiki offers a Pro Apps Confluence Migrator for importing Confluence spaces and pages, and there is also a community Confluence importer for XML exports. Importers for MediaWiki and DokuWiki exports are available in the extension repository as well.
Does XWiki have an API?
Yes. XWiki exposes a REST API covering pages, objects, attachments, and query operations, which is documented at xwiki.org. Wiki content and applications can also be scripted with Velocity and Groovy directly inside pages.
How does XWiki handle permissions and multi-user collaboration?
XWiki has a built-in rights system covering users and groups at the global, wiki, space, or page level. Pages have full version history with diff viewing, and editing is done concurrently with a locking mechanism to prevent overwrites.
Can XWiki be extended with new features?
Yes. Extensions such as applications, macros, themes, and syntax modules can be installed directly from the admin interface via the Extension Manager, and custom applications can be built with the App Within Minutes tool without writing code.
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