Docs & Databases
BookStack
Simple, self-hosted, open-source platform for organizing documentation.
5.0· 3 reviews· via Capterra
What is BookStack?
BookStack is a free, open-source, self-hosted wiki and documentation platform built on the PHP Laravel framework. It organizes content in a simple Books, Chapters, and Pages hierarchy, aimed at teams that want an easy-to-run internal knowledge base they fully control.
Best known for: The most popular self-hosted open-source wiki
Key features
- Books, chapters, and pages structure
- WYSIWYG and Markdown editing
- Self-hosted and MIT-licensed
- Full-text search
- Roles and permissions
- Page revisions and draw.io diagrams
Who BookStack is best for
- Self-hosting teams wanting full control of their data
- Technical teams, homelabs, and IT documentation
- Budget-conscious orgs avoiding SaaS subscription fees
Ideal team: Technical teams or IT departments comfortable running their own server or Docker container.
BookStack pricing
Free (Open Source)
$0
- MIT-licensed (PHP/Laravel)
- Shelves, books, chapters, pages
- OIDC/SAML2/LDAP auth
Costs to watch before you commit
- Self-hosting infrastructure (VPS/server) is your responsibility, though inexpensive.
- No vendor support — community-only and self-maintained.
- Ongoing admin burden: updates, backups, and security patching.
- SSO works but requires manual configuration.
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