BookStack vs Gollum
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Self-hosted wiki-style platform for organising documentation into books, chapters and pages.
Open source · MIT
A simple wiki that stores pages as files in a Git repository, editable locally or in the browser.
The short answer
Choose BookStack if you need…
- Teams that want an internal knowledge base they can host themselves
- People who want a simple, opinionated documentation tool rather than a customisable platform
- Anyone who finds larger wiki systems too complicated for everyday documentation
Choose Gollum if you need…
- Teams that want a wiki whose content lives in Git alongside other project files
- People who already keep GitHub or GitLab wikis and want to view or edit them locally
- Developers who prefer writing docs in a text editor and committing changes
- Users who want to revert or browse page history with familiar Git tools
Side-by-side
| BookStack | Gollum | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 19.1k | 14.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | PHP | Ruby |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 12 months ago |
What each one is
BookStack
BookStack is a platform for storing and organising information and documentation. Content is arranged in a hierarchy of books, chapters and pages, and the README describes it as aiming for a simple experience where only basic word-processing skills are needed to create content. It is written in PHP and is hosted on Codeberg.
Gollum
Gollum is a wiki where every page is a text or markup file inside a Git repository. You can edit pages in your own editor and commit them, or use the built-in web interface, and every past version of a page stays available through Git history. It supports several markup languages and can run locally in a browser.
Best for
BookStack
- Teams that want an internal knowledge base they can host themselves
- People who want a simple, opinionated documentation tool rather than a customisable platform
- Anyone who finds larger wiki systems too complicated for everyday documentation
Gollum
- Teams that want a wiki whose content lives in Git alongside other project files
- People who already keep GitHub or GitLab wikis and want to view or edit them locally
- Developers who prefer writing docs in a text editor and committing changes
- Users who want to revert or browse page history with familiar Git tools
Strengths
BookStack
- Simple, opinionated interface intended to be intuitive for new users, according to the README
- Open source under the MIT license
- Actively maintained, with a stated aim of stable upgrade paths
Gollum
- Content is plain files in Git, so history, reverts, and branching work with standard tools
- Supports many markup languages and extras such as diagrams, math, and citations
- MIT licensed and actively maintained, with a large community following
Not ideal for
BookStack
- People who want to extend the platform for purposes beyond documentation, since the README says it is not designed as an extensible platform for other uses
- People who do not want to run and maintain their own server
- Projects that need a hosted service with no setup; the README points to third-party hosting providers rather than offering a first-party hosted option in this text
Gollum
- People who want a hosted wiki with no setup, since Gollum runs on your machine or server
- Non-technical users who are uncomfortable with Git concepts like repositories and commits
- Teams needing built-in user accounts and permissions, as the README only mentions authentication through a separate CAS server setup
Trade-offs
BookStack
- The README says it is deliberately not built as a general extensible platform
- Setup requires self-hosting; installation details are in the linked official docs rather than this README excerpt
- The README notes translations may be out of date in the codebase and are managed through Crowdin
Gollum
- Requires Ruby or JRuby knowledge for installation and some extra renderers need separate gem installs
- On Windows it runs only under JRuby, which adds setup complexity
- Advanced features and install details are mostly documented on an external wiki, so the README alone gives limited detail
Getting started
BookStack
Clone the repository
git clone https://codeberg.org/bookstack/bookstack.gitGollum
Install as a Ruby gem
gem install gollumClone the source
git clone https://github.com/gollum/gollumFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between BookStack and Gollum?
BookStack: Self-hosted wiki-style platform for organising documentation into books, chapters and pages. Gollum: A simple wiki that stores pages as files in a Git repository, editable locally or in the browser. BookStack suits teams that want an internal knowledge base they can host themselves, while Gollum suits teams that want a wiki whose content lives in git alongside other project files.
Are BookStack and Gollum free?
BookStack: Free and open source. Gollum: Free and open source.
Is BookStack or Gollum more popular?
BookStack has more GitHub stars (19.1k) than Gollum (14.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to BookStack and Gollum?
Other options people compare them with include Docs.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.