Gollum
A simple wiki that stores pages as files in a Git repository, editable locally or in the browser.
- Stars
- 14.3k
- Forks
- 1.6k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Ruby
- Last update
- 12 months ago
- Type
- App
What it is
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.
- Run a local wiki on a folder that is a Git repository and browse it at localhost:4567
- Clone a GitHub or GitLab wiki and view or edit it locally
- Write pages in Markdown, AsciiDoc, Org, or other supported markups
- Include Mermaid or PlantUML diagrams and math via KaTeX or MathJax in pages
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Ruby (MRI) or JRuby · Git repository for the wiki content · Java, only if using the gollum.war file
Install as a Ruby gem
gem install gollumClone the source
git clone https://github.com/gollum/gollum - 2
Run it
- Initialize a Git repository to hold your wiki pages
- Run: gollum /path/to/wiki
- Open http://localhost:4567 in your browser
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Install extra renderers such as asciidoctor, creole, wikicloth, or org-ruby with gem install to support more markups
- Use the commonmarker gem for CommonMark Markdown, since the first installed Markdown renderer is used
- Set up a config.rb file to tweak minor behaviours not available as command-line options
- Run under a Rack-compatible server or as a service for persistent hosting
- Set APP_ENV to production so the app loads only once
Downloads
Strengths
- 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
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gollum (this) | 14.3k | App | intermediate | 12 months ago | Teams that want a wiki whose content lives in Git alongside other project files |
| docsify | 31.6k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Open-source maintainers who want a documentation site from existing Markdown files |
| BookStack | 19.1k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Teams that want an internal knowledge base they can host themselves |
| docs | 17k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Teams that want a shared wiki or knowledge base they can host themselves |
| jekyll | 51.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 23 days ago | Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files |
| tui.editor | 18k | Library | intermediate | 2.3 years ago | Web developers who want an embeddable Markdown editor in their own site or app |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.