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ikiwiki

ikiwiki.info

Free plan WebmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.5 #8 of 33 in Wiki Software

What it is

ikiwiki is free, open-source software that compiles wiki pages into HTML for publication as a website. It builds a static site and regenerates pages when their source changes. Page history can be kept in Git, Subversion, or another revision-control setup, although a revision system is optional. Markdown is the default markup, while plugins can add WikiText, HTML, reStructuredText, and Textile. Any page can function as a blog and produce RSS or Atom feeds. Plugins provide much of the system, including markup, directives, revision-control backends, and CGI capabilities. Templates, CSS, and themes control generated appearance. Optional web editing supports registration, several authentication methods, and configurable edit permissions. Xapian can add full-text search. Packages are listed for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, BSD, openSUSE, Arch, Homebrew, and Guix. ikiwiki supports Linux, macOS, self-hosting, and web use, with custom domains, SSO, and version history listed.

Spec sheet

What it does
ikiwiki is a wiki compiler that turns wiki pages into HTML pages for publishing on a website.Read 8 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Purpose
ikiwiki converts wiki pages into HTML pages for publishing on a website.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Intended users
Its setup guide describes creating a wiki or blog and notes that advanced users may prefer a manual setup.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Security
The project advises that public or multi-user editing requires attention to security risks, and provides configuration-specific security guidance.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Support
The project provides a forum, bug tracker, TODO list, and discussion pages, and says developers monitor RecentChanges and respond in a timely fashion.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
License
The project describes ikiwiki as Free Software.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Blogging and feeds
Pages can be used as blogs with RSS or Atom feeds, and ikiwiki can aggregate external blogs.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Custom domain
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Customization
Templates, CSS, and themes can be used to change the appearance and layout of generated pages.Read 8 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Editing and access
Optional CGI features include browser-based editing and registration, with configurable authentication and edit controls.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Installation
The project offers source downloads and packages for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, BSD systems, openSUSE, Arch Linux, Homebrew, and Guix.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Known security caveat
The security page says Perl taint checking is disabled for production builds because of a Perl bug.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Markup
Markdown is the default markup, and plugins add support for formats including HTML, reStructuredText, Textile, and WikiText.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Plugins
Plugins can add markup languages, directives, revision control backends, CGI behavior, and other features; plugins may be written in Perl or as external programs in any language using XML-RPC.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Project contributors
The homepage says ikiwiki is developed by Joey and many contributors.Read 8 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Revision control
It stores pages and history in revision control systems such as Git or Subversion, and can also run without revision control.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Search
Full-text search can be added using the Xapian search engine.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Setup
The setup tutorial says a fully functional wiki can be created with one command and describes web-based and revision-control-based editing.Read 8 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
SSO support
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Static site generation
It builds a static wiki website and updates pages when their source changes.Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info
Version history
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · ikiwiki.info

Plans and prices

ikiwiki Free Free software; no paid plans stated Read 9 Oct 2026 · ikiwiki.info

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Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Builds static HTML from wiki pages
  • Supports Git or Subversion history
  • Plugins add markup and other capabilities
  • Optional web editing and authentication
  • GNU GPL version 2 or later

Limits

  • Security risks arise when others can edit
  • Perl taint checking is disabled in production builds
  • Advanced users may prefer manual setup

Who it suits

ikiwiki suits people building self-hosted wikis, blogs, or static websites from editable source pages. It fits users comfortable choosing plugins, revision-control options, and deployment packages.

Verdict

ikiwiki combines wiki editing with static-site generation and extensive plugin customization. Its self-hosting model and optional revision control suit technically managed publishing setups.

Where Specifiction places it

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