BookStack vs ProProfs Knowledge Base

BookStack is a free, open-source platform for organizing and storing information on a self-hosted instance. It organizes content into Books, Chapters and Pages, with a WYSIWYG editor and an optional Markdown editor with live preview. Search works within a book or across books, chapters and pages, and users can link directly to paragraphs. The editor includes diagrams.net drawing capability. Authentication supports OIDC, SAML2 and LDAP, as well as social-based secondary authentication options. Built-in multi-factor authentication can be enforced by role and uses TOTP and static backup codes. Content exports include contained HTML, PDF, plain text, Markdown and Portable ZIP. The project describes a growing REST API for automation and importing content. The MIT-licensed software has no cost to download and install. Setup requires PHP 8.2 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6 or newer, Git, Composer 2.2 or newer and a PHP-compatible web server. BookStack does not currently support shared PHP hosting. Community support is free but does not assure a response, support or resolution; paid support plans are also listed.

ProProfs Knowledge Base creates public or private knowledge bases, manuals, documentation, and help centers. Its editor supports images, video, revision history, file management, version control, and single sourcing; Word documents, PDFs, and PowerPoints can be imported. AI features cover writing, search, translation, SEO optimization, step-by-step guide creation, article suggestions, and reporting. Authors can customize themes, fonts, CSS and HTML, use custom domains, and create multiple help sites or brands. Access controls include private sites, password protection, folder restrictions, conditional content, and IP restrictions; authentication options include SSO, SAML, and JWT. Reports cover article performance, search trends, failed searches, and author activity. It is accessible on laptops, tablets, and phones, and the mobile experience works without installing an app. The free plan supports one author and up to 25 pages. The pricing note lists paid plans from $0.99/user/mo (annual); the Essentials plan is also listed at $49 per author per month with annual billing and a 50-user minimum. Other listed plans include Business at $69 per author/month and Business Complete Elite at $79 per author/month, both with annual billing.