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MediaWiki

Open-source, database-backed wiki platform with revision history, permissions, extensions and APIs.

What it is

MediaWiki is GPL-licensed wiki software built for collaborative, revisioned content and backed by PHP, a web server and a supported database. Its API and extension ecosystem make it highly adaptable, but each self-hosted installation needs lifecycle-aware upgrades, extension and skin compatibility checks, access-policy design, security monitoring and backups covering both the database and filesystem.

MediaWiki pricing

MediaWiki does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. Free.

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-08-24. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Price verification log.

Key features

  • Revisioned wiki pages

    Supports collaborative editing with page history, links, namespaces and discussion-oriented workflows.

  • APIs

    Provides programmatic interfaces whose available modules and permissions depend on the installation.

  • Extensions and skins

    Adds functionality and presentation through version-sensitive packages.

  • Database-backed content

    Stores pages, users, metadata and search-related records in a supported database.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

  • Collaborative history: Wiki pages retain revisions and support linked, continuously edited knowledge.
  • Automation interfaces: MediaWiki exposes action and REST-style APIs for reading and changing supported resources.
  • Extension ecosystem: Administrators can add features and skins beyond the core platform.
  • Published lifecycle guidance: Production operators can choose supported stable, legacy or long-term-support lines.

Where it falls short

  • Operations required: PHP, the database, web server, job processing, uploads, caching and upgrades remain local responsibilities.
  • Extension risk: Third-party extensions can be unmaintained, vulnerable, mutually incompatible or tied to a MediaWiki version.
  • Multi-part backups: Recoverable copies must include database content plus configuration, extensions, skins and uploaded files.
  • Governance effort: Permissions, namespaces, templates and editing conventions need deliberate design as a wiki grows.

Who it is for

Communities and organizations that need a configurable wiki and can operate a PHP/database application over its full lifecycle.

Pick it or skip it

Pick MediaWiki if

  • Large, linked knowledge collections with transparent revision history
  • Community or organizational wikis requiring extensibility and API access
  • Teams able to govern templates, permissions, extensions, upgrades and backups

Skip it if

  • You need a managed knowledge-base SaaS with no platform operations
  • Your required extension is unmaintained or incompatible with a supported release
  • You cannot back up and restore both the database and instance-specific files

Our verdict

Choose MediaWiki when wiki-scale collaboration and extensibility outweigh operational complexity; standardize on a supported release and prove permissions, extensions, upgrades and full recovery before production use.

Frequently asked questions

How much does MediaWiki cost?
MediaWiki is free to use. We verified this against the vendor's own page; see "What we checked" below for the date.
Does MediaWiki have a free plan?
Yes. MediaWiki is free to use at its base level.
Who is MediaWiki best for?
Communities and organizations that need a configurable wiki and can operate a PHP/database application over its full lifecycle.
What are the main drawbacks of MediaWiki?
The trade-offs we noted: Operations required: PHP, the database, web server, job processing, uploads, caching and upgrades remain local responsibilities.; Extension risk: Third-party extensions can be unmaintained, vulnerable, mutually incompatible or tied to a MediaWiki version.; Multi-part backups: Recoverable copies must include database content plus configuration, extensions, skins and uploaded files..
When should you not use MediaWiki?
Skip MediaWiki if: You need a managed knowledge-base SaaS with no platform operations; Your required extension is unmaintained or incompatible with a supported release; You cannot back up and restore both the database and instance-specific files.

What we checked

  • Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
  • Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.No
  • Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.Yes
  • SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Source listed, figures not recordedReviewed: 2026-08-24

Limit: Official MediaWiki project documentation and source licensing were reviewed; ToolCompare did not install MediaWiki, test an API or authentication flow, audit permissions, extensions or skins, benchmark scale or search, perform an upgrade, penetration-test an instance or restore a backup.

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