Outline vs Docmost: Which Self-Hosted Wiki?
Both are powerful, open-source alternatives to Notion and Confluence. But they solve different problems. Here's how to choose between them — and why managed hosting changes the equation.
Feature Comparison: Docmost vs Outline
How they stack up on the features that matter most.
Docmost data current 2026. Outline Cloud pricing from getoutline.com/pricing. Growth rates from 30-day GitHub data (OpenAlternative).
Licensing: The Open Source Distinction
Docmost is AGPL-3.0 — fully open source, no proprietary strings attached. You own the code and the license is permanent.
Outline uses Business Source License 1.1. It's source-available (you can read it), but proprietary until it converts to Apache 2.0 after four years of each new version. This matters if you care about true independence.
Authentication: Setup Friction vs. Immediate Access
Outline's biggest friction point: it requires an external identity provider before anyone can log in. You must configure Google Workspace, Slack, OIDC, or similar first. That's 10+ steps before your first user can access anything.
Docmost has built-in email/password authentication. Deploy, create an admin account, invite your team. Done in minutes.
If you don't have SSO infrastructure already, Outline becomes a multi-day project. Docmost is a one-day project.
Permissions: Granular Control Matters at Scale
Docmost gives you page-level permissions. Control exactly which teams and individuals see which pages. Critical for organizations with sensitive documents (finance, legal, HR).
Outline has team-level permissions. Everyone on a team sees everything that team publishes. Simpler for small groups, limiting for enterprises.
GitHub stars and growing faster than Outline
Docmost added 300 stars in the last 30 days. Outline added 360 but at a slower percentage growth rate (1.4% vs 0.9%). The newer project is gaining momentum.
Docmost vs Outline: Why Managed Hosting Wins
Self-hosting either product has hidden costs. Opsily handles them: backups, patches, GDPR compliance, predictable pricing. No per-user surprises, no ops team required.
No per-seat pricing games
Docmost Business edition charges $6 per user per month (minimum $60/month for 10 users). Opsily's flat-rate pricing covers unlimited team members. You know the cost. No surprise bills when headcount grows.
Infrastructure you don't operate
Backups, SSL certificates, kernel updates, database tuning, security patches, monitoring: all handled. Your team focuses on documentation, not servers. Self-hosting would mean hiring someone or paying for those ops hours yourself.
German data centers with verified security
Your data lives in secure facilities in Germany. Full GDPR compliance. No data leaves your region. Prove data residency to your compliance officer in minutes, not months.
Built for teams who need reliability
Trust & Compliance
Your wiki stays secure and compliant without extra work from you.
GDPR Compliant
Full compliance by design. Data stays within EU borders on German infrastructure.
Secure German Hosting
Enterprise-grade infrastructure with dedicated security controls. Your data stays in Germany under strict EU data protection standards.
Encrypted Backups
Daily automated backups, encrypted at rest. Recovery without data loss. Tested regularly.
Automatic Updates
Security patches applied automatically. You stay current without manual intervention.
Deploy Docmost on Opsily in 4 Steps
From signup to first team member invited: about 10 minutes.
Email and password. No credit card required for the trial.
One click. Opsily provisions your isolated VM, database, and storage automatically.
Set admin credentials, domain name, and team access rules. Less than 5 minutes.
Email and password. No credit card required for the trial.
One click. Opsily provisions your isolated VM, database, and storage automatically.
Set admin credentials, domain name, and team access rules. Less than 5 minutes.
Create your Opsily account
Email and password. No credit card required for the trial.
Select Docmost from the app catalog
One click. Opsily provisions your isolated VM, database, and storage automatically.
Configure your wiki settings
Set admin credentials, domain name, and team access rules. Less than 5 minutes.
Invite your team
Share the link. First users can log in immediately with email/password or SSO.
Transparent Pricing. No Per-Seat Surprises.
All plans include daily backups, German hosting, GDPR compliance, and unlimited team members. Choose the compute power your wiki needs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Docmost, Outline, and hosting on Opsily.
Docmost is AGPL-3.0 open source. Your code is free forever under a clear open source license. Outline uses Business Source License 1.1, which is source-available (you can read the code) but proprietary until it converts to Apache 2.0 after four years of each new version. If vendor independence and code ownership matter to your compliance or strategy, Docmost's full open-source license is the safer choice.
Ready to move your team wiki off SaaS?
Docmost on Opsily: no per-user fees, no vendor lock-in, full data control. Start your free trial today.