MediaWiki vs. WikkaWiki

 

Feature comparison table | Reviews & user feedback

Feature comparison table

The aim of the table below is to compare the most prominent features of WikkaWiki and MediaWiki (only the features of the engine released with the packages are listed - any extension/code contribution not included in the official packages is omitted). This list is far from exhaustive: the best way to understand what wiki engine fits your needs is to install it and give it a try.

FeatureMediaWikiWikkaWiki
General information
Latest stable release1.24.11.3.6
PlatformPlatform-independentPlatform-independent
LanguagePHP 5.1+PHP 4.1+
DependenciesExternal (non-packaged) library required for PHP<4.31none
Data storageMySQL 4.0+, PostgreSQL 8.1+, SQLite 3+MySQL 3.23+
StandardsXHTML 1.0 Transitional / CSSXHTML 1.0 Transitional / CSS
LicenseGPLGPL
Package size (.tar.gz)11,262Kb1,280Kb
Text formatting

Headings

yes (3 levels)yes (5 levels)
Boldyes ('''bold''' / <b>bold</b>2)yes (**bold**)
Italicsyes (''italics'' / <i>italics</i>2)yes (//italics//)
Bold Italicsyes (''''bold italics'''')yes (**//bold italics//**)
Underlineyes (<u>underline</u>2)yes (__underline__)
Monospaceyes ( <tt>monospace</tt>2)yes (##monospace##)
Strikethroughyes ( <strike>strikethrough</strike>2)yes (++strikehrough++)
Highlighted notesnoyes (''note'')
Colored textyes2yes ({{color}} action)
Smallyes ( <small>small</small>2)yes3
Superscriptyes2yes3
Subscriptyes2yes3
Keynoyes (#%key#%)
Centeryes2yes (@@center@@)
Greek characters (α β γ δ)yes2yes3
Math characters (∑ √ ± ∞)yes2yes3
Horizontal rulesyes (----)yes (----)
Indentationyes (: indented text)yes (~indented text)
Newlinesyes2yes (---)
Anchorsyes2yes3
Lists
  • Unordered
  • lists
    yes (* list item)yes (~- list item)
    1. Numbered
    2. lists
      yes (# list item)yes (~1) list item)
      1. Roman-number
      2. lists
        noyes (~I) list item)
        1. Lowercase
        2. roman-number
        3. lists
          noyes (~i) list item)
          1. Alphabetic
          2. lists
            noyes (~A) list item)
            1. Lowercase
            2. alphabetic
            3. lists
              noyes (~a) list item)
              • Inline
                • comments
              noyes (~& comment)
              Definition listsyes (;item :definition)no
              Nested listsyesyes (limited)
              Advanced formatting features
              Tablesyesyes
              Advanced math markupyes (TeX to MathML/HTML/PNG5)limited3
              Tables of Content (TOC)yesyes
              Syntax highlightingnoyes4
              Links
              Auto CamelCase linksnoyes
              Auto URL linksnoyes
              Free linksyesno
              Forced linksyesyes
              Interwiki linksyesyes
              Link labelsyesyes
              Word-extension linksyesno
              Footnotesyesno
              Fragment linksyesno
              Image linksyesyes
              Broken links (missing pages)yesyes
              Embedded objects
              Imagesyesinline/ {{image}} action
              Flashnoyes ({{flash}} action)
              SVGnono
              Embedded RSSnoyes ({{rss}} action)
              Mindmapsnoyes (FreeMind6)
              HTMLlimited2full/safe3
              Editing
              Preview-paneyesyes
              Double-click edityes (optional)yes (optional)
              Section editingyesno
              Edit noteyesyes
              Minor edit flagyesno
              GUIyesyes
              Editing-conflict controlyes (automatic merge)yes (lock)
              Tracking changes
              Recent changesyesyes (recently changed pages)
              Recent changes RSSyesyes (RSS 0.92)
              Recent changes MindMapnoyes
              Recent changes broadcastingnoyes7
              Recent commentsyesyes (recent comments and recently commented pages)
              Recent comments RSSnono
              Page historyyesyes
              Page revision differencesyes (all)yes (all)
              Page revisions RSSnoyes (RSS 2.0)
              New pagesyesno
              New pages RSSyesno
              Page watchyesno
              User contributionsyesyes
              Page-related features
              Access controlpage locksACL lists (default/per page)8
              Commentsyes (discussion pages)yes (with ACL)
              Categoriesyesyes
              Namespacesyesno
              Subpagesyesno
              Backlinksyesyes
              Search-engine friendly titlesyesyes9
              Page cloningnoyes
              Page deletionyesyes (admin only)
              Page redirectionyesno
              Page inclusionnoyes
              Page renamingyesno
              Page source exportyes (XML)yes (raw text)
              Site-related features
              Recently viewed pagesnono
              Most popular pagesyesno
              Orphaned pagesyesyes
              Wanted pagesyesyes
              Page indexyesyes
              Search engineyesyes
              Layout
              User customizable interfaceyes (templates/themes)yes (stylesheets)
              Print CSS (media="print")yesyes
              User-related features
              User privilegesyes (anonymous/registered/sysop/bureaucrat/admin)yes (anonymous/registered/admin)8
              User registrationyesyes
              Password retrievalyesyes
              User preferencesyesyes
              Auto-signatureyesno
              I18n & l10n
              Localized interfaceyesno
              Unicode supportfulllimited
              Extras
              Calendarnoyes
              Feedback formsnoyes ({{feedback}} action)
              File uploadsyesyes ({{files}} action)
              Image uploadsyesno
              Image galleryyesno
              Image resizingyes10no
              Site administration
              Referrer management/antispamnoyes
              Site statisticsextensivebasic
              User listyesyes
              User banning/blacklistingyesno
              Installerweb-based wizardweb-based wizard
              Upgraderlimited (most recent versions only)web-based wizard (from any previous versions and from WakkaWiki)
              URL rewritingyes (optional)yes (optional)
              Database lockyesno
              Complete logsyesno
              Development
              Extensibilityyesyes
              CVS repositoryyesno
              IRC channel#mediawiki#wikka
              Mailing listsyesyes
              Notes:

              [1] PHP_Compat library from PEAR is required. This library doesn't need the PEAR core.

              [2] A limited set of HTML tags can be directly used in the source.

              [3] HTML can be safely embedded through SafeHTML in double-doublequotes, e.g. ""<sub>subscript</sub>"".

              [4] Advanced syntax highlighting in different languages through GeSHi.

              [5] PNG rendering of TeX formulas requires several external libraries to be installed on the server.

              [6] FreeMind mindmaps can be either embedded or inline.

              [7] Changes can be broadcast to an external server through the WikiPing XML-RPC protocol.

              [8] Access Control Lists can be set on a per-page basis to allow [admins|single users|no users|registered users|anonymous users] to [read|write|comment] page content.

              [9] The SmartTitle function allows HTML titles different from the pagename.

              [10] ImageMagick or libgd must be installed on the server

               



              Reviews & user feedback


              I wanted a wiki for my site, as I find wiki a wonderful tool for collaborative development of ideas. I needed to make a choice, so I googled for wiki comparision tables, and reviews. I found several of them, and at first I chose MediaWiki as the most well known wiki out there. Well, after I have downloaded it and have taken a quick look around, it ticked me that it was way too big than what I imagined it would be. After careful investigation of the same comparison tables I put my finger on WikkaWiki that, compared to lots of other lightweight wiki tools is still being developed.
              Installation was a breeze, quick and easy. I put a full copy of the distribution in a separate directory, and linked to it from where I wanted my wiki to be. I wanted several of them in different places and separate, and that way I was able to make that happen with ease. Everything happens on a single installation page, and after you have filled it with all necessary data, it creates the database tables for you, and initializes your wiki. The configuration file is put in the local directory, and you are free to modify it if needed.

              For a while, I've been looking at several implementations of Wiki software. MediaWiki is nice, but very heavy on the server. Not weird, considering the software is loaded with features. Of course, a lot of those features are hardly needed, so I chose to stay away from MediaWiki.
              After trying various other Wiki implementations, I came by WikkaWiki. It has all the usual features of a wiki, but isn't too loaded with features that I don't need. I just need some wiki functionality. Looking at the code, it was quite easy to customize. And fully XHTML and CSS-based, which is also a big plus.


              I was recently looking around at wiki scripts to run my own wiki-based projects. Naturally, the first script I looked at was the MediaWiki script used by Wikipedia. In fact, at the time, I already had in mind to use that script. It had not occurred to me that there might be any other script to use. After opening up the script to poke around, however, I realized that it was so horrible that not only was I dissuaded from using it without looking for other scripts, I was resolved that it would probably be better to write my own wiki script than to use the MediaWiki script (luckily, I didn’t have to, because Wikka is pretty good). The script is incredibly complex without needing to be so. There is no easy way to create plugins for the script, because they all require a full understanding of hundreds of lines of tangled code. But even this would be excuseable, since with script is designed for only one project and therefore doesn’t need to be easily modifiable for others to use. The greater problem comes from the fact that the code is so incredibly bloated. I feel sorry for the processor that has to run that code. And I’m not one to empathize with chunks of silicon and metal.

              I think WikkaWiki has some strong points, even compared to MediaWiki. To me, it’s a good balance between features and lightness. (davidm)
              David, I fully agree I installed WikkaWiki locally today and I have played with it some and it’s just what I was looking for. It has all the features that I wanted without feeling like it is bloated like MediaWiki can be at times (Niloc)


              [M]y first wiki was MediaWiki, and I just decided it was.. 'too much'. I wanted something that was easier, cleaner interface, and where new users with something to say would be more likely to add content and ended up with WikkaWiki (Jason Rahaim)

              (LukaV)

              Thanks for the good work.

              IndependentWikkaReviews More reviews...


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