Compare / Outline vs Docmost
Outline vs Docmost
Pick Docmost if you want an OSI AGPL-3.0 Notion-style wiki (the published c17 docs stack). Pick Outline if you want that realtime editor and accept Business Source License 1.1 — not OSI open source.
Facts checked 18 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Outline in the catalog Docmost in the catalogStart on Railway
How they compare
| Outline | Docmost | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Business Source License 1.1 (not OSI) source | AGPL-3.0 (docmost/docmost) source |
| Language | TypeScript (catalog) | TypeScript (catalog) |
| GitHub activity | 40,958 stars in the catalog source | 22,008 stars, pushed 16 Oct 2026 (not in the catalog row) source |
| Self-host | Postgres + Redis + object storage. BSL production grant is for your org, not a competing SaaS. | Published as /stacks/docmost-wiki. Postgres + uploads. |
| Best for | Realtime wiki if you accept BSL. | An OSI Notion-shaped wiki. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
Docmost is /stacks/docmost-wiki: Postgres, uploads on a volume. Outline is BSL 1.1 (outline/outline LICENSE): you may self-host for your own team; a commercial Document Service is forbidden; versions convert to Apache-2.0 after the dated change window. BookStack remains the GitBook-shaped shelf — /compare/docmost-vs-bookstack.
FAQ
- Is Outline open source?
- No. BSL 1.1 is source-available, not OSI. The LICENSE says it is not an Open Source license. Docmost is AGPL-3.0.
- Docmost or BookStack?
- Docmost is Notion-shaped. BookStack is GitBook-shaped — /compare/docmost-vs-bookstack.
- Are these free to self-host?
- Docmost is AGPL. Outline allows self-host for your own employees/contractors under BSL. You pay hosting.
- How do I deploy Docmost?
- Open /stacks/docmost-wiki. Persist Postgres and uploads.
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