What enterprise wiki software is available on the market, what are their advantages and when should you use which solution?
While our documentation tool FlowShare is ideal for filling a knowledge base or company wiki with useful step-by-step instructions, a whole bunch of our customers are wiki experts: software providers, application managers, business process specialists, or simply everyday wiki users.
For some applications there is even a direct export from FlowShare: This means that you can export your step-by-step instructions directly from FlowShare to your wiki with just one click.
Due to the close connection of FlowShare tutorials with company wikis, we always get a lot of wiki input. That is why we decided to compile all the insights and knowledge in a detailed and indepentent overview on the best enterprise wiki software solutions.
If you are looking for the right option for your business, follow this article.
What is a company wiki and why is it important?
A company wiki is a collaboration tool designed to serve as an internal knowledge base for employees. It allows everyone inside the organization to access shared data and resources in one central location. Team wikis promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between teams and departments by providing a space where they can share their knowledge with each other––as an archive or in real-time.
The importance of a wiki lies in the fact that it can provide a single source of truth and guidance for an organization and its employees. By centralizing information, wikis make it easier for everyone to remain informed on all company related processes and up-to-date on the latest developments. Additionally, they can help reduce errors by providing employees with access to accurate help documents, standard operating procedures, and instructions. Finally, wikis enable teams to operate more effectively and efficiently, as they can easily access the information they need and quickly find the answers they are looking for.
In a nutshell, a company wiki is an invaluable resource that allows organizations to maintain efficient operations and fuel innovation by sharing knowledge in a centralized location. By leveraging the power of wikis, you can ensure that your teams have quick access to all the information they need to succeed instead of relying on shoulder tapping.
Which is the right software for your company wiki?
… this varies according to your needs, use case and target group. In any case, it is the task of the software to make knowledge management as easy as possible for you. In general, the following aspects have to be taken into account when using software:
- Reliability and long-term orientation: Is the software established on the market?
- Development: Are there regular updates?
- Adaptability/Individuality: Is the enterprise wiki software adaptable to your corporate identity?
- Compatibility with existing systems/software solutions in the company: Technical requirements – which technology is used?
- Security: Are there access restrictions and user administration?
- Functionality: What can the software be used for? What does it need to be used for?
- Usability / User experience:
- On the one hand: For the creators of the wiki (time expenditure, possibilities to integrate files, links, variety of formats (videos, images, …) statistics, mapping of workflows, simplicity)
- On the other hand: For the users of the wiki (clarity, search function, comments/forum, mobile, design
- Support: What support options are available? To what extend?
- Language: Are multiple languages supported?
- Costs: One-time costs, monthly costs or open source software?
Before the purchase: Which is the right enterprise wiki software for your company wiki?
Before purchasing any software, we always recommend that you have clearly established your company’s needs. This includes the use case of the software and its target group. Ask yourself what lack the knowledge management platform is supposed to address––is it central, company-wide knowledge storage or rather a live collaboration platform? Also be aware of who is using the software. After all, unless the software is accepted and adopted by its users, no enterprise wiki software alone can help you.
In any case, it is the task of the software to make knowledge management as easy as possible for you. In general, enterprise wiki software should fulfill a number of requirements. Of crucial importance are reliability, development, adaptability, compatibility, functionality, and user experience.
As a starting point, once you have a list of potential vendors, get answers to the following questions:
- Is the software established on the market?
- Are there regular updates?
- Is the company wiki adaptable to your corporate identity?
- Which integrations does the software offer?
- What can the software be used for? What does it need to be used for?
- Is it easy for authors to create content? Is the content easily accessible for users?
Other points you may want to consider are support options, language availability, and costs
- What support options are available? To what extent?
- Are multiple languages supported?
- Are there one-time costs, monthly costs, or is it an open source enterprise wiki software?
As all solutions presented in this guide work for either or customers who are mostly small to medium sized enterprises. Once you have considered these things, you can start evaluating the following software landscape to find the best one for your business.
The 12 top team wiki tools
1. The data manager: Microsoft SharePoint
MS SharePoint is not a classic wiki tool, but it works very well in document management for the central storage and processing of data. Especially if Microsoft functions are already being used extensively in the company, the use of SharePoint for a wiki can make sense. SharePoint is Microsoft’s web application for creating web pages, as well as for storing, structuring, releasing and retrieving information. These pages can therefore also contain wiki entries. SharePoint is a very comprehensive tool and also serves as a social network, it is possible to create groups and departments. The program can be installed locally or used in the cloud, additionally there is an app.
According to Microsoft, more than 200,000 companies already use the tool. Also some of our customers use SharePoint for their company wiki – and have built a clever connection to FlowShare: For example, Bauvista loads Flowshare instructions in HTML format directly into the SharePoint wiki. In this way, employees no longer have to create complex wiki entries. Instead, entire click sequences are uploaded online within seconds.
Microsoft SharePoint is available from 4.70 € per user and month, but with limited functionality. More extensive plans are also available. You can get more information about the tool here.
2. The classics: Mediawiki and Bluespice
Mediawiki is a widely used open source enterprise wiki software, which is also the basis for Wikipedia. It is free, multilingual and individually customizable – more information can be downloaded here.
BlueSpice is the enterprise development of MediaWiki and is used by companies like HAVI Logistics, TenneT or Asis. The tool offers structured document management, search and navigation, personalization, export in different formats and is optimized for mobile use. BlueSpice also enables the central management of categories or the saving of templates.
There are two versions of the wiki: A cloud version, which is available for 25 users starting at 117€ per month. Additional services such as support services or monthly cancellation options cost extra. There is also an on-premise version of the wiki, available from 333€ per year for 50 users. BlueSpice can be tested free of charge for 30 days. You can find more information and calculate exact cost frameworks for BlueSpice here.
3. The market leader: Confluence
Atlassian’s Confluence is considered the market leader among corporate wikis and describes itself as “an open and shared workspace”. The tool includes among other things the hierarchical creation of content, a well-structured search and comment function, templates, flexible usage rights and the integration of various formats such as videos, images or GIFs.
Confluence can be hosted either in the cloud or in the company’s own infrastructure, and other tools such as Trello or Jira – or FlowShare! – can be integrated into Confluence. Since summer 2023, FlowShare offers direct export to Confluence in its export formats. So you hardly have to do anything to share all your FlowShare instructions in the Confluence wiki with collaborators. You can read more about how this export works here.
All in all, the software offers very extensive possibilities, is customizable on demand and can be extended with additional add-ons. On the other hand, due to this scope it might take a little bit more time in implementation. Confluence offers a free version for teams of maximum ten members. For larger teams, the software is available from $5.75 per month and can be tested for 7 days for free. You can find more information here.
4. The professional: ProProfs
ProProfs Knowledge Base is a powerful and easy-to-use software that enables businesses to create, customize, edit and manage their own company wiki. Its features are designed for both technical experts and beginners alike. Thanks to over 40 professionally designed templates, anyone can create a wiki with ProProfs.
The tool offers robust reporting, intuitive searching capabilities, customization options, and integrations with leading tools such as Zendesk, Freshdesk, Wufoo and Google Analytics. It allows users to assign roles and responsibilities within the system and create workflows for better oversight over company knowledge and processes.
ProProfs Knowledge Base is trusted by some of the world’s leading companies like Zoho Corporation, Adobe, Acer and Nissan, making it a top choice for businesses looking to manage their company knowledge. It can also be used in combination with other ProProfs software such as ProProfs Chat and Help Desk for an even more enriching experience.
A ProProfs Essentials subscription starts at $19.99 per user per month if purchased annually, and is suitable for three users. ProProfs offers a 15-day money back guarantee as well as a free basic-version so you can safely try out whether the tool is the right one for you. More about ProProfs can be found here.
5. The trustworthy one: Guru
Knowledge you can trust, created in collaboration with your team, along the workflow is what Guru makes possible with their company wiki. Thanks to an expert verification function and update status, users of Guru knowledge bases will always know whether a piece of knowledge is still up-to-date and trustworthy.
Guru allows you to capture relevant information while you uncover it: You can directly export knowledge from websites and applications as Cards into Guru. There, Guru will make intelligent suggestions to structure and maintain the information. Through a browser add-on and custom knowledge triggers, the captured information gets delivered wherever and whenever it is needed.
Thanks to a great number of integrations, including Google, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zendesk, Guru’s applicability is vast and the potential can be harnessed in all the most common digital environments. And by the way, as Confluence, Guru integrates with FlowShare, too!
Guru offers a free starter plan for teams with three or less members. For 3+ members, the starter plan costs $10 per user per month. Plans can be tested for free. More information about Guru’s plans is provided on the website.
6. The workflow manager: Process Street
You may know Process Street as a tool for creating workflows and SOPs from our blogpost on process documentation software. In addition to building workflows, Process Street also allows you to manage them, making it a quasi knowledge base with a workflow-oriented structure.
With Process Street, you can capture process knowledge as workflows, then create and assign multiple instances of it to team members. This way, knowledge is turned into concrete instructive tasks, with progress tracked centrally. Workflows can be assigned and for more complex processes conditional workflows and approval points can be created, enhancing process oversight.
With over 3000 integrations, Process Street is a truly versatile tool, ideal where processes are at the core of company knowledge.
Process Street can be tested for free. The company has a special offer for startups, beginning at $100 per month (or $1,000 if purchased annually), including 5 members and ten guests. For bigger businesses, a pro plan costs $415 per month/$5,000 per year. You can check out the software here.
7. The collective brain: Nuclino
Instant collaboration is what Nuclino is all about. The tool allows you to create one comprehensive knowledge sharing and collaboration platform that is intuitive to use and updates in real time. This means that team members can follow along live as someone creates content in the platform
Apart from real-time collaboration, Nuclino allows users to link and search content instantly and to visualize knowledge and how it is connected according to individual preferences. It integrates seamlessly into 40+ apps, such as Slack, Lucidchart, Jira and others. Its mobile version is compatible with iOS and Android, and the desktop version with MacOS, Windows, and Linux.
Nuclino offers a 7-day free trial, a free basic plan, and paid plans beginning at 5€ per user per month. Find out more about Nuclino here.
8. The platform: Tiki Wiki
Tiki Wiki is an open source enterprise wiki software and platform. Among other things, it offers the possibility of creating image galleries, blogs, FAQs, live support, newsletters or surveys.
The platform has a modular structure and, according to the website, has over 20,000 registered users. These users can store information in a database and then manage individual usage rights. The platform supports many different languages, but is not always easy to use. All in all, this makes it a classic among wikis, but it is only of limited use for the company wiki. You can find more about Tiki Wiki here.
9. The file storage I: Google Docs / Sites (Google Workspace)
Google Docs (as well as -sheets, -slides and -forms) is Google’s all-round online office for creating and sharing text documents, tables and presentations. These can be edited online, and – as well as other document types – be uploaded and shared. The content is classically divided into folders and subdirectories, and users can then be given either reading or access permissions.
All this is probably not necessarily new to you – but you can also use these functions for your company wiki. You should pay attention to a clear structure and the separation between non-wiki documents and your wiki articles in your Google Workspace. The advantage of Docs is its universal applicability: probably everyone can use it without a long introduction. However, the service is not specialized in wiki creation, but includes the complete package, including calendar, mails, chat, … etc.
The costs for the Google Workspace start at $6 per user per month, read more here.
10. The file storage II: Dropbox Paper
Dropbox is another classic cloud storage service, but can also be used for the company’s own wiki. For this purpose, Dropbox has created Dropbox Paper, which is intended to provide a “flexible workspace”. There are many similarities to Google Docs: files are also stored online in the cloud, reading or editing access is possible from different devices and different media such as images, audio or video files can be integrated into the documents.
Considering the number of solutions that are purely specialized in wikis and knowledge bases, we can only partially recommend Dropbox Paper. So if you are specifically looking for a dedicated wiki solution, you should not go for Dropbox. But if you already use Dropbox anyway – then you can also utilize it as a wiki. At least for the beginning. If it becomes more complex and extensive, you will probably quickly reach its limits.
The price of the software depends on factors like team members and number of features, and starts at 12€ per user and month for teams. The classic cloud services are then of course included. Dropbox can be tested free of charge for two weeks, read more here.
11. The community tool: DokuWiki
Dokuwiki, like Tiki Wiki, is an open source enterprise wiki software, which means that everyone is invited to contribute and improve the software. Tiki Wiki is a basic tool to create a wiki quickly and easily. It supports more than 50 languages and allows individualization through different layouts, as well as the regulation of access rights to existing wiki entries.
The open source feature allows professionals to customize the tool to their individual needs. There are also templates and add-ons for extending the basic functions. Nevertheless, the software is probably rather something for IT experts and development teams than for beginners – but those can then really live it up with DokuWiki.
You can download Dokuwiki for free here.
12. The SME software: DrupalWiki
DrupalWiki is a comprehensive enterprise wiki software, which is particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The software was awarded as a suitable solution for SMEs in Germany and is used by companies like WDR, TÜV-Süd or Frosta.
DrupalWiki also offers numerous features: Starting with a clear category management and import from Office including formatting, continuing with customization options of the wiki according to the corporate identity and including a good search function and discussion options in blogs or forums. Additional functions such as usage statistics or an integration of Office are optional, individualized extensions can be purchased.
DrupalWiki can be tested free of charge for 30 days and costs 75€ for 25 users per month. As a second option, the software can also be purchased for large companies of 50 users in the unlimited license and then costs 1,950 €. You can read more about this here.
After the purchase: Making the most of your enterprise wiki software
Once you have decided on a software, it is time to put it to work. Roles and responsibilities need to be assigned and tasks for creating and maintaining the wiki need to be clearly distributed.
- Who is responsible for what aspects of the wiki, and how are the entries going to be created?
- Can anyone contribute to the wiki or are there a select few creators?
- How is the quality of the knowledge in the wiki going to be ensured?
- Is there a clearly defined process for how the wiki will be kept up-to-date?
Some answers may already be covered by the software itself, for others an external strategy needs to be worked out. At any rate, it is crucial that these questions are brought up and properly addressed to maintain a successful company wiki.
Want to fill your enterprise wiki with high quality help articles and how-to guides without putting in hours of manual work to create them?
Filling your enterprise wiki with FlowShare guides
Of course, a company wiki requires material to be filled with. This includes knowledge base articles, documents and documentation, references, process guidelines, and all kinds of data. The step-by-step instructions you create with FlowShare are one way to fill your wiki with productive company know-how and best practices. FlowShare, with its various export formats and integrations, is well compatible with many wiki tools. This way, you can provide useful instructions for your colleagues and store them centrally for everyone to access easily!
Simply document your processes, export them in your favorite format, and upload them to your wiki! Find out more about FlowShare here.
Takeaways
The software solutions proposed here are a selection of a wide variety of tools. Whether your preferred wiki is among them or not, ultimately, you need to find a wiki that the creators and users of wiki entries can work well with. Everything else is secondary.
The important thing to remember is that any enterprise wiki software purchase should be based on the considerations
- which requirements your wiki must meet and which of them are most important, and
- which software meets these requirements best.
Wiki software takes a great load off your shoulders but it will not maintain itself. Make sure to establish wiki-specific responsibilities in your team and to have a simple way to fill your wiki with productive knowledge!
Looking for a quick and effective way to fill your wiki? FlowShare is a great tool for this. Try it for yourself and create unlimited step-by-step instructions, free of charge for 7 days!
