# BookStack

> simple, self-hosted, easy-to-use wiki software

**Wikidata**: [Q107122654](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107122654)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BookStack)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bookstack

## Summary
BookStack is a simple, self-hosted, easy-to-use wiki software application for organizing and storing documentation. It is free software (MIT License), written in PHP, developed and maintained by Dan Brown, and its source code is published on GitHub.

## Key Facts
- BookStack is a self-hosted wiki software described as "simple, self-hosted, easy-to-use wiki software."
- Developer and maintainer: Dan Brown.
- Inception (project start): 2015-07-12.
- License: MIT License (free software).
- Primary programming language: PHP.
- Official website: https://www.bookstackapp.com (English).
- Source code repository: https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack (GitHub username: BookStackApp).
- Notable releases: v0.13.1 (2016-11-27); v21.04 series (multiple patch releases in April–May 2021); stable release v21.05.1 (2021-06-04).
- Publication date for v21.04: 2021-04-09.
- Community and social channels: subreddit "bookstack" (created 2018-06-21; 304 subscribers as of 2021-06-06), Mastodon account bookstack@fosstodon.org (verified, active from 2023-01-10), YouTube handle BookStackApp, PeerTube channel bookstack@foss.video, Codeberg username "bookstack".

## FAQs
### Q: Is BookStack free and open source?
A: Yes. BookStack is distributed under the MIT License and is classified as free software. Its source code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack.

### Q: What language is BookStack written in?
A: BookStack is written in PHP.

### Q: Can I self-host BookStack?
A: Yes. BookStack is designed to be self-hosted as a simple, easy-to-use wiki platform and is distributed under an open MIT license.

## Why It Matters
BookStack fills the niche of a straightforward, self-hosted documentation/wiki platform that teams and individuals can run and control themselves. Its MIT license allows organizations to run, study, modify, and redistribute the software, making it suitable for internal documentation, knowledge bases, and privacy-conscious deployments. Being written in PHP makes it compatible with a wide range of typical web-hosting environments. The project has an active development history with multiple numbered releases (notably the 21.04 series and stable 21.05.1 release in mid‑2021), a published code repository on GitHub, and community touchpoints such as a subreddit, Mastodon account, and video channels. Those attributes make BookStack a practical choice for users who want a lightweight, maintainable wiki system they can host themselves while retaining full control of their documentation and data.

## Notable For
- Clear focus on being simple and easy to use as a self-hosted wiki solution.
- Distributed under the permissive MIT License, allowing broad reuse and modification.
- Implemented in PHP, enabling deployment on common web stacks.
- Active, tracked release series with the v21.04/v21.05 sequence and stable v21.05.1 (released 2021-06-04).
- Public development and distribution via a GitHub repository (BookStackApp) and presence on multiple community platforms (subreddit, Mastodon, YouTube, PeerTube, Codeberg).

## Body
### Overview
- BookStack is a wiki software application intended for self-hosted use.
- It emphasizes simplicity and ease of use for organizing documentation and content.
- The project is described succinctly as "simple, self-hosted, easy-to-use wiki software."

### History and Development
- Inception date: 2015-07-12.
- Developer and primary maintainer: Dan Brown.
- The project has multiple recorded releases, including:
  - v0.13.1 — 2016-11-27.
  - v21.04 — 2021-04-09 (and several sequential patches: 21.04.1 through 21.04.6 in April–May 2021).
  - v21.05 — 2021-05-30.
  - v21.05.1 — 2021-06-04 (designated stable release).
- Publication date for the v21.04 announcement: 2021-04-09.

### Technical Details
- Programming language: PHP.
- License: MIT License (free software).
- Primary use-case: wiki/documentation platform for self-hosted deployments.

### Distribution and Source
- Official website: https://www.bookstackapp.com (English).
- Source code repository: https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack.
- GitHub username for the project: BookStackApp.
- Codeberg username: bookstack.
- Open Hub identifier: BookStackApp.

### Branding and Media
- Logo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/BookStack_logo.svg (used from 2015-10-01).
- Screenshot/image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/BookStack_v21.05.1_page.png.
- Wikipedia title and Commons category: "BookStack".

### Community and Channels
- Subreddit: r/bookstack (created 2018-06-21; 304 subscribers noted as of 2021-06-06).
- Mastodon: bookstack@fosstodon.org (verified account; start date 2023-01-10).
- YouTube handle: BookStackApp.
- PeerTube channel: bookstack@foss.video.

### Classification and Status
- Instance of: wiki software and free software.
- Copyright status: copyrighted (code licensed under MIT).
- Maintained by: Dan Brown.
- Sitelink count for associated Wikimedia entries: 3.

## References

1. [2025](https://github.com/EvanLi/Github-Ranking/blob/master/Data/github-ranking-2025-07-06.csv)
2. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04)
3. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04.1)
4. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04.2)
5. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04.3)
6. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04.4)
7. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04.5)
8. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.04.6)
9. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.05)
10. [Source](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v21.05.1)
11. [Release 0.13.1. 2016](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.13.1)
12. [Release 0.14.0. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.14.0)
13. [Release 0.14.1. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.14.1)
14. [Release 0.14.2. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.14.2)
15. [Release 0.14.3. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.14.3)
16. [Release 0.15.0. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.15.0)
17. [Release 0.15.1. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.15.1)
18. [Release 0.15.2. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.15.2)
19. [Release 0.15.3. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.15.3)
20. [Release 0.16.0. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.16.0)
21. [Release 0.16.1. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.16.1)
22. [Release 0.16.2. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.16.2)
23. [Release 0.16.3. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.16.3)
24. [Release 0.17.0. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.17.0)
25. [Release 0.17.1. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.17.1)
26. [Release 0.17.2. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.17.2)
27. [Release 0.17.3. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.17.3)
28. [Release 0.17.4. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.17.4)
29. [Release 0.18.0. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.18.0)
30. [Release 0.18.1. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.18.1)
31. [Release 0.18.2. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.18.2)
32. [Release 0.18.3. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.18.3)
33. [Release 0.18.4. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.18.4)
34. [Release 0.18.5. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.18.5)
35. [Release 0.19.0. 2017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.19.0)
36. [Release 0.20.0. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.20.0)
37. [Release 0.20.1. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.20.1)
38. [Release 0.20.2. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.20.2)
39. [Release 0.20.3. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.20.3)
40. [Release 0.21.0. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.21.0)
41. [Release 0.22.0. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.22.0)
42. [Release 0.23.0. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.23.0)
43. [Release 0.23.1. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.23.1)
44. [Release 0.23.2. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.23.2)
45. [Release 0.24.0. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.24.0)
46. [Release 0.24.1. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.24.1)
47. [Release 0.24.2. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.24.2)
48. [Release 0.24.3. 2018](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.24.3)
49. [Release 0.25.0. 2019](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.25.0)
50. [Release 0.25.1. 2019](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/releases/tag/v0.25.1)