How much RAM does Docmost need?

2 GB is enough for a small team. The Docmost application itself is lightweight (Node.js); PostgreSQL is the main memory consumer. For teams of 10–20 with active concurrent editing, 4 GB is recommended.

Is real-time collaboration actually built in?

Yes. Docmost uses operational transformation so multiple editors can type on the same page simultaneously — no document locking, no manual merging. Changes appear live for all connected users.

Can I embed diagrams and code blocks?

Yes. Docmost has native blocks for Mermaid (flowcharts, sequence diagrams), Draw.io (complex diagrams) and Excalidraw (whiteboard sketches), plus syntax-highlighted code blocks. No extra plugins required.

How does Docmost compare to Wiki.js?

Both are open-source self-hosted wikis. Docmost focuses on real-time collaborative editing (closer to Notion) with a modern block editor. Wiki.js offers more output formats and a Git storage backend. Choose Docmost for collaborative writing; Wiki.js for Markdown-centric or Git-based docs.

Share information and collaborate.

Docmost

Self-hosted team wiki with real-time collaboration — open-source Notion and Confluence alternative.

2 GB (4 GB recommended) RAM 2 vCPU Port 3000 Available

Source code

Tech stack

DockerNode.jsPostgreSQL 16Redis 7

Minimum RAM2 GB (4 GB recommended)

Minimum CPU2 vCPU

Default port3000

Compatible OSubuntu-24.04

Docmost is an open-source collaborative wiki and documentation platform built as a self-hosted alternative to Notion and Confluence. Multiple people can work on the same page simultaneously — no overwrites, no document locking — with changes synced live across all connected editors.

Deployed on a ServOrbit VPS, Docmost gives your team a private knowledge base with nested page trees, full-text search, inline comments, page history and built-in diagramming (Mermaid, Draw.io, Excalidraw). The entire stack runs in three Docker containers — Docmost, PostgreSQL and Redis — from a single Compose file. Your docs stay on your server, subject to your retention policy, with no per-seat pricing or vendor lock-in.

Key features

Real-time collaborative editing — multiple editors, one page, zero conflicts

Nested page tree with unlimited depth and drag-and-drop reorganisation

Built-in diagramming: Mermaid, Draw.io and Excalidraw without extra plugins

Full-text search across all pages and attachments

Inline comments, page history and version diff

Workspaces, groups and fine-grained permission control

AGPL-3.0 — fully self-hostable, air-gap capable

When to use this solution?

1

Engineering wiki

Runbooks, ADRs, onboarding docs and postmortems — all searchable, versioned and collaboratively maintained without leaving the browser.

2

Project documentation

Write specs, meeting notes and roadmaps together in real time, then track changes through built-in page history.

3

Internal knowledge base

Centralise HR policies, support playbooks and client-facing FAQ drafts on infrastructure you own — no per-seat bill, no data leaving your server.

Deploy Docmost on your VPS

Guide optimized for ServOrbit Cloud VPS.

01

Order the VPS

Order a ServOrbit VPS with at least 2 GB of RAM, 4 GB beyond a dozen or so people; the system installed is Ubuntu 24.04. Docmost itself is lightweight: PostgreSQL is what takes up most of the memory budget.

02

Let the install generate the secrets

There is nothing for you to craft by hand: the deployment generates the APP_SECRET signing key and the PostgreSQL database password, and fills APP_URL with your instance's public address. That address is the one share links and invitations will follow, so settle your domain before installing if you intend to attach one.

03

Sign in for the first time

Open the address immediately after the install: Docmost shows its initial setup screen, where you create the workspace and the owner account — name, e-mail address and password. This first account holds every right, and as long as it does not exist, the first visitor who reaches the instance can claim it: do not put this step off.

04

What the install deploys

Three containers start together: docmost/docmost:latest, published on 127.0.0.1:3000, a postgres:16-alpine database and a redis:7-alpine in permanent journal mode (--appendonly yes). Attachments live in the docmost_data volume, the database in docmost_db. Allow about thirty seconds on first boot, the time for the migrations to apply.

05

Choose your access URL

Attach a domain to the instance: ServOrbit installs the nginx vhost and the TLS certificate, and Docmost then answers on https://<your-domain>, with no port number. That is the only way to open the wiki to a team. Without a domain there is no public entry point at all: the service listens on the VPS loopback only, and you reach it through an SSH tunnel — ssh -L 3000:127.0.0.1:3000 root@<vps-ip> then http://localhost:3000. Port 3000 is the catalogue default; if it has been reassigned, use the one shown on your app's card in the client area.

06

Create your workspace

Name your workspace, then invite your colleagues from Settings, Members section. Pages are organised as a tree in the left-hand column: start with a home page, and let the structure build itself up as the content grows.

Frequently asked questions

Docmost is an open-source collaborative wiki and documentation platform (AGPL-3.0). It is a self-hosted alternative to Notion and Confluence, with real-time editing, nested pages, full-text search and built-in diagramming — all running on your own server.

Embed the deploy button

Maintaining a project that uses Docmost? This button lets your readers deploy it on a VPS in one click, without reading Docker documentation.

Markdown

[![Deploy Docmost on ServOrbit](https://servorbit.com/brand/deploy/button.svg)](https://servorbit.com/vps-cloud?template=docmost&utm_source=deploy-badge&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=docmost)

HTML

<a href="https://servorbit.com/vps-cloud?template=docmost&utm_source=deploy-badge&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=docmost"><img src="https://servorbit.com/brand/deploy/button.svg" alt="Deploy Docmost on ServOrbit" height="40"></a>

The button points to a VPS order with the template preselected. The image is served from servorbit.com — nothing to host on your side.

Complementary solutions

Development

Activate Docmost on your infrastructure.

Dedicated Cloud VPS — IPv4 included, European datacenter, support included. Your data never leaves your server.

Recommended configuration: 2 GB (4 GB recommended) RAM · 2 vCPU