Docs: Collaborative Note-Taking, Wiki, and Documentation Platform

Docs: Collaborative Note-Taking, Wiki, and Documentation Platform

Summary

Docs is an open-source, real-time collaborative editor designed to help teams write, organize, and share knowledge efficiently. Built with Django and React, it offers a robust alternative to tools like Notion or Google Docs, emphasizing data ownership and self-hosting capabilities. It empowers public organizations, companies, and open communities to manage their knowledge collaboratively.

Repository Info

Updated on May 12, 2026
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Tags

collaborative-editingdocumentation-platformwikiknowledge-managementopen-sourceDjangoReactJSself-hosted

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Introduction

Docs is an innovative open-source collaborative editor that empowers teams to write, organize, and share knowledge together in real time. Developed as a joint initiative by the French and German governments, and built with modern technologies like Django and React, Docs provides a scalable platform for note-taking, wikis, and comprehensive documentation. It stands out as a powerful alternative to proprietary tools, focusing on real-time collaboration, structured documents, robust knowledge organization, and crucial data ownership through self-hosting options.

Installation

Getting started with Docs for self-hosting is straightforward, with support for various deployment methods. The platform is designed to be flexible, accommodating different infrastructure preferences.

Docs supports:

  • Kubernetes
  • Docker Compose
  • Community-provided methods such as Nix and YunoHost

For detailed instructions on setting up your own instance, please refer to the official Installation guide.

Note on Licensing: Some advanced features rely on GPL-licensed XL packages from Blocknote. To ensure a fully MIT-compatible build, you can run Docs without these packages by setting PUBLISH_AS_MIT=true during the build process. More details are available in the environment variables documentation.

Examples

Experience the power of Docs firsthand without any installation. You can explore its features and collaborative capabilities through live demonstrations and public instances.

Why Use Docs?

Docs offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance collaboration and knowledge management:

  • Writing: Enjoy rich-text and Markdown editing, slash commands, a block system, beautiful formatting, and even offline editing. Optional AI writing helpers are available for tasks like rewriting, summarizing, translating, and fixing typos.
  • Collaboration: Benefit from live cursors, presence indicators, comments, robust sharing options, and granular access control to manage who can view or edit content.
  • Knowledge Management: Organize your information effectively with subpages, hierarchical structures, and powerful searchable content capabilities.
  • Export/Import & Interoperability: Easily import content from .docx and .md formats, and export your documents to .docx, .odt, or .pdf.

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