Bookstackapp

What is bookstack

Bookstack is an open-source documentation platform built for creating structured, readable knowledge bases. It organizes content into a hierarchy of shelves, books, chapters, and pages, making it easy to represent manuals, internal policies, product docs, and onboarding guides. The software is distributed under a permissive license and is designed to be self-hosted in typical web environments (PHP, MySQL/MariaDB).

Bookstack targets teams that need a lightweight, structured wiki with a web editor, page revision history, and role-based access control. It emphasizes a simple writing experience with WYSIWYG and markdown-like support, page revisions, and export features so that content can be migrated or backed up easily.

Because Bookstack is open-source, organizations can customize templates, add integrations, and host the stack on their own infrastructure for compliance and data control. For organizations that prefer not to run their own servers, managed hosting options are commonly available through third-party providers and the project’s official site.

Bookstack features

Bookstack includes a range of features focused on documentation workflows, content organization, and team access control. Key capabilities include:

• Content hierarchy and organization: shelves to group books, books containing chapters, and chapters containing pages. This structure matches common documentation and manual layouts.
• Rich editor and markdown support: a WYSIWYG visual editor plus markdown-like shortcuts for fast writing and formatting. Inline images and attachments are supported.
• Page revisions and history: versioned pages with the ability to compare revisions, restore earlier versions, and see edit metadata.
• Search and navigation: full-text search across content, configurable home pages, table-of-contents and breadcrumb navigation for readers.
• Role-based access control: configurable roles and permissions for viewers, editors, and admins; page-level restrictions for private content.
• Export and import: export pages and books to HTML, PDF, and Markdown; import content from common formats or via API.
• User management and authentication: local accounts plus options to connect external authentication systems (OAuth, LDAP, or SSO integrations through standard extensions).
• Activity logs and auditing: activity feeds and basic auditing for tracking changes and collaborators.

Bookstack's UI is intentionally focused on readability and structure rather than feature-heavy collaboration tools. That makes it a predictable choice where stable, searchable, hierarchical documentation is the priority rather than task tracking or chat.

What does bookstack do?

Bookstack provides a web-based platform for authoring, organizing, and publishing documentation and internal knowledge. Authors create content in a clear hierarchy (shelves → books → chapters → pages) and collaborate through simple editing, commenting, and revision controls. The product supports content publication to internal teams or the public internet depending on permissions.

For administrators, Bookstack acts as a hostable knowledge base: it provides user and role management, backup/export tools, and the ability to integrate authentication with corporate identity providers. For readers, Bookstack surfaces clear navigation, search, and readable page rendering with embedded media and attachments.

Developers and operations teams typically use Bookstack to provide internal runbooks, developer onboarding documents, API references derived from Markdown, and SOP repositories that require history and access control but not necessarily granular workflow automation.

Bookstack pricing

Bookstack offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0/month for the open-source self-hosted version (download and run on your own servers)
• Managed hosting: pricing varies by provider; many managed Bookstack hosts offer tiered plans based on storage, traffic and support levels (see provider pages for exact rates)
• Enterprise / custom support: pricing available on request from third-party hosters or consultants for custom deployments and SLAs

The core Bookstack application itself is freely available to install and run with no license fees. Managed hosting providers and third-party consultants typically charge monthly or annual fees for hosted instances, backups, updates, and support. Check Bookstack's official site and documentation for links to community and hosting resources and to find current third-party hosting options.

How much is bookstack per month

Bookstack starts at $0/month for the self-hosted open-source software. If you choose managed hosting, monthly costs depend on provider, instance size, storage, and support level; common entry-level managed plans from third parties often start at low single-digit to low-double-digit dollars per month.

How much is bookstack per year

Bookstack costs $0/year for the self-hosted edition when you install and run it on your own infrastructure. For hosted services, annual costs will be the monthly plan multiplied by 12 or discounted annual plans offered by hosts; enterprise support contracts are typically quoted as annual fees.

How much is bookstack in general

Bookstack pricing ranges from $0 (self-hosted) to paid hosted plans billed monthly or annually starting at modest amounts depending on provider. The largest cost factors are hosting (compute and storage), backups, and whether you buy commercial support or managed upgrades. For organizations requiring SLA-backed hosting and professional services, expect pricing to scale accordingly and request quotes from hosting vendors.

What is bookstack used for

Bookstack is commonly used for internal documentation, team knowledge bases, developer and product documentation, and procedural manuals. It excels where content needs to be organized into a persistent hierarchy—with clear ownership and revision tracking—rather than in free-form note-taking apps.

Organizations use Bookstack to publish runbooks and on-call procedures, maintain operations documentation, collect product and API documentation, and host onboarding materials for new employees. Its export options also make it useful when an organization needs printable manuals or offline documentation sets.

Because Bookstack is self-hostable and lightweight, it is often chosen by companies with security or compliance requirements that prevent storing documentation on multi-tenant SaaS platforms. It is also used by open-source projects and small teams that prefer a single, well-structured platform for documentation.

Pros and cons of bookstack

Bookstack's strengths include a simple, readable structure, openness, and low operational complexity for basic setups.

• Pros:

  • Clear hierarchy and navigation: the shelves/books/chapters/pages model maps directly to many documentation needs.
  • Open-source and self-hostable: full code access, no per-user licensing for self-hosting, and no vendor lock-in for content.
  • Simple editing and revision history: a WYSIWYG editor with revision tracking keeps authoring accessible to non-technical users.
  • Export capabilities: built-in exports to HTML, PDF, and Markdown for backups and distribution.

• Cons:

  • Limited advanced collaboration features: lacks complex workflow automation, task management, and advanced commenting compared with some SaaS knowledge platforms.
  • Self-hosting requires ops resources: you need administrative effort for backups, upgrades, scaling, and security hardening unless you use a managed host.
  • Integrations scope: while Bookstack provides API and authentication hooks, some third-party integrations require additional configuration or custom glue code.

When evaluating Bookstack, weigh the benefits of control, structure, and cost (self-hosted) against the operational overhead of managing the service and the absence of deeper project management features.

Bookstack free trial

Since the core Bookstack application is open-source and self-hosted, there is no conventional trial: you can download and run the software immediately for evaluation. Many users spin up a quick local or cloud instance to test features and migrations.

If you prefer a hosted evaluation, some third-party hosting providers and the Bookstack community offer demo instances or short-term hosted trials—availability and terms vary by provider. Check hosting provider pages linked from the official site for trial options and demo environments.

For a guided evaluation, install Bookstack in a disposable environment (local Docker, VPS, or staging server), import a small set of content, and test search, exports, and permission settings to determine suitability before rolling into production.

Is bookstack free

Yes, Bookstack is free to use and distribute for self-hosting. The application is open-source and can be downloaded without licensing fees. That said, you will incur hosting, maintenance, and optional support costs when you run Bookstack in production or choose managed hosting.

Bookstack API

Bookstack exposes a documented REST API to allow automated interaction with its content objects. Typical API capabilities include CRUD operations for books, chapters, pages, users, and search endpoints. The API is useful for bulk imports, automated content generation, and synchronization with other systems.

Authentication for the API is generally achieved via personal access tokens or API keys tied to a user account. Rate limiting and access controls are managed by the host environment and Bookstack’s permission model. Check the official Bookstack documentation for exact endpoints, parameter formats, and authentication examples to build integrations or scripts.

Beyond the REST API, Bookstack supports export formats that facilitate integration: Markdown and HTML exports can be consumed by static site generators, CI pipelines, and content migration tools. For deep integrations—such as single sign-on with corporate identity providers or search indexing with external engines—configuration and middleware may be required.

10 Bookstack alternatives

• Notion - all-in-one workspace with loose hierarchical organization and strong collaborative editing for teams seeking an integrated notes/tasks environment.
• Confluence - enterprise wiki with deep integration into Atlassian workflows, advanced permissions, and strong enterprise features.
• GitBook - documentation-as-code with a hosted platform and git-based workflow for developer-focused docs.
• Wiki.js - modern open-source wiki with Node.js stack and flexible authentication and database backends.
• MediaWiki - scalable open-source wiki engine behind Wikipedia, suited for large community or publicly editable documentation.
• DokuWiki - file-based open-source wiki focused on simplicity and easy backups.
• Read the Docs - documentation hosting optimized for technical docs and versioned builds, often paired with Sphinx.
• BookStack (self-hosted forks and managed providers) - other community distributions and paid hosts offering variants of Bookstack with added support.
• HelpDocs - hosted knowledge base optimized for customer-facing documentation with analytics and search improvements.
• Guru - internal knowledge platform focused on knowledge capture, verification workflows, and integration into daily tools.

Paid alternatives to bookstack

• Confluence — enterprise wiki from Atlassian with advanced permissions, integrations with Jira, and commercial support suitable for medium to large organizations.
• Notion — paid plans offer team collaboration, databases, and admin controls in a hosted SaaS format with polished editor UX.
• GitBook (hosted) — paid tiers add team management, search, and hosting conveniences around git-based documentation workflows.
• HelpDocs — paid knowledge base hosted solution with analytics, curated search, and customer-facing documentation features.
• Guru — subscription-based internal knowledge platform with verification and context-aware content delivery for customer-facing teams.

Open source alternatives to bookstack

• Wiki.js — modern open-source wiki with flexible backend support, authentication connectors, and a modular architecture.
• MediaWiki — robust community wiki engine designed for massive scale and public knowledge bases.
• DokuWiki — lightweight file-based wiki that is easy to back up and maintain without a database.
• Read the Docs — while primarily a hosting service, it integrates closely with Sphinx and documentation source trees for open-source projects.
• MkDocs — static-site generator geared toward project documentation that works well with Markdown and CI/CD pipelines.

Frequently asked questions about Bookstack

What is Bookstack used for?

Bookstack is primarily used for internal documentation and knowledge bases. Teams deploy it to host manuals, runbooks, onboarding materials, and product documentation in a structured, searchable format. It suits organizations that prefer a hierarchical document structure and want control over hosting and data.

Does Bookstack have an API?

Yes, Bookstack provides a REST API for content operations. The API supports creating, reading, updating, and deleting books, chapters, pages, and users, and is suitable for import/export automation, CI workflows, and basic integrations. Refer to the official documentation for endpoint details and authentication methods.

Is Bookstack free to use?

Yes, the Bookstack self-hosted edition is free under an open-source license. You can download and run the software without license fees, though you will incur hosting and maintenance costs for production deployments. Managed hosting and commercial support from third parties typically carry separate fees.

Can I self-host Bookstack on my own server?

Yes, Bookstack is designed to be self-hosted. Installation typically requires a PHP runtime, a MySQL/MariaDB database, and a web server. The official docs include step-by-step installation instructions and Docker examples for quick deployments.

Does Bookstack support single sign-on (SSO) or LDAP?

Yes, Bookstack can be integrated with external authentication systems in common deployments. Many installations use OAuth providers or connect to LDAP/AD using community-supported methods or middleware; exact setup steps and supported providers are covered in the project documentation and community guides.

Can I export pages from Bookstack?

Yes, Bookstack supports exports to HTML, PDF, and Markdown. Export tools let you produce offline copies of books or pages for archival, printing, or migration to other platforms. Exports preserve basic formatting and attachments depending on the chosen format.

How secure is Bookstack?

Bookstack’s security depends largely on the hosting and configuration. The application provides role-based access controls and supports HTTPS deployment; however, production-grade security requires correct server hardening, TLS, regular updates, and secure backups. Organizations with strict compliance needs often run Bookstack on private infrastructure or use managed hosting with SLAs.

Can Bookstack import existing Markdown or wiki content?

Yes, Bookstack can import content in Markdown and other formats with varying levels of automation. The platform’s import options and API let teams migrate content from other systems, although complex or heavily formatted content may require manual adjustments after import.

Does Bookstack support collaboration features like comments and mentions?

Bookstack includes basic collaboration tools such as page history and editor attribution. It does not focus on real-time collaborative editing or extensive commenting features; organizations that need threaded comments, task assignments, and deep collaboration often pair Bookstack with complementary tools.

How do I back up Bookstack content?

Backups are performed via database dumps and file storage copies. To preserve Bookstack content, back up the application database (MySQL/MariaDB) and the public/uploads directory where images and attachments are stored. Many deployments automate these backups and store them in offsite or versioned object storage.

bookstack careers

Bookstack itself is an open-source project maintained by a community of contributors; direct corporate careers listings depend on companies that build hosted offerings or provide professional services around Bookstack. Engineers and technical writers interested in working with Bookstack should monitor community channels and third-party hoster job boards for positions related to documentation platform development, hosting operations, and support services.

Contributors can also get involved through code contributions, plugin development, documentation improvements, and translation work. These community contributions are often a path to paid consulting or support roles in organizations that adopt Bookstack.

bookstack affiliate

Bookstack does not operate a formal, central affiliate program for the open-source project. However, third-party hosting providers and consultants who offer managed Bookstack services sometimes run partner or referral programs. If you plan to refer customers to managed hosting or professional services, check individual provider pages for affiliate or partner programs.

Where to find bookstack reviews

You can find user reviews and discussions about Bookstack on software directories, open-source community forums, and hosting provider pages. Look for reviews on developer and sysadmin forums, GitHub issue threads for real-world feedback, and comparison articles on documentation tooling. For the most authoritative technical details and community experiences, consult the project repository and the official Bookstack documentation at Bookstack documentation and project site.