Why another new wiki app?

May 16
3 min read

Updated: May 21

Anyone who announces today that they’re developing a new wiki app often gets the same reaction:

Are there not already enough of those?

At first glance, the answer seems clear. There are countless tools for note-taking, knowledge management, and documentation—from classic wikis to modern all-in-one platforms like Notion or Confluence.

However, even today there is room for new wiki approaches.

Why? Because while many existing solutions have become powerful, they are often no longer easy to use.

The Real Problem with Many Wiki Systems

Most well-known wiki platforms were originally developed for larger teams or companies. These wiki systems, such as Notion, are technically impressive, but in everyday use they often seem:

complex
cluttered
cloud-dependent
or administratively burdensome

But many people don't want to manage a large knowledge system at all. They simply want to:

documents their work
find information later
add photos effortlessly
clearly document processes
collect data
or organize personal knowledge

Why Individuals Don't Need User Management

This is perhaps the most important point. Tradespeople, consultants, private individuals, and gamers, in particular, often don't need a complex collaboration platform—but rather a tool that is clear and easy to use.

Modern wiki and knowledge platforms today are designed for teams, which comes with features such as:

user management
role models
permission assignment
approval processes
group structures
team spaces
external plugins
and administration areas

For large organizations, such features are important. For individuals, self-employed professionals, or tradespeople, however, they are completely unnecessary. Anyone who works alone doesn’t want to spend time on:

configuring permissions
inviting users
checking access rights
managing plugins
or managing complex structures

Why Modern Wiki Solutions Are Increasingly Becoming Subscription Traps

There is another trend to consider: Many platforms are increasingly evolving into subscription ecosystems. What used to be a straightforward application now often consists of:

paid add-ons
storage upgrades
additional AI features
team subscriptions
sudden new premium features

This quickly creates the feeling of constantly being confronted with new, unnecessary offers and hidden additional costs.

Mobile and effortless work instead of technical hurdles

Many long-standing, smaller wiki solutions, such as TiddlyWiki or Zim, have their roots in the desktop world and therefore often seem tailored more to tech-savvy users. In everyday use, this often manifests as:

markdown editors that take some getting used to
nested menus
complicated navigation
small controls that make operation difficult on smartphones

The new wiki app should therefore consistently follow the “mobile-first” philosophy and leverage the advantages of mobile devices.

Why Modern Wiki Tools Need to Be Rethought

Joplin and Obsidian are undoubtedly powerful local wiki solutions. Nevertheless, everyday use often reveals that working with Markdown isn't ideal for everyone. While the approach is flexible, it has its limitations when it comes to layout and visual structuring.

The new wiki solution is designed to take a different approach: Instead of building content using syntax, the innovative wiki app will be based on predefined and specialized section types. This makes it much easier to present and structure information in a visually appealing way. In particular, combining images and text should be as easy as possible.

Many existing wiki systems require additional plugins to support everyday functions such as PDF exports, advanced queries, or specific image cropping. This creates additional technical dependencies and increases maintenance efforts.

The new wiki solution is therefore designed to provide as many of these features as possible with built-in integration—easy to use, visually consistent, and free of unnecessary dependencies.