Outline: your team wiki, your rules
Your own knowledge base and team wiki.
Replace Notion and Confluence. Your data stays on your server.
Outline key features
A clean, fast knowledge base built on Markdown, on your own server.
Markdown editor
Write in Markdown with live preview. Supports tables, code blocks, embeds, and slash commands for fast editing.
Real-time collaboration
Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously. Live cursors show who is writing where.
Nested documents
Organize documentation in collections with unlimited nesting. Drag and drop to restructure your wiki.
Full-text search
Instant search across all documents. Results ranked by relevance with highlighted matches.
Integrations and API
Native Slack integration for search and notifications. Full REST API for custom integrations and automation.
SSO and OIDC
Sign in with Google, Slack, SAML, or any OIDC provider. Manage access through your existing identity system.
Outline vs Notion
Notion without the vendor lock. Your docs, your rules.
| Feature | Outline + VPS | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Data ownership | Your server, your data | Stored on US servers |
| GDPR compliance | EU hosting, full control | US Cloud Act applies |
| Per-user pricing | Flat VPS price, unlimited users | $8-$15/user/mo |
| Open source | BSL license, fully auditable | Closed source, proprietary |
| Real-time editing | Built-in, live cursors | Built-in |
Install Outline in 10 minutes
Docker Compose on your VPS.
Connect and install Docker
ssh root@your-server-ip apt update && apt install -y docker.io docker-compose-v2 Create a docker-compose.yml
services:
outline:
image: outlinewiki/outline
restart: always
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- DATABASE_URL=postgres://outline:changeme@postgres:5432/outline
- REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
- AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_URL=http://minio:9000
- AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME=outline
- AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=minioadmin
- AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=minioadmin
- SECRET_KEY=replace-with-random-hex-32
- UTILS_SECRET=replace-with-random-hex-32
- URL=https://docs.example.com
depends_on:
- postgres
- redis
- minio
postgres:
image: postgres:16-alpine
restart: always
environment:
- POSTGRES_DB=outline
- POSTGRES_USER=outline
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=changeme
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
redis:
image: redis:7-alpine
restart: always
minio:
image: minio/minio
restart: always
command: server /data
environment:
- MINIO_ROOT_USER=minioadmin
- MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD=minioadmin
volumes:
- minio_data:/data
volumes:
postgres_data:
minio_data: Start the services
docker compose up -d Access your Outline instance
Visit http://your-server-ip:3000 and sign in with your configured authentication provider.
Recommended VPS specs
Small team
Up to 10 users
- 1 GB RAM
- Up to 10 users
Growing team
10-50 users
- 2 GB RAM
- 10-50 users
Organization
50+ users
- 4 GB+ RAM
- 50+ users
Questions about Outline
Still have questions? Contact our support team
Set up your own team wiki
Markdown wiki with real-time collaboration on your server.