Wiki-Based Documentation vs Static Site Generator

Developers should use wiki-based documentation when they need a flexible, collaborative system for maintaining up-to-date technical docs, especially in agile teams or open-source projects where information changes frequently meets developers should use static site generators for content-heavy websites like blogs, documentation, portfolios, and marketing sites where content changes infrequently. Here's our take.

Wiki-Based Documentation

Nice Pick

Developers should use wiki-based documentation when they need a flexible, collaborative system for maintaining up-to-date technical docs, especially in agile teams or open-source projects where information changes frequently

Pros

• It's ideal for creating living documents like internal knowledge bases, developer guides, or product documentation that require input from multiple stakeholders
• Related to: markdown, version-control

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Static Site Generator

Developers should use Static Site Generators for content-heavy websites like blogs, documentation, portfolios, and marketing sites where content changes infrequently

Pros

• They are ideal when performance, security, and low hosting costs are priorities, as static files reduce server load and vulnerabilities compared to dynamic server-rendered sites
• Related to: markdown, git

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Wiki-Based Documentation is a methodology while Static Site Generator is a tool. We picked Wiki-Based Documentation based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Wiki-Based Documentation wins

Based on overall popularity. Wiki-Based Documentation is more widely used, but Static Site Generator excels in its own space.