Recently, I visited an office and was asked for some thoughts on MediaWiki’s value as a tool for collaborative editing. Surprised by the question, because I had been thinking about it recently, I probed a little bit more to discover his project’s requirements.

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Wikipedia propelled the term “wiki” into the public consciousness, however, wiki is internet slang for software that allows for online collaborative editing. Whether or not you know it, you’ve used MediaWiki every day (I’d be shocked if you didn’t). MediaWiki is the software originally developed to power Wikipedia, but has since been released as free, open source software for anyone to use and customize. The major drawback for “the rest of us” is that we don’t often have access to our own server to self-host, or we don’t have the patience to learn how to implement the software. If PHP, CSS, MySQL, and FTP intimidate or bore you, then self-hosting a wiki is probably not your best option.

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So let’s assume you’re like this person who’s working on an extensive project (multi-faceted document, a virtual binder, whatever), that needs to be kept secret, but multiple people need to be editing it. And, you don’t have the capacity to deploy your own MediaWiki (despite how familiar it is, it probably is overkill, too).

• What kinds of hosted Wiki software are available?
• What are their benefits and drawbacks to this project?
• How much do they really cost?

1. Writeboard

• Benefits: Simple. Password protected access. Easy to invite other participants. If project requirements grow, can integrate with other 37 Signals apps (like Basecamp, Highrise, or Backpack)
• Drawbacks: Not thoroughly exhaustive enough for enterprise deployments. Limiting formatting options, and you can’t upload or manage documents. Can’t self-host/integrate with an intranet.
• True Cost: 100% Free. 100% Hosted.

2. Google Sites

• Benefits: Gives users the ability to make password-protected/invite-only sites that are completely customizable with a suite of Google widgets. When you need to do more than just edit a document, and create a hosted company “intranet” or handbook, this is for you.
• Drawbacks: Editing Google Sites is a bit cumbersome, and allows you to edit probably more than you should. Almost like a glorified homepage editor (e.g. the late GeoCities).
• True Cost: 100% Free. 100% Hosted.

3. PBworks

• Benefits: Full suite of options. Different editions for different needs (legal edition gets you an audit trail). Very professional. Most of the pay-to-play options are things that make sense for enterprises but maybe not individuals or small organizations.
• Drawbacks: It’s difficult to find which edition works for you, and hard to find the “free” version. Once you do, you realize that all the features you might need or were counting on, like access control, cost you something. Basic users will have their wikis visible to the world, if that’s what they want.
• True Cost: “Basic” edition is free (and is very basic). The version comparable to Google Sites or some of the features on Writeboard costs you $96/user (and it isn’t clear if this is per month or year).

4. Etherpad

• Benefits: Good for the basic user, who just wants to create a no-frills reference document. Interface is clean and easy to understand. Like the upcoming Google Wave, all updates to the document are shown in real-time. Pretty slick if you and your team are working on a deadline, and don’t want to step on each other’s toes.
• Drawbacks: Only gives you basic email formatting (bold, italic, lists, colors, and sizes). Again, access control costs you something, so all your free wikis are naked.
• True Cost: $8/user per month (after 3 users). The free version only gives you a randomized URL to control access, providing the opportunity for anyone to edit.

5. WikiSpaces

• Benefits: A ton of features. Embeddable widgets like Google Calendars, file management (up to 2 GB), page histories, and email or RSS notifications make this a pretty full featured application.
• Drawbacks: Security and wiki customization, however, come at a price ($5/user per month or $50/year). Cheaper than most, this still makes it difficult to do your work in private, or without the distraction of banner/text ads.
• True Cost: $50/year sans eavesdroppers. Free if you don’t mind banner ads and visitors.

What am I missing? What do you use?

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5 Free Hosted Wikis and their true cost