Wiki Software is a type of collaborative software that runs Wiki System. Characteristically this allows webpages to be edited and created using a common webbrowser. It is generally run as application software that runs on typically one or various web servers. The matter is stored in file system and any changes to the matter are stored in a relational database-management system.

Web-based: In 1955, Ward Cunningham created the very first system, but given the relative ease of wiki concept, a vast number of implementations subsist now, ranging from the very simple 'hacks' implementing just the main functionality to the extremely sophisticated content-management systems. The primary difference between the wikis and the very complex types of content-management system is that, wiki software tends to focusing on content at the cost of influential control over the layout that is seen in CMS (Content-Management Software) such as Joomla, WebGUI and Drupal or at the cost of non-wiki features (blogs, new articles, etc.) such as those in TikiWiki CMS or Groupware (that's|which is} an Wiki-CMS hybrid).

Wiki Software can be taken as including all of software needed to execute wiki which might comprise webserver such as Apache in addition to Wiki engine itself which runs the wiki technology. The wiki engine as well as web server in majority of} cases are composed as single self contained system which can often make them simpler to install. For example, MojoMojo requires no distinct webserver at all.

Most of engines are free or open source software very frequently obtainable under GNU GPL (General-Public License); bigger engines such as TWiki, PmWiki, TikiWiki Groupware or CMS and the MediaWiki, Wikipedia engine are jointly build. Numerous wikis are extremely modular which provides APIs that allow the programmer to build new features without requiring them to be recognized with complete codebase.

It is difficult to find out which of the wiki engines are extremely famous although listing of lead candidate comprises PmWiki, MoinMoin, DokuWiki, MediaWiki, TWiki and XWiki. Atlassian Confluence, TWiki and Traction Team Page are much recognized on intranets. Tiki-Wiki Groupware or CMS is a well-liked Wiki CMS hybrid.

Personal: Numerous wiki applications aren't intended to work jointly, but for content management or for own knowledge organizing. Such functions are often referred to as Personal Wikis or Desktop Wikis.

Mobile: Mobile wiki-software is an expansion of the web related wikis that are optimized for the mobile devices, especially mobile phones. It is generally done by giving a version of website with conservative HTML-coding optimized for restricted function browsers on mobile devices such as the iPhone or Blackberry.

Offline: Numerous attempts have been made to give wiki function while the users are not on internet. One easy approach comprises to make a copy of wiki database and see it in read only mode. Offline editing for extremely complex schemes need synchronization of alterations when network is again online. An easy attempt to do this is to use a distributed revision of control system as backend of wiki. For example, ikiwiki.

There are plenty of websites that use Wiki Software:

ColdFusion Based: Canvas ColdFusion, CodexWiki.

Java-based: Clearspace, ConcourseConnect, SamePage, GroupSwim, JAMWiki, JSPWiki, Kerika, Mindquarry, Reviki, SnipSnap, Traction TeamPage, XWiki.

JavaScript-based: TiddlyWiki, Gobi.

Lua-based: Nanoki, Sputnik.

Microsoft services-based: WikiPoint, Windows Share Point Services.

.NET/Mono based: DotWiki, FlexWiki, MindTouch Deki, Perspective, ScrewTurn Wiki, SharpForge, WWWiki, WikiArticle Saver, MVC Wiki.

Pascal-Based: PasWiki.

Perl-based: ikiwiki, MojoMojo, No?sphere, PodWiki, Socialtext, TWiki, Foswiki, UseModWiki, Oddmuse, WikiWikiWeb.

PHP-based: GetWiki, BusinessWiki, CMS Wiki, MediaWiki, IpbWiki, TigerWiki, LionWiki, TikiWiki Groupware or CMS, DokuWiki, Kisimi, PhpWiki, PmWiki, PukiWiki, WakkaWiki, CitiWiki, UniWakka, WackoWiki, WackoWikiQuickStart, WikkaWiki, Wiclear, WikyBlog, Private Wiki.

Python-based: MoinMoin, OghamWiki, PikiPiki, pwyky, TamTam, Trac, WikidBASE, WikidPad, WikklyText, WindowsWiki, WyPy, Zwiki.

Ruby-based: Git-wiki, Hiki, Instiki, Pimki, Ruwiki, Springnote, Wagn.

Smalltalk: Pier, Swiki.

Personal: Personal wiki.

Peer-To-Peer: Kerika.

PDA: AcroWiki, bLADEWiki, Trunk, MobileWikiServer, WikiPad

Miscellaneous: AtomicWiki, IBM Quickr, OpenTeams, ProjectForum, Techwiki, WikiServer, Quickie.