head to head · open source
Outline vs iwe
Outline has 41,195 GitHub stars, 3,656 forks, 78 open issues and last shipped yesterday. iwe has 1,816 stars, 94 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Outline leads on adoption by 2,168% (41,195 vs 1,816 stars). Outline is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; iwe is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. Outline has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, iwe 5%. Outline was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Outline | iwe | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 41K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-07 | 2026-11-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 94 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Outline if
- You weight community size — 41K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick iwe if
- You want the iwe feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and iwe fits your workflow better
About Outline
A fast, collaborative, knowledge base for your team built using React and Node.js. Try out Outline using our hosted version at www.getoutline.com . This is the source code that runs Outline and all the associated services. If you want to use Outline then you don't need to run this code, A hosted version of the app is offered at getoutline.com. You can also find documentation on using Outline in our guide. If you'd like to run your own copy of Outline or contribute to development then this is the place for you. Installation Please see the documentation for running your own copy of Outline in a production…
read the full Outline overview →
About iwe
IWE Memory system for you and your AI agents Turn your thinking into queryable context IWE turns a directory of markdown files into a knowledge graph — a connected structure you browse from your editor and your AI queries from the command line. Same files, same links, two interfaces. No cloud, no database, no lock in. Version everything with git. IWE is for people who want database style queries on their notes — "all drafts under this subtree", "every accepted decision in Q1" — without moving them into an actual database. Write in Markdown , structure with links, give AI agents the tools to navigate your…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Outline or iwe more popular?
Outline has 41,195 GitHub stars and iwe has 1,816. Outline has the larger community by that measure.
Are Outline and iwe free?
Both are open source. Outline has no licence declared in this registry, and iwe is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Outline and iwe?
Outline is written in TypeScript and iwe in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Outline or iwe?
Choose Outline if you want the larger community (41,195 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose iwe if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.