Wiki software (also known as a
wiki engine or
wiki application) is
collaborative software that runs a
wiki, i.e., a
website that allows users to create and collaboratively edit
web pages via a
web browser. A wiki system is usually a
web application that runs on one or more
web servers. The content, including all current and previous revisions, is usually stored in either a
file system or a
database. Wikis are a type of
web content management system, and the most commonly supported off-the-shelf software that
web hosting facilities offer. There are currently dozens of actively maintained wiki engines, in a variety of programming languages, including both
open source and
proprietary applications. These vary widely in their platform support, their support for natural language characters and conventions, and in their assumptions about technical versus social control of editing.