== Comparing MediaWiki to Confluence ==
In comparing MediaWiki to Confluence, we're also looking at what other vendors or analysts say about their comparisons. BlueSpice, a MediaWiki distribution which is specifically aimed at the enterprise market, is built by the German company Hallo Welt!. They offer an [https://blog.bluespice.com/2017/05/17/bluespice-mediawiki-vs-confluence-the-wiki-alternatives-1/ in-depth point-by-point analysis of the MediaWiki platform compared with Confluence] (and give you the spreadsheet to see the details: 275 metrics in 18 categories!). Contrast their honest, "scientific" analysis with the completely [https://blog.seibert-media.com/2014/12/12/the-wikipedia-of-the-company-yes-but-not-with-mediawiki/ inaccurate and biased marketing disguised as opinion by Siebert Media]
== Executive Summary ==
| {{checkmark|yes}} almost anything
| {{checkmark|no}} mostly Atlassian products
| MediaWiki can be, and is, integrated with a wide variety of other systems. Most importantly for the Enterprise user, a whole open [[authentication framework ]] allows MediaWiki to be integrated with just about any existing authentication system. Because MediaWiki is open source software, with rich internal and external APIs, you can see exactly how you should integrate new functionality, new systems, etc. In contrast, Confluence is a closed system that supports only what is built into the system. "If you attempt to use an unsupported or custom JDBC driver collaborative editing will fail. You must use a supported driver." <ref>https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/database-jdbc-drivers-171742.html</ref>
Atlassian likes to brag about how integrated Confluence is with their other systems (BitBucket, JIRA, Bamboo, FishEye, Crucible, HipChat). While it's true that these might be integrated <ref>On their '''own installation''' of Confluence, there is an ''[https://confluence.atlassian.com/confkb/page-and-space-operations-troubleshooting-211648541.html error displaying integrated content]'' from JIRA at the bottom of the page.</ref>, these extra products come at extra cost. Integrating Confluence with any product that is not sold by Atlassian is a different question.
|}
== Talking Points ==
=== What do they have to say? ===
* [https://www.atlassian.com/licensing/confluence#data-center data center licensing]
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIjsIAAFXz4&feature=youtu.be
* https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/why-wiki-collaboration-software
* https://confluence.atlassian.com/confeval/confluence-evaluator-resources/confluence-features-functions and https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/feature-list-155.html (compare with [[QualityBox Features]])
== Talking Points ==
=== WYSIWYG editor ===
Confluence has a WYSIWYG editor. And so does MediaWiki. Whereas the Confluence editor understands XHTML markup, the MediaWiki editor was built exclusively for the MediaWiki project and '''understands''' wiki markup, templates, parser calls, magic words and features of the MediaWiki system. These advanced features are things that advanced users generally prefer to type directly (faster), but Confluence took away the ability to use straight wiki markup. You now have no choice but to use the WYSIWYG editor in Confluence.
* https://demo.qualitybox.us/ QualityBox
* https://en.demo.bluespice.com/ BlueSpice
* https://templateswww.atlassian.netcom/wikisoftware/spacesconfluence/CW/overview demo Confluence
== Users ==
