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tela vs Outline — the AI-native, fully open-source option
Last updated September 9, 2026
Outline is genuinely good and the closest comparison — a polished, self-hostable markdown wiki. The differences are three: license, pricing model, and the entire AI layer. Outline is BSL-1.1 (source-available, not OSI open source) with no free cloud and no first-class agent/auto-doc layer; tela is AGPL with a free cloud tier, a built-in MCP server, Atlas, a two-way file sync, and presentations and spreadsheets as page types.
tela vs Outline, at a glance
| Feature | tela | Outline |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 — the whole product is the free core; a paid Enterprise add-on covers per-org SSO and audit logs | BSL 1.1 — source-available, not OSI open source |
| Self-hostable | Yes — self-host free, plus a free cloud tier | Yes (no free cloud) |
| Ask your docs (AI) | Built in — ranked full-text always, plus semantic Ask that cites its sources (self-host brings its own model) | Self-host + your own OpenAI key |
| Agents read & write (MCP) | Built in — agents read and write, scoped per token, over a hosted endpoint | No official server (third-party only) |
| Generate docs from your code | Yes — Atlas builds a cited, coverage-checked wiki from git repos and Jira | No |
| What a page can be | Docs, presentations and spreadsheets are all page types — plus mermaid, drawings and charts | Documents |
| Sync to a folder on your disk | Two-way — mount /dav/ as a folder of .md files with any WebDAV client, or bisync it with rclone | API and export |
Why teams switch to tela
- The axis Outline never built — Atlas generates a cited wiki from your code, and a built-in MCP server makes agents first-class authors.
- One tool for more of the work: a presentation and a spreadsheet are page types in tela, and both are still plain markdown you can diff.
- A cleaner open-source story — AGPL (real OSI open source) versus BSL's source-available restrictions. tela is open core too, but what it licenses is company governance (SSO, audit), not the product.
- A free cloud tier to evaluate, plus self-host whenever you want.
When Outline is the better choice
Outline is a mature, beautifully polished self-hosted wiki with a strong community. If you want a great self-hosted wiki today and do not need AI generation or agents, Outline is an excellent, stable choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is tela a good Outline alternative?
Yes. The axis Outline never built — Atlas generates a cited wiki from your code, and a built-in MCP server makes agents first-class authors. tela is open-source (AGPL-3.0), self-hostable, and markdown-native, with a built-in MCP server so AI agents read and write your docs.
Can I self-host tela and connect AI agents to it?
Yes. Self-host tela for free (AGPL-3.0) or start on the free cloud tier. Its built-in MCP server lets agents like Claude search, read and write your wiki directly, on tools scoped by the token you give them.
When is Outline the better choice?
Outline is a mature, beautifully polished self-hosted wiki with a strong community. If you want a great self-hosted wiki today and do not need AI generation or agents, Outline is an excellent, stable choice.
Try tela
tela is an open-source (AGPL), self-hostable team wiki. Self-host it, or start on the free cloud tier at telawiki.com. See the MCP server docs for connecting your agents, or compare tela with other tools.
Outline pricing + BSL-1.1 repo license (verified 2026). tela facts current as of September 9, 2026.