Why I built Simbioza as a self-hosted alternative to Confluence
With Confluence moving to the cloud, I wanted a self-hosted solution. I looked at many alternatives, but none met my needs or offered a migration process that I was happy with for my existing Confluence content. So I decided to build my own. The result is Simbioza, a wiki/CMS hybrid with calendars, tasks and content organized into workspaces. Each workspace can have its own theme, and the…
The author, seeking a self-hosted alternative to Confluence, encountered challenges as none of the existing solutions met their requirements or provided a satisfactory migration process for their existing Confluence content. Motivated by this, they decided to create their own application, Simbioza, a wiki/CMS hybrid featuring calendars, tasks, and content organized into workspaces. Each workspace can have a unique theme, and the application supports various authentication methods.
To ensure a smooth transition for users, Simbioza incorporates a custom HTML editor, specifically developed for the platform. This editor supports dynamic content elements that emulate supported Confluence macros, allowing imported content to integrate seamlessly into the application instead of merely serving as a static copy. Additionally, the editor offers advanced editing features that extend beyond basic rich-text editing.
Built using PHP and the HeartPhrame framework, Simbioza features a collection of reusable modules created during the development process. Many of these modules have become integral components of the application. The author believes that Simbioza not only serves as a capable wiki/CMS but also as a practical solution for users who wish to preserve their existing Confluence content, migrate their data, and establish a standalone, self-hosted application for building a wiki, knowledge base, or CMS independently of Confluence.
The name "Simbioza," derived from the Croatian word for "symbiosis," reflects the collaborative nature of the application, as all its modules, including calendars, meetings, tasks, notifications, and HTML content, work together to create a unified experience. To learn more about Simbioza, users can visit the public demo at demo.simbioza.com, access the source code and documentation on GitHub, or review the Confluence import walkthrough. Please note that the public demo resets every five hours, so users should utilize test data only.
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