Wikibase/Quick start

Getting started

Wikibase is a powerful piece of software for managing structured data, and it's an extension to an even more powerful piece of software: MediaWiki. Then add the query service, Elasticsearch and QuickStatements, and you've got a complex suite of software that can be intimidating to manage, let alone to install.

But what if you just want to take Wikibase for a test drive, to see how it works and whether it's right for your project's needs?

For that situation -- and many people starting out with Wikibase find themselves here -- we offer two easy ways to start using Wikibase.

Wikibase.cloud

Wikibase.cloud is Wikimedia Deutschland's cloud-based service offering hosted Wikibase instances. No hardware is required -- just your data and your data-modeling expertise.

Early access to the newly launched service is currently invite-only. You can request access during the launch phase using this application.

Docker images ("Suite")

You can be running your own Wikibase on your own machine in a matter of minutes, thanks to Docker and docker-compose.

Once you're familiar with Docker and have it installed on your machine of choice, you can dive right into the instructions on our Docker install page.