In this article, I will cover 4 open source knowledge base software for Windows.
The first two software (FreePlane and FreeMind) in this article are mind map software in which you can create detailed mind maps of databases. Both these software pack all the necessary as well as advanced tools to create, edit, and analyze mind maps. In the end, you can print the mind maps to PDF or save them as .mm (mindmap) files.
The next two software are for database management. Goozzee is a knowledge management solution targeting the single user. It uses topic maps instead of tags or hierarchies. Whereas, the PHPmyFAQ basically provides you a content management system for multiple users with security and users rights. So, let’s check out these software one by one and what they offer.
Related: 4 Open Source PDF Creator Software For Windows
Here Are 4 Open Source Knowledge Base Software:
FreePlane
FreePlane is an open source knowledge base software for Windows. It is also available in a portable version which you can run on any operating system with Java installed. With FreePlane, you can create mind maps, analyze existing mind maps, and manage information databases. The user interface is simple and easy to navigate. While creating a mind map, you can add icons from the left side icon panel. You can access the properties of a selected entry from the right side of the screen where you also get advanced node options. All the necessary options for creating and editing mind maps are present at the top of the canvas including text formatting options, mind map clouds, zoom, node expand, node collapse, etc.
Here are some of the main features of FreePlane:
- Note taking for each node
- Nodes grouping with clouds
- Add metadata and style the nodes
- Order nodes into a hierarchy
- Support for LaTex formulae
- Calendar and Reminders
- Password protection with DES encryption
- Add-ons and manual scripting support
You can download this open source knowledge base software here.
FreeMind
The second entry on this list is FreeMind. FreeMind is another open source mind-mapping software for Windows. This software also requires Java to run. The user interface of this software is similar to that of FreePlane. You have an icon toolbar on the left side and text formatting options at the bottom. The top area has tools to view, edit, and navigate the mind maps. By a right-click on any node, you can access its properties and other advance node editing options. This software also supports images and HTML links within the nodes.
Some of the main features of FreeMind:
- HTML links support within nodes
- One-click node navigation
- Drag & drop feature to move and copy nodes
- HTML editor
- Find option to quickly find an item
Download this open source knowledge base software here.
Goozzee
Goozzee is an open source knowledge management software that uses topic maps for data classification. In this software, you can create root directories to manage the data. Then, you can create new child folders (classes) and add data to them. This way, you can create a well-sorted database of documents. Moreover, you can define the scope for document and later use that scope to sort them quickly. In the documents, you can add notes in proper format and upload files as well.
While editing a document, you can easily move it to another class. These classes can be accessed from the left side of the screen. On the right side, you get an option to jump to the root and add a new class. Goozzee has two editions: Person Edition (PE) and Network Edition (NE). Personal Edition is for single-user whereas, the Network Edition is multi-user version with ownership and access right and need a web server to work. You can choose any of these editions as per your requirements.
You can download this open source knowledge base software here.
PHPmyFAQ
PHPmyFAQ is an open source database-driven FAQ software. To run this software you need a local web server which you can create using XAMP or WAMP. PHPmyFAQ is a content management system where you can create an administrative account and add users with specific types of permissions. You can also create user groups and assign permissions to them. Users can create new documents with tags. Those documents can be shared via email and social media, and print to PDF as well. In the end, you can export your FAQ as PDF, JSON, XHTML, and plain XML.
Main highlights of PHPmyFAQ:
- Administrative access
- Users and groups based permissions
- LDAP and HTTP authentication
- Statistics for analyzation
- Search engine optimization support
- Social media support
- Build-in search
- Spam protection and more
Download PHPmyFAQ here.
Wrap Up
These are the 4 open source knowledge base software for Windows. The mind map software are good to manage complex data sets. Whereas Goozzee and PHPmyFAQ are great for collaborative tasks at work, home, and schools.
