CompassDocsThe knowledge base engineering teams keep open
From architecture decisions to incident retros to dev onboarding, engineering knowledge scatters fast. CompassDocs pulls it into one self-hosted home — diagrams, versioning, cited AI search, and an MCP connector so your AI tools can read — and write — it too.
Ask an engineering question; get an answer citing the runbook, ADR, or retro it came from.
Why engineering teams adopt it
- Runbooks, ADRs, incident retros, and onboarding docs in typed, tagged spaces
- Mermaid & PlantUML diagrams with live preview for architecture and sequences
- Version history and approvals so critical docs are reviewed and traceable
- MCP connector: Claude drafts, updates, and drops screenshots into docs with the user's permissions
- Self-hosted and export-anytime Markdown — no lock-in on engineering knowledge
Incident & runbook ready
Decision trees and checklists plus semantic search get engineers to the right steps fast when something is on fire.
Self-hosted, AI-ready
Runs on your infrastructure, and the MCP connector lets AI assistants ground answers in your docs without exporting them.
Reviewed where it matters
Approvals and version history keep ADRs and runbooks trustworthy, with a clear record of what changed and why.
Frequently asked
Can our AI coding assistant read the docs?
Yes — read and write. The MCP connector lets Claude and other MCP clients search your knowledge base, draft and update documents, and upload screenshots, scoped to the user's permissions — so AI answers are grounded in your runbooks and ADRs, self-hosted.
Does it handle diagrams and code?
Yes. Mermaid and PlantUML render with live preview, and code blocks, tables, and callouts are first-class — good for architecture docs and runbooks.
Is it a good Confluence replacement for engineering?
Many teams use it exactly that way: spaces, approvals, versioning, and cited AI search, self-hosted and open-source, without paid add-ons.
Can we self-host it near our infra?
Yes — one Docker command on your own servers keeps latency low and documentation inside your network.
Related: IT runbooks · Confluence alternative · AI & MCP · Diagrams & editor
Free & open source to self-host
One Docker command installs CompassDocs with unlimited users and documents. Enterprise adds SSO, Microsoft 365 sync, compliance, and training for a flat $599/year.
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