Subversion is a revision control system. While ikiwiki is relatively independent of the underlying revision control system, and can easily be used without one, using it with Subversion or another revision control system is recommended.

Ikiwiki can run as a post-commit hook to update a wiki whenever commits come in. When running as a cgi with Subversion, ikiwiki automatically commits edited pages to the subversion repostory, and uses the Subversion log to generate the RecentChanges page.