Bump.sh vs Stoplight (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stoplight grades higher than Bump.sh: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Stoplight grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bump.sh
API documentation portals built from OpenAPI and AsyncAPI files
Stoplight
OpenAPI design and documentation platform for API teams
Which one is for you
Pick Bump.sh if
- Fits if you keep OpenAPI or AsyncAPI files and want a published portal with a changelog
- Works for API teams that also want to turn their APIs into MCP servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because there isn't one and the trial is on Pro
- Tight if you're on Basic: 10 API docs, 3 internal users and 20 guests
- Pricey if you need API Explorer, branches or release rollback, which are all Pro at $120
- Watch out: SSO and embed mode need the sales-only plan, and the pricing page shows monthly prices only
Pick Stoplight if
- Fits if your team designs APIs in OpenAPI and wants docs and mocks from them
- Works for small API teams that can live on a workspace price
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a company wiki, because it handles API docs only
- Tight if you stay free, as it's 1 user and 1 project
- Pricey if you want private projects, which start at Startup, $113 a month billed annually
- Watch out: SSO, shared style guides and removing Stoplight branding need Pro Team at $362 a month
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABump.shWeak | 2.2GPAStoplightFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$50 a month for Basic and $120 for Pro against a category that starts at $7 and has a middle of $19; the features most people want sit on Pro. | CBasic is $44 a month for 3 users billed annually, so about $66 for five people with extra users at $11. That's under the dearer quarter of $82.50 for docs tools. |
| Free plan and trial | D14-day free trial on Pro. The pages read don't say whether a card is needed, and there is no free plan. | CA free plan for 1 user and 1 project, and a 14-day trial of paid plans. Private projects aren't on it. |
| Features | CDoc portals, changelogs, diffs and a CLI. The listing shows gaps on Basic: API Explorer, branches and automatic changelog are Pro only. | CVisual OpenAPI design, interactive docs, mock servers, Git sync and style guides. It's for API docs only, not a general wiki. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect your API files through the CLI or GitHub, so there is setup work. | CNo store rating on record. You write or import OpenAPI files and connect Git. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb product with GitHub and Slack integrations and a public API. No desktop or phone app is named. | BWeb app with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps links, plus Spectral and Prism. |
| Best for | API documentation from OpenAPI files | teams designing and documenting OpenAPI APIs |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bump.sh and Stoplight. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bump.sh starts at $50 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stoplight starts at $44 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Stoplight starts $6 a month lower. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, 25 score higher than Bump.sh for less, and 24 score higher than Stoplight for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bump.sh also covers reports.
- Stoplight also covers templates.
At a glance
| Bump.sh | Stoplight | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $50 per month | $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 1 user and 1 project; paid plans are priced per workspace. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial on the Pro plan | 14-day free trial on Basic, Startup and Pro Team |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bump.sh | SmartBear Software |
| Price read from | bump.sh | stoplight.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bump.sh
- The cheapest plan has no free tier and caps at 10 API docs, 3 internal users and 20 guests.
- API Explorer, branches management, automatic changelog and release rollback are Pro only.
- Removing the 'Powered by Bump.sh' mark, custom CSS and JS, SSO and embed mode are not on Basic or Pro; SSO and embed need the sales-only plan.
- The pricing page shows monthly prices only.
Stoplight
- The Free plan is limited to 1 user and 1 project.
- Prices are per workspace with a fixed number of included users, then per extra user.
- Private projects need Startup; SSO, style guides and removing Stoplight branding need Pro Team at $362 a month billed annually.
- Stoplight is an API documentation tool, not a general company wiki.
Key features
Bump.sh
- Specification support
- Reads OpenAPI, AsyncAPI and Arazzo documents, and OpenAPI Overlays.
- Doc portals and hubs
- Publishes API reference pages and a hub that groups several APIs, with unified search.
- Changelog and diffs
- Detects breaking changes between versions, shows previews, and on Pro writes an automatic changelog.
- CI and CLI
- A CLI, an API and a GitHub Action deploy docs and comment on pull requests.
- Managed MCP servers
- Turns APIs into MCP servers with a debugger and secrets vault; private servers need Pro.
Stoplight
- Visual OpenAPI designer
- A form-based editor for OpenAPI and JSON Schema, alongside code-based editing, with schema reuse and design validation.
- Interactive documentation
- Docs are generated from the API definition, with a documentation editor and, from the Startup plan, custom domains and theming.
- Mock servers
- Instant mock servers are listed from the Basic plan, so front-end work can start before an API is built.
- Git sync and branches
- Projects sync with Git, and Startup adds multi-branch support. Pro Team lists self-hosted Git providers.
- Shared style guides
- Pro Team adds shared style guides, component libraries and workspace groups for governing APIs across teams.
Plans
Bump.sh
Basic$50
per month for up to 10 API docs and 5 MCP tools
3 internal users and 20 external guests, custom domain and logo, CLI and GitHub integration.
Pro$120
per month for up to 30 API docs and 50 MCP tools
5 internal users and 40 guests, adds branches management, API Explorer, automatic changelog, private MCP servers and release rollback.
CustomCustom
Unlimited users, SSO, embed mode, on-premise MCP dataplane, custom reports and a stated 99.99% SLA. Sold through sales.
Stoplight
Free$0
1 user and 1 project.
Basic$44
per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly)
Visual OpenAPI designer, interactive docs and mock servers; extra users $11 a month billed annually ($14 monthly).
Startup$113
per month for 8 users, billed annually ($147 billed monthly)
Adds private projects, multi-branch support, custom domains and theming; extra users $11 a month annually ($14 monthly).
Pro Team$362
per month for 15 users, billed annually ($453 billed monthly)
Up to 20 teams, shared style guides, SSO, activity logs, self-hosted Git; extra users $22 annually ($27 monthly).
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited projects and teams, custom payment terms, invoicing and priority support. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Bump.sh
- Other savings
Free Pro plan for open-source projects
Open-source projects that submit their project get free access to the Pro plan.
Stoplight
- Annual discount
Lower prices with annual billing
Basic is $44 a month billed annually against $56 billed monthly; Startup $113 against $147; Pro Team $362 against $453.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bump.sh or Stoplight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stoplight is cheaper to start with: $44 a month, against $50 a month for Bump.sh. Bump.sh starts at $50 per month, and Stoplight starts at $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Bump.sh or Stoplight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Stoplight has a free plan. Bump.sh does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.