Docsify vs Just the Docs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Docsify grades higher than Just the Docs: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Docsify 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.
Docsify
Documentation site generator that loads Markdown in the browser
Just the Docs
Free Jekyll theme for documentation sites with built-in search
Which one is for you
Pick Docsify if
- Fits if you want docs from a folder of Markdown files with no build
- Works for a small project hosted on GitHub Pages
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if readers may have JavaScript off, since pages render in the browser
- Skip it if you want a hosted editor, as there are no accounts or comments
- Watch out: the docsify URLs in index.html must be updated by hand for a new major version
- Watch out: you host the files yourself
Pick Just the Docs if
- Fits if you're comfortable with Markdown files and Git and want a docs site with no monthly bill
- Works for open source projects that already publish on GitHub Pages
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a web editor, because content is edited as files in a repository
- Not for you if you need comments or feedback on pages, as there is no comment system
- Too light for non-technical writers, who would need someone to run Jekyll
- Watch out: changes published through GitHub Pages can take up to 10 minutes to appear
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADocsifyGood | 2.0GPAJust the DocsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for the hosting. A program anyone can download and run is graded as free and substantial. | C$0 under the MIT license, but you build and publish the site yourself with Jekyll, so it counts as ordinary value rather than a free app. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no plan or cap. The only cost is wherever you host the output. | BFree with no paid plans, and one person could build and host a site on it using GitHub Pages. |
| Features | CMarkdown rendered in the browser, a search plugin, themes and plugins. It does that fully, and no more: no editor, accounts or comments. | CNavigation, search and layout components for a docs site. It does that job fully but it's a smaller job: no web editor and no comment system. |
| Ease of use | DIt's a developer tool run from the command line with files you write yourself. No store rating on record. | DNo store rating on record. You work in files in a repository and run Jekyll, so it needs a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb output only, with GitHub Pages and a CLI. No app or hosted service. | CWeb only: it produces a static site. Four integrations are named, all of them build and hosting tools. |
| Best for | a docs site with no build step | a documentation site on GitHub Pages |
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: Docsify and Just the Docs. How we grade
Price against what you get
Docsify has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Just the Docs has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, none scores higher than Docsify for less, and none scores higher than Just the Docs 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
- Just the Docs also covers wiki.
At a glance
| Docsify | Just the Docs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for wherever you host the output. | Free to use under the MIT license; there are no paid plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Docsify Contributors | Patrick Marsceill and the Just the Docs contributors |
| Price read from | github.com | just-the-docs.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Docsify
- Pages are rendered in the browser, so the site depends on JavaScript at view time.
- It is a developer tool: you edit files and a command-line preview, with no hosted editor, accounts or comments.
- The quick start warns that the docsify URLs in index.html must be updated by hand when a new major version is released.
Just the Docs
- It is a theme, not a hosted service: you build and publish the site yourself with Jekyll.
- There is no web editor or comment system; content is edited as files in a repository.
- Changes published through GitHub Pages can take up to 10 minutes to appear, according to its docs.
Key features
Docsify
- No static build step
- Pages are loaded and rendered from Markdown in the browser, so there are no generated HTML files to publish.
- Quick start with a CLI
- The docsify-cli package initializes a docs folder and runs a local preview server on port 3000.
- Full-text search plugin
- A search plugin provides full-text search across the pages.
- Themes and plugin API
- Several themes are available, and a plugin API extends the site; emoji are supported.
- Simple deployment
- The docs describe deploying the site on GitHub Pages, with a .nojekyll file so underscore files are served.
Just the Docs
- Jekyll theme
- Adds a documentation layout to Jekyll sites, with pages written in Markdown, Liquid templates or HTML.
- Navigation and search
- Main navigation, child pages, breadcrumbs and in-page navigation, plus built-in search across the site.
- Components
- The docs list ready-made UI components such as buttons, labels, tables, callouts and code blocks with line numbers.
- Customization
- Colors, layout and other parts of the theme can be changed through configuration and utilities.
- Site template
- A template repository creates a starter site that can be published through GitHub Pages and Actions.
Plans
Docsify
Open source$0
Free under the MIT License. You host the Markdown files and an index.html yourself.
Just the Docs
Open source$0
The full theme under an MIT license, installed as a Jekyll gem or from the project's site template.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Docsify or Just the Docs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Docsify and Just the Docs are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Docsify or Just the Docs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Docsify and Just the Docs have a free plan.
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.