Docusaurus vs Just the Docs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Docusaurus grades higher than Just the Docs: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Docusaurus grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Just the Docs
Free Jekyll theme for documentation sites with built-in search
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Docusaurus if
- Fits if your team is comfortable in a repo and wants docs next to the code
- Works for open-source projects that want a versioned, translated docs site
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a web editor, as there is none
- Skip it if nobody on the team uses a command line, since it needs Node.js 20 or newer
- Watch out: you host and deploy the static site yourself
- Watch out: search beyond Algolia DocSearch relies on community-maintained options
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
| 2.8GPADocusaurusGood | 2.0GPAJust the DocsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, a program anyone can download and run, with hosting of the built files the only cost. That is far under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. | 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 | ANothing to pay and no plan limits, but you provide your own hosting, which can itself be free. | BFree with no paid plans, and one person could build and host a site on it using GitHub Pages. |
| Features | CMDX content, React customisation, document versioning, translations and search. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job: no hosted editor, accounts or staff comments, and search past Algolia DocSearch is community-made. | 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 needs Node.js 20 or newer, a command line and files to edit. That is not for someone who wants to type into a page. | DNo store rating on record. You work in files in a repository and run Jekyll, so it needs a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb output, with Algolia DocSearch, Crowdin for translations and React plugins. There is no hosted service or app. | CWeb only: it produces a static site. Four integrations are named, all of them build and hosting tools. |
| Best for | a documentation site built from files in a repo | 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: Docusaurus and Just the Docs. How we grade
Price against what you get
Docusaurus has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Just the Docs has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Docusaurus scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, none scores higher than Docusaurus 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.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceMarkdownDocuments
At a glance
| Docusaurus | Just the Docs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source; you run the build and pay only for your own hosting. | Free to use under the MIT license; there are no paid plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Meta Platforms, Inc. | Patrick Marsceill and the Just the Docs contributors |
| Price read from | docusaurus.io | just-the-docs.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Docusaurus
- It is a developer tool: writing and customizing docs means working in files and the command line, with Node.js 20 or newer installed.
- There is no hosted editor, user accounts or comments for staff; you host and deploy the static site yourself.
- Search beyond Algolia DocSearch relies on community-maintained options.
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
Docusaurus
- MDX content
- Docs and blog posts are written in MDX, which lets React components sit inside Markdown, and are built into static HTML.
- React customization
- The layout can be extended with React components, and a plugin architecture shares data between plugins.
- Document versioning
- Keeps documentation for each released version of a project, so users on older versions still have matching docs.
- Translations
- Localization is built in; translations can be managed with Git, Crowdin or another translation manager.
- Search
- Algolia DocSearch is the officially supported search, and community-maintained local search options exist.
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
Docusaurus
Open source$0
Free and open source. You build the site with Node.js and host the output 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, Docusaurus or Just the Docs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Docusaurus and Just the Docs are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Docusaurus or Just the Docs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Docusaurus 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.