Docusaurus vs MkDocs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Docusaurus grades higher than MkDocs: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Docusaurus grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 MkDocs if
- Fits if you are comfortable with Python and a terminal and want docs from Markdown files
- Works for a project that already hosts static files on GitHub Pages or S3
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a web editor, as it only builds a site
- Skip it if no one on the team can use a command line
- Watch out: many themes and extra features come from third-party plugins
- Too light for a team wiki, since there are no accounts, comments or hosting
How we grade them
| 2.8GPADocusaurusGood | 2.6GPAMkDocsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree and open source under a BSD license, a program anyone can download and run, with only the hosting of the output to pay for. That is under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | ANothing to pay and no plan limits, but you provide your own hosting, which can itself be free. | ANo plan, no caps. You pay only for wherever you host the built site, which can be free. |
| 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. | CMarkdown source, a live preview server, themes, plugins and hosting anywhere. It does that one job fully, but it is a smaller job: it only builds, and features beyond the basics come from third-party plugins. |
| 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. | DA command-line tool that needs a recent Python and its package manager, plus a config file to edit. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb output, with Algolia DocSearch, Crowdin for translations and React plugins. There is no hosted service or app. | CBuilds a web site from files. GitHub Pages and Amazon S3 are the hosting routes named, and there is no hosted service or app. |
| Best for | a documentation site built from files in a repo | a Markdown docs site built with Python |
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 MkDocs. 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. MkDocs 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 MkDocs 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
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceMarkdownDocuments
At a glance
| Docusaurus | MkDocs | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 and open source under a BSD license; you pay only for wherever you host the output. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Meta Platforms, Inc. | MkDocs Team |
| Price read from | docusaurus.io | mkdocs.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
MkDocs
- It is a command-line tool that needs a recent Python and the Python package manager to install.
- It only builds a site: there is no web editor, accounts or hosting.
- Features beyond the basics, including many themes, come from third-party plugins.
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.
MkDocs
- Markdown source
- Documentation is written in Markdown files and configured with a single YAML file.
- Live preview server
- A built-in development server auto-reloads the browser whenever a file changes.
- Themes
- Two themes, mkdocs and readthedocs, are built in; third-party themes are listed on the MkDocs wiki and catalog.
- Plugins and extensions
- Plugins and Markdown extensions change how pages are built and rendered.
- Host anywhere
- The output is static HTML, which can go on GitHub Pages, Amazon S3 or any web host.
Plans
Docusaurus
Open source$0
Free and open source. You build the site with Node.js and host the output yourself.
MkDocs
Open source$0
Free and open source under a BSD license. You build the site with Python and host the output yourself.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Docusaurus or MkDocs?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Docusaurus and MkDocs are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Docusaurus or MkDocs?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Docusaurus and MkDocs 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.