Fern vs Mintlify (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fern grades higher than Mintlify: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fern grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fern
API documentation sites and SDKs generated from an API spec
Mintlify
Documentation platform with built-in AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Fern if
- Fits if you maintain an OpenAPI spec and want a hosted docs site at no cost to start
- Works for small API teams that want an API explorer and a custom domain on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need SSO or SCIM, which are Enterprise only
- Tight if you outgrow 1 site, 1,000 pages or 10 members, as the next step is a sales quote
- Not for you if you want to remove Fern branding or add custom CSS and JavaScript without Enterprise
- Watch out: SDK pricing sits on a separate tab that this listing did not read
Pick Mintlify if
- Fits if you publish product or API docs to customers and want them in Git
- Works for a team of up to 5 editors that can live without the AI agents
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want the AI agents, since Pro is $450 a month with 10,000 credits and overages at $0.01 a credit
- Tight if you stay free, as there are no AI credits at all
- Watch out: SSO, SCIM, role-based permissions and audit logs are Enterprise only, with no published price
- Not for you if you want an internal wiki, as it publishes docs to readers
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFernGood | 2.2GPAMintlifyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe Free plan costs $0 and the only other plan is a sales quote. Free is in the cheapest group, but there is no published price in between. | DPro is $450 a month billed annually ($540 monthly), above the category's dearest tenth at $249 and far above its $18 middle. There is no paid plan between free and that. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree plan with 10 members, 1 site, 1,000 pages and 2,000 page generations a month, which one small team could live on. | BStarter is free with 5 editor seats, a web editor, Git sync, a custom domain, authentication, an MCP server and an API playground, though no AI credits. The Pro trial is 14 days with no card. |
| Features | CDocs from several API spec types, an explorer, a web editor and SDK generation. The listing shows gaps: SDK pricing was not read, and custom CSS, SSO and branding removal are Enterprise only. | CWeb editor, Git sync, an assistant, Autopilot, an API playground, MCP and access control. Gaps: the AI agents run on credits Starter lacks, and SSO, SCIM and role permissions are Enterprise only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You point it at your API definitions or a repository, which takes some setup. | CNo store rating on record. You set up a repo or the web editor, a domain and authentication. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb product that reads OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, GraphQL and gRPC, plus Postman. No desktop or phone app is named. | BWeb, with Git sync, an MCP server and API playground, and admin APIs on Pro. No desktop or phone apps. |
| Best for | API docs and SDKs from one spec | developer documentation with built-in AI agents |
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: Fern and Mintlify. How we grade
Where they differ
- Fern also covers Markdown.
- Mintlify also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Fern | Mintlify | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $450 per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 10 team members, 1 site with up to 1,000 pages, 250 AI credits and 2,000 page generations per month, custom domain, API explorer and web editor. | Starter plan: 5 editor seats, web editor, custom domain, authentication, MCP server and API playground. No AI credits. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day Pro trial with 5,000 credits, no card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Fern | Mintlify |
| Price read from | buildwithfern.com | mintlify.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Fern
- Only two documentation plans are listed, Free and a sales-only Enterprise, so there is no published mid-tier price.
- SSO, SCIM, custom CSS and JavaScript, removing Fern branding and self-hosting are Enterprise only.
- The Free plan is limited to 1 site, 1,000 pages and 10 members.
- SDK pricing was not read for this listing; the pricing page has a separate SDKs tab.
Mintlify
- The AI agents run on credits that Starter does not include. Pro has 10,000 a month, and overages are $0.01 per credit.
- The step from free to paid is $450 a month, with no smaller paid plan.
- SSO, SCIM, role-based permissions and audit logs are Enterprise only, and that plan has no published price.
- It is a product for publishing documentation to readers, not an internal wiki for general team notes.
Key features
Fern
- Docs from API specs
- Supports OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, gRPC, GraphQL, OpenRPC and Arazzo, plus Markdown guides and changelogs.
- API explorer
- A try-it-out explorer with an option to fill in the visitor's API key.
- Web editor and docs-as-code
- Pages can be edited in a web editor or kept as files in a repository.
- AI features
- Ask Fern search, an AI writing agent, AI translations, an llms.txt file and an MCP server are on the pricing page.
- SDK generation
- Client libraries are generated from the same API definition; the SDK pricing is a separate tab.
Mintlify
- Web editor and Git sync
- Docs can be written in a web editor, and the pricing table lists Git sync. Both are on the free Starter plan.
- Assistant
- An AI assistant answers questions from the docs on Pro and above. It costs 25 credits per answer and is free when it cannot answer.
- Autopilot
- Proposes updates to keep docs current, at 250 credits per update, and nothing is charged when nothing needs updating. Pro and above.
- API playground and MCP server
- Sites include an interactive API playground and an MCP server, both available on the free plan.
- Access control
- Starter has Mintlify-managed authentication and Pro adds password authentication. OAuth, JWT and SSO sit in Enterprise.
Plans
Fern
Free$0
10 members, 1,000 pages, 250 AI credits and 2,000 page generations per month, custom domain and subpath, API explorer, Ask Fern and MCP server.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds SSO, SCIM and advanced RBAC, multiple repos and docs sites, custom CSS, JavaScript and React, advanced analytics, self-hosting and an uptime SLA. Sold through sales.
Mintlify
Starter$0
5 editor seats, web editor, Git sync, search, custom domain, API playground and MCP server. No credits for the AI agents.
Pro$450
per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly)
Unlimited editor seats, 10,000 credits a month for the assistant, writing agent and Autopilot, preview deployments and admin APIs.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Pro plus automations, SSO, SCIM and role-based permissions, a performance SLA, advanced insights and migration support.
Ways to pay less
Fern
No public discounts listed.
Mintlify
- Startups
50% off Pro for 12 months for early startups
Venture-backed startups founded in the past 2 years that raised under $2M and never paid for Mintlify, as well as YC alumni, get 50% off Pro for 12 months.
- Other savings
Free Pro for non-commercial open source
Non-commercial open source projects with a recognized license get Pro free through the OSS Program, if not venture-backed, revenue-funded or primarily owned by a for-profit company.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fern or Mintlify?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fern publishes no starting price, and Mintlify starts at $450 per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Fern or Mintlify?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Fern and Mintlify 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.