Fern vs ReadMe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fern grades higher than ReadMe: 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
ReadMe
Hosted API documentation with an interactive reference
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 ReadMe if
- Fits if you ship an API and want an interactive reference for developers
- Works for a team of one project and one version that can stay on Starter
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need more than one version, as Pro is $250 a month
- Watch out: Ask AI is $150 a month and the Developer Dashboard $100, both on top of the plan
- Tight if you stay free, with 1 project, 1 version and 7 days of metrics
- Watch out: roles, audit logs, SAML and OAuth 2.0 are Enterprise only, with no published price
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFernGood | 2.2GPAReadMeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 $250 a month billed annually, which is in the category's dearest tenth that starts at $249 and far above its $18 middle. The page shows no monthly-billed price. |
| 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 1 project and 1 published version, a custom domain, an interactive reference, bi-directional sync, 7 days of analytics and an MCP server. The 14-day trial gives all Pro features. |
| 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. | CInteractive reference, branches and reviews, bi-directional sync, AI features and analytics. Gaps: Ask AI is a $150 a month add-on, the Developer Dashboard is $100, and roles, audit logs and SAML 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. Importing an API spec is quick, but projects, versions and the layout need your setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb product that reads OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, GraphQL and gRPC, plus Postman. No desktop or phone app is named. | BWeb, with Google Analytics, Intercom, Segment, Slack, Zendesk and Statuspage, plus an MCP server. |
| Best for | API docs and SDKs from one spec | API documentation with an interactive reference |
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 ReadMe. How we grade
Where they differ
- Fern also covers AI search.
At a glance
| Fern | ReadMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $250 per month, billed annually |
| 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: 1 project and 1 published version, with custom domain, bi-directional sync, interactive API reference, 7 days of usage analytics, Markdown editor and themes. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial with all Pro features |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Fern | ReadMe |
| Price read from | buildwithfern.com | readme.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.
ReadMe
- Pro is $250 a month; the page shows annual billing only and no monthly-billed price.
- Ask AI is a $150 per month add-on, and the Developer Dashboard is $100 per month for 5M API logs, then $10 per extra 1M.
- Starter is limited to 1 project, 1 version and 7 days of metrics.
- User roles, audit logs, SAML and OAuth 2.0 are Enterprise only, which has no published price.
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.
ReadMe
- Interactive API reference
- An API reference is part of every plan, including Starter, next to Markdown guides.
- Branching and reviews
- Pro adds branches with reviews, multiplayer editing and notifications for teams that edit docs together.
- Bi-directional sync
- Bi-directional sync is listed on every plan, including Starter. The pricing page does not say what it syncs with.
- AI features
- Every plan includes an LLMs.txt file and an MCP server. Pro adds ReadMe Agent, an AI linter and an AI writer.
- Usage analytics and Developer Dashboard
- Doc metrics are included, and the paid Developer Dashboard shows how users call an API, priced by log volume.
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.
ReadMe
Starter$0
1 project and 1 published version, custom domain, bi-directional sync, interactive API reference, 7-day analytics, LLMs.txt and MCP server.
Pro$250
per month, billed annually; the page shows no monthly-billed price
Everything in Starter plus unlimited versions, team editing, branches and reviews, private docs, a changelog, custom MDX components, CSS/HTML and 5 admins ($20 per extra admin).
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Pro plus unlimited seats, multiple combined projects, user roles, audit logs, SSO and no ReadMe branding. Annual billing only.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fern or ReadMe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fern publishes no starting price, and ReadMe starts at $250 per month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Fern or ReadMe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Fern and ReadMe 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.