Just the Docs vs MkDocs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MkDocs grades higher than Just the Docs: 2.6 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
MkDocs 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.
Just the Docs
Free Jekyll theme for documentation sites with built-in search
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.0GPAJust the DocsFair | 2.6GPAMkDocsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | BFree with no paid plans, and one person could build and host a site on it using GitHub Pages. | ANo plan, no caps. You pay only for wherever you host the built site, which can be free. |
| Features | 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. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. You work in files in a repository and run Jekyll, so it needs a command line. | DA command-line tool that needs a recent Python and its package manager, plus a config file to edit. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only: it produces a static site. Four integrations are named, all of them build and hosting tools. | 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 on GitHub Pages | 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: Just the Docs and MkDocs. How we grade
Price against what you get
Just the Docs has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MkDocs 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 Just the Docs 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
- Just the Docs also covers wiki.
At a glance
| Just the Docs | MkDocs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to use under the MIT license; there are no paid plans. | 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 | Patrick Marsceill and the Just the Docs contributors | MkDocs Team |
| Price read from | just-the-docs.com | mkdocs.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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, Just the Docs or MkDocs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Just the Docs and MkDocs are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Just the Docs or MkDocs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Just the Docs 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.