Just the Docs vs VitePress (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, VitePress grades higher than Just the Docs: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
VitePress 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 VitePress if
- Fits if your team writes docs in Markdown next to its code
- Works for Vue projects that want a docs site on the same tooling
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if nobody on the team uses a command line or Node.js
- Skip it if you want a hosted editor, as there are no accounts or comments
- Watch out: you host and deploy the static site yourself
- Watch out: the site lists a 2.0 alpha alongside the 1.6.4 release
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAJust the DocsFair | 2.6GPAVitePressGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 the MIT License; you pay only for the hosting. A program anyone can download and run is graded as free and substantial. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree with no paid plans, and one person could build and host a site on it using GitHub Pages. | AFree outright, with no plan or cap. The only cost is wherever you host the output. |
| 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 with extensions, Vue in pages, a default theme and local search. It builds a static site and does nothing past that: no editor, accounts or comments. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You work in files in a repository and run Jekyll, so it needs a command line. | DIt's a developer tool run from the command line with files you write yourself. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only: it produces a static site. Four integrations are named, all of them build and hosting tools. | CWeb output only, with Vite, Vue, Algolia DocSearch and MiniSearch. No app or hosted service. |
| Best for | a documentation site on GitHub Pages | a Markdown docs site built on Vite and Vue |
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 VitePress. 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. VitePress 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 VitePress 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.
- VitePress also covers templates.
At a glance
| Just the Docs | VitePress | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 the MIT 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 | VitePress (Evan You and contributors) |
| Price read from | just-the-docs.com | vitepress.dev |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
VitePress
- It is a developer tool: you write files, run a command-line build and need Node.js 22 or higher.
- There is no hosted editor, user accounts or comments for staff; you host and deploy the static site yourself.
- The site lists a 2.0 alpha alongside the 1.6.4 release.
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.
VitePress
- Markdown with extensions
- Frontmatter, tables, syntax highlighting and several code-block features are built in, aimed at technical documentation.
- Vue inside Markdown
- Each Markdown page can use Vue syntax and components, and custom themes are built as Vue applications.
- Default documentation theme
- A ready theme with nav, sidebar, edit links, last-updated timestamps and a team page.
- Built-in local search
- A fuzzy full-text search index runs in the browser once enabled with one config option; Algolia DocSearch and community plugins are alternatives.
- Static output and Vite tooling
- Pages are built as static HTML with client-side navigation, and Vite plugins can be used. Deploy guides and i18n support are documented.
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.
VitePress
Open source$0
Free under the MIT License. You build the site with Node.js and host the static output yourself.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Just the Docs or VitePress?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Just the Docs and VitePress are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Just the Docs or VitePress?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Just the Docs and VitePress 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.