Mintlify vs Read the Docs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mintlify grades higher than Read the Docs: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mintlify grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. Read the Docs grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mintlify
Documentation platform with built-in AI agents
Read the Docs
Hosts documentation built from a Git repository
Which one is for you
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
Pick Read the Docs if
- Fits if you maintain an open-source project and want free hosted docs
- Works for companies already building docs with Sphinx or MkDocs
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an editor, as it hosts and builds docs written elsewhere
- Watch out: the free Community site is for open source only and shows ads
- Tight if you are on Basic, with 2 concurrent builds, a shared domain and 50 redirects
- Watch out: SAML SSO needs Enterprise from $10,000 a year, and annual prices are not shown
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMintlifyFair | 2.0GPARead the DocsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CBasic is $50 a month, above the category's middle at $18 and below its dearer quarter at $82.50. Advanced is $150 and Pro $250, and SAML SSO needs Enterprise from $10,000 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CCommunity is free for open-source projects, with public repos and docs and ads. Business plans have a 30-day trial with nothing charged automatically, but there is no free plan for private docs. |
| Features | 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. | CBuilds from Git, works with Sphinx, MkDocs and Docusaurus, pull-request previews, private docs and access control. It is a host and not an editor or a wiki, and plans cap concurrent builds, domains and redirects. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up a repo or the web editor, a domain and authentication. | DYou point it at a repository and add a config file, with a docs tool such as Sphinx or MkDocs behind it. It assumes a developer. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Git sync, an MCP server and API playground, and admin APIs on Pro. No desktop or phone apps. | BWeb, with GitHub and GitLab sign-in and builds, and the common docs tools. No desktop or phone apps. |
| Best for | developer documentation with built-in AI agents | hosting docs built from a Git repository |
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: Mintlify and Read the Docs. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mintlify starts at $450 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Read the Docs starts at $50 a month and scores 2.0.
Mintlify scores higher, and starts $400 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, 33 score higher than Mintlify for less, and 32 score higher than Read the Docs 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
- Mintlify also covers AI search and AI agents.
At a glance
| Mintlify | Read the Docs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $450 per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly) | $50 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Starter plan: 5 editor seats, web editor, custom domain, authentication, MCP server and API playground. No AI credits. | Read the Docs Community is free for open source projects: public repositories and public documentation, with ad-supported hosting. |
| Free trial | 14-day Pro trial with 5,000 credits, no card required | 30-day free trial on the Business plans; nothing is charged automatically when it ends |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mintlify | Read the Docs, Inc |
| Price read from | mintlify.com | about.readthedocs.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Read the Docs
- It hosts and builds docs written with another tool; it is not an editor or a wiki.
- Community and Business are two separate sites (readthedocs.org and readthedocs.com), and the free one is for open source only and shows ads.
- Business plans are capped by concurrent builds, custom domains and redirects; SAML SSO needs Enterprise, from $10,000 per year.
- Annual plans are offered on every paid tier, invoice or purchase order included, but the page does not show their prices.
Key features
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.
Read the Docs
- Builds from Git
- Connect a Git repository and the service builds the docs automatically, with versioning, search and CDN hosting on every plan.
- Works with common doc tools
- The site names Sphinx, MkDocs and Docusaurus as supported documentation tools.
- Pull request previews
- Each pull request gets a live preview build with a visual diff against production.
- Private docs and access control
- Business plans clone private repositories and can restrict who views the documentation, with SSO through GitHub, GitLab and, on Pro, Google.
- AI-ready output
- The site lists support for llms.txt, Markdown content negotiation and agent skills.
Plans
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.
Read the Docs
Community$0
Free for open source projects. Clones public repositories only, publishes public documentation and shows ads.
Basic$50
per month, billed monthly
Private repositories, 2 concurrent builds, a shared domain, SSO with GitHub and GitLab, 50 redirects and support within 3 business days.
Advanced$150
per month, billed monthly
4 concurrent builds, 5 custom domains, 250 redirects and 90 days of page and search analytics. Support within 2 business days.
Pro$250
per month, billed monthly
6 concurrent builds, 15 custom domains, 500 redirects, SSO with Google as well, and 90 days of authentication auditing. Support within 1 business day.
Enterprise$10,000
per year and up
SAML SSO, dedicated builders, advanced audit tracking and a support SLA.
Ways to pay less
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.
Read the Docs
- Other savings
Free hosting for open source documentation
Open source documentation is always free on Read the Docs Community, supported by ads.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mintlify or Read the Docs?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Read the Docs is cheaper to start with: $50 a month, against $450 a month for Mintlify. Mintlify starts at $450 per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly), and Read the Docs starts at $50 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Mintlify or Read the Docs?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Mintlify and Read the Docs 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.