Mintlify vs ReadMe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mintlify and ReadMe share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and ReadMe starts cheaper, at $250 a month against $450 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
ReadMe
Hosted API documentation with an interactive reference
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 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
| 2.2GPAMintlifyFair | 2.2GPAReadMeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 set up a repo or the web editor, a domain and authentication. | CNo store rating on record. Importing an API spec is quick, but projects, versions and the layout need your setup. |
| 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 Google Analytics, Intercom, Segment, Slack, Zendesk and Statuspage, plus an MCP server. |
| Best for | developer documentation with built-in AI agents | 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: Mintlify and ReadMe. 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. ReadMe starts at $250 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and ReadMe starts $200 a month lower. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, 33 score higher than Mintlify for less, and 33 score higher than ReadMe 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.
- ReadMe also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| Mintlify | ReadMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $450 per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly) | $250 per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Starter plan: 5 editor seats, web editor, custom domain, authentication, MCP server and API playground. No AI credits. | 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 | 14-day Pro trial with 5,000 credits, no card required | 14-day free trial with all Pro features |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mintlify | ReadMe |
| Price read from | mintlify.com | readme.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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
ReadMe
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mintlify or ReadMe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ReadMe is cheaper to start with: $250 a month, against $450 a month for Mintlify. Mintlify starts at $450 per month, billed annually ($540 billed monthly), and ReadMe starts at $250 per month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Mintlify or ReadMe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Mintlify 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.