MkDocs vs Sphinx (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MkDocs and Sphinx share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
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.
Which one is for you
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
Pick Sphinx if
- Fits if you document a Python project and want API docs pulled from code
- Works for teams that want PDF and web output from one source
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if your writers are non-technical, as there is no hosted editor
- Skip it if you want hosting, since it builds static files and you publish them
- Watch out: reStructuredText is its own markup, with Markdown through MyST
- Too light for a team wiki, as it has no accounts, comments or page editing in a browser
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMkDocsGood | 2.6GPASphinxGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree under a BSD-2-Clause license, a program anyone can download and run, installed from PyPI, Conda, an OS package manager or Docker. That is well under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | ANo plan, no caps. You pay only for wherever you host the built site, which can be free. | ANo plan and no caps. The only cost is wherever you publish the built docs. |
| Features | 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. | CreStructuredText and MyST Markdown, cross-references, several output formats, API docs from code, themes and translations. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller one: no hosted editor, and publishing is left to you. |
| Ease of use | DA command-line tool that needs a recent Python and its package manager, plus a config file to edit. | DA command-line build tool with config files and its own markup, so it needs a developer. |
| Platforms and integrations | CBuilds a web site from files. GitHub Pages and Amazon S3 are the hosting routes named, and there is no hosted service or app. | CA program for Mac, Windows and Linux. Windows install is documented through Chocolatey and macOS through Homebrew or MacPorts, and no web service or apps are listed. |
| Best for | a Markdown docs site built with Python | Python-style documentation built from source files |
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: MkDocs and Sphinx. How we grade
Price against what you get
MkDocs has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sphinx 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 MkDocs for less, and none scores higher than Sphinx 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
At a glance
| MkDocs | Sphinx | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under a BSD license; you pay only for wherever you host the output. | Free: released under a BSD-2-Clause license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | MkDocs Team | The Sphinx developers |
| Price read from | mkdocs.org | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Sphinx
- It is a command-line build tool with no hosted editor, so non-technical writers need another workflow.
- It builds static files; publishing them somewhere is left to the user.
- Windows installation is documented through Chocolatey, and macOS through Homebrew or MacPorts.
Key features
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.
Sphinx
- reStructuredText and MyST Markdown
- Source files can be written in either syntax, with tables, code blocks and mathematical notation.
- Cross-referencing
- Links work between sections, figures, tables, citations, glossary terms and code objects, including across projects.
- Several output formats
- HTML, LaTeX for PDF, ePub and Texinfo are built from the same source.
- API docs from code
- Autodoc builds reference pages for Python, C++ and other domains from docstrings.
- Themes and extensions
- Built-in and third-party HTML themes, plus extension points for diagrams, doctests and custom builders.
- Translations
- Supports documentation in multiple languages.
Plans
MkDocs
Open source$0
Free and open source under a BSD license. You build the site with Python and host the output yourself.
Sphinx
Open source$0
Install it yourself from PyPI, Conda, an OS package manager or Docker. Hosting the built docs is up to you.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MkDocs or Sphinx?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MkDocs and Sphinx are free to use.
Which has a free plan, MkDocs or Sphinx?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MkDocs and Sphinx have a free plan.
Which platforms do MkDocs and Sphinx run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only MkDocs lists a web app and only Sphinx lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.