Paligo vs ReadMe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ReadMe grades higher than Paligo: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ReadMe grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Paligo
Structured content authoring for technical documentation
ReadMe
Hosted API documentation with an interactive reference
Which one is for you
Pick Paligo if
- Fits if your team writes reusable, structured content for several products and languages
- Works for companies with a documentation budget in the tens of thousands a year
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are a small team, as $15,000 a year is the starting price
- Not for you if you want a simple wiki, since it has a steeper learning curve
- Watch out: Business covers 2 authors and 2 languages, with SSO and permissions on Enterprise only
- Watch out: the trial length is not stated, and Enterprise has no listed price
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
| 1.8GPAPaligoWeak | 2.2GPAReadMeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DFrom $15,000 a year for 2 authors, about $625 a month each, which is well above the category's dearest tenth at $249. Add-ons Nexus Portal and Nexus Answers start at $5,000 and $6,000 a year. | 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 | DA free trial is offered on the Business plan, but its length is not stated and no free plan exists, so we cannot show it is a week or longer. | 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 | CSingle-source reuse, publishing to many channels, versioning and review, translation management and an API. Gaps: SSO, permissions, SCORM output and unlimited languages 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. The page itself says it has a steeper learning curve than a wiki, since it is an XML authoring system. | CNo store rating on record. Importing an API spec is quick, but projects, versions and the layout need your setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a REST API and connections to Zendesk, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Algolia and Phrase. API rates are limited on Business. | BWeb, with Google Analytics, Intercom, Segment, Slack, Zendesk and Statuspage, plus an MCP server. |
| Best for | large teams writing structured XML documentation | 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: Paligo and ReadMe. How we grade
Price against what you get
Paligo starts at $1,250 a month when paid by the year 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 $1,000 a month lower. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, 33 score higher than Paligo 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
- Paligo also covers templates and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Paligo | ReadMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $15,000 per year and up, for 2 authors and 2 languages | $250 per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | 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 | Free trial offered on the Business plan; the length is not stated | 14-day free trial with all Pro features |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Paligo AB | ReadMe |
| Price read from | paligo.net | readme.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Paligo
- The published entry price is $15,000 per year, and the Enterprise plan has no listed price.
- Business includes 2 authors and 2 languages. SSO, permissions, eLearning (SCORM) output and unlimited languages are Enterprise only.
- Nexus Portal and Nexus Answers are separate add-ons, from $5,000 and $6,000 per year, which the page says are targeted for general availability in October 2026.
- It is an authoring system for structured XML content, with a steeper learning curve than a wiki.
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
Paligo
- Single-source reuse
- Content is written as topics and reused, down to text fragments, across many publications, with variables and conditional filtering.
- Multi-channel publishing
- One source publishes to HTML5, PDF, eLearning packages and GitHub Flavored Markdown, with batch publishing and Paligo-hosted help centers.
- Versioning and review
- Topic-level revision history, parallel version branches, suggestions mode for tracked changes, and contributor and reviewer roles.
- Translation management
- Manages content in several languages and connects to translation memory systems. AI translation runs on prepaid token packages bought separately.
- Integrations and API
- A REST API and webhooks connect Paligo to other tools, alongside integrations for help desks, Git hosts, search and translation vendors.
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
Paligo
Business$15,000
per year and up, for 2 authors and 2 languages
Annual subscription licensed per author. 2 authors, up to 10 contributors or reviewers, 10 GB per author, limited REST API rates and standard support.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Business plus 8 authors, unlimited languages and contributors, SAML single sign-on, permissions, SLAs and a dedicated customer success manager.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Paligo or ReadMe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ReadMe is cheaper to start with: $250 a month, against $1,250 a month when paid by the year for Paligo. Paligo starts at $15,000 per year and up, for 2 authors and 2 languages, and ReadMe starts at $250 per month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Paligo or ReadMe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ReadMe has a free plan. Paligo does not, though it has a free trial.
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.