ReadMe vs Stoplight (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ReadMe and Stoplight share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and Stoplight starts cheaper, at $44 a month against $250 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ReadMe grades higher on the free plan. Stoplight grades higher on value for money. 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.
ReadMe
Hosted API documentation with an interactive reference
Stoplight
OpenAPI design and documentation platform for API teams
Which one is for you
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
Pick Stoplight if
- Fits if your team designs APIs in OpenAPI and wants docs and mocks from them
- Works for small API teams that can live on a workspace price
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a company wiki, because it handles API docs only
- Tight if you stay free, as it's 1 user and 1 project
- Pricey if you want private projects, which start at Startup, $113 a month billed annually
- Watch out: SSO, shared style guides and removing Stoplight branding need Pro Team at $362 a month
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAReadMeFair | 2.2GPAStoplightFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CBasic is $44 a month for 3 users billed annually, so about $66 for five people with extra users at $11. That's under the dearer quarter of $82.50 for docs tools. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA free plan for 1 user and 1 project, and a 14-day trial of paid plans. Private projects aren't on it. |
| Features | 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. | CVisual OpenAPI design, interactive docs, mock servers, Git sync and style guides. It's for API docs only, not a general wiki. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Importing an API spec is quick, but projects, versions and the layout need your setup. | CNo store rating on record. You write or import OpenAPI files and connect Git. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Google Analytics, Intercom, Segment, Slack, Zendesk and Statuspage, plus an MCP server. | BWeb app with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps links, plus Spectral and Prism. |
| Best for | API documentation with an interactive reference | teams designing and documenting OpenAPI APIs |
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: ReadMe and Stoplight. How we grade
Price against what you get
ReadMe starts at $250 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stoplight starts at $44 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Stoplight starts $206 a month lower. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, 34 score higher than ReadMe for less, and 24 score higher than Stoplight 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
- ReadMe also covers Markdown.
- Stoplight also covers templates.
At a glance
| ReadMe | Stoplight | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $250 per month, billed annually | $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | 1 user and 1 project; paid plans are priced per workspace. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with all Pro features | 14-day free trial on Basic, Startup and Pro Team |
| Web | ||
| Made by | ReadMe | SmartBear Software |
| Price read from | readme.com | stoplight.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Stoplight
- The Free plan is limited to 1 user and 1 project.
- Prices are per workspace with a fixed number of included users, then per extra user.
- Private projects need Startup; SSO, style guides and removing Stoplight branding need Pro Team at $362 a month billed annually.
- Stoplight is an API documentation tool, not a general company wiki.
Key features
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.
Stoplight
- Visual OpenAPI designer
- A form-based editor for OpenAPI and JSON Schema, alongside code-based editing, with schema reuse and design validation.
- Interactive documentation
- Docs are generated from the API definition, with a documentation editor and, from the Startup plan, custom domains and theming.
- Mock servers
- Instant mock servers are listed from the Basic plan, so front-end work can start before an API is built.
- Git sync and branches
- Projects sync with Git, and Startup adds multi-branch support. Pro Team lists self-hosted Git providers.
- Shared style guides
- Pro Team adds shared style guides, component libraries and workspace groups for governing APIs across teams.
Plans
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.
Stoplight
Free$0
1 user and 1 project.
Basic$44
per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly)
Visual OpenAPI designer, interactive docs and mock servers; extra users $11 a month billed annually ($14 monthly).
Startup$113
per month for 8 users, billed annually ($147 billed monthly)
Adds private projects, multi-branch support, custom domains and theming; extra users $11 a month annually ($14 monthly).
Pro Team$362
per month for 15 users, billed annually ($453 billed monthly)
Up to 20 teams, shared style guides, SSO, activity logs, self-hosted Git; extra users $22 annually ($27 monthly).
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited projects and teams, custom payment terms, invoicing and priority support. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
ReadMe
No public discounts listed.
Stoplight
- Annual discount
Lower prices with annual billing
Basic is $44 a month billed annually against $56 billed monthly; Startup $113 against $147; Pro Team $362 against $453.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ReadMe or Stoplight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stoplight is cheaper to start with: $44 a month, against $250 a month for ReadMe. ReadMe starts at $250 per month, billed annually, and Stoplight starts at $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, ReadMe or Stoplight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ReadMe and Stoplight 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.