Redocly vs Stoplight (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stoplight grades higher than Redocly: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Stoplight grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Redocly
API reference and docs-as-code publishing platform
Stoplight
OpenAPI design and documentation platform for API teams
Which one is for you
Pick Redocly if
- Fits if your API docs live in Git and developers update them
- Works for teams that need unlimited readers and seats at one price
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're a small team, with $249 a month billed annually as the entry
- Not for you if you want a free hosted plan, as there isn't one
- Watch out: SSO, role-based access and the API catalog need Scale at $729 a month
- Watch out: extra projects cost $390 a year each, and the monthly-billing price isn't shown
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
| 1.8GPARedoclyWeak | 2.2GPAStoplightFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$249 a month billed annually for 3 projects, which is where the dearest tenth of docs tools starts. Extra projects cost $390 a year each. | 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 | CA 30-day trial on Pro with no card. No free hosted plan after it. | 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 API reference, docs as code, a mock server and an MCP server. The listing's own gaps: typed SDK generation is early access, and SSO and role-based access need Scale. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. Docs as code means config files and a Git workflow. | CNo store rating on record. You write or import OpenAPI files and connect Git. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps links. No apps. | BWeb app with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps links, plus Spectral and Prism. |
| Best for | docs-as-code API reference publishing | 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: Redocly and Stoplight. How we grade
Price against what you get
Redocly starts at $249 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stoplight starts at $44 a month and scores 2.3.
Stoplight scores higher and starts $205 a month lower. Of the other docs and wiki tools on the chart, 46 score higher than Redocly 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
- Redocly also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| Redocly | Stoplight | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $249 per month, billed annually as $2,988, with unlimited seats and 3 projects | $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 1 user and 1 project; paid plans are priced per workspace. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required; starts on Pro | 14-day free trial on Basic, Startup and Pro Team |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Redocly | SmartBear Software |
| Price read from | redocly.com | stoplight.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Redocly
- There is no free hosted plan; the entry price is $249 a month billed annually, and the monthly-billing price is not shown on the page.
- Pro includes 3 projects and Scale 10; extra projects cost $390 a year each.
- SSO, role-based access and the API catalog need Scale, and typed SDK generation is listed as early access.
- Redocly CLI and Redoc CE are separate open-source tools linked from the site.
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
Redocly
- Interactive API reference
- Reference pages are generated from OpenAPI, GraphQL and AsyncAPI descriptions, and readers can try requests for OpenAPI and GraphQL on the page.
- Docs as code
- Guides are written in Markdown, Markdoc or React beside the API description in your own Git repository, with a preview for every pull request.
- Mock server
- A mock API is generated from the description so integrations can start before the backend is built.
- MCP server and AI assistant
- Published docs are served as tools to AI agents, and an assistant answers readers from the docs. Both are included within usage limits.
- Governance on Scale
- Scale adds an API catalog with scorecards, multi-product sites, single sign-on and role-based access.
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
Redocly
Pro$249
per month, billed annually as $2,988, for 3 projects
Unlimited seats, readers and pages; interactive API docs, mock server, custom domain, MCP server and an AI assistant for readers.
Scale$729
per month, billed annually as $8,748, for 10 projects
Adds SSO, role-based access, multi-product sites, API catalog and scorecards, and project analytics.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited projects, SCIM provisioning, audit logs, IP restrictions, data residency and single-tenant options on an annual contract.
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
Redocly
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual billing
The pricing page labels the annual option '2 months free' against monthly billing.
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, Redocly or Stoplight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stoplight is cheaper to start with: $44 a month, against $249 a month for Redocly. Redocly starts at $249 per month, billed annually as $2,988, with unlimited seats and 3 projects, and Stoplight starts at $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Redocly or Stoplight?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Stoplight has a free plan. Redocly 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.