ReadMe review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Hosted API documentation with an interactive reference
Black Friday: is there a ReadMe sale?
ReadMe report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for API documentation with an interactive reference
ReadMe hosts API documentation with an interactive reference, with a free Starter plan and Pro at $250 a month billed annually. Starter is held to 1 project and 1 version, and AI answers and the developer dashboard are priced as add-ons on top.
Who ReadMe is for
- 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
Who ReadMe is not for
- 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
Why ReadMe gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyPro 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.
- BFree plan and trialStarter 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.
- CFeaturesInteractive 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. Importing an API spec is quick, but projects, versions and the layout need your setup.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, with Google Analytics, Intercom, Segment, Slack, Zendesk and Statuspage, plus an MCP server.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ReadMe's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/readme#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/readme.svg" alt="ReadMe: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where ReadMe stands among docs and wiki tools
ReadMe's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 10 of the 69 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 35 of 69) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $250 a month, against a middle price of $18.50 for the category: 48 of the 51 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 33 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. ReadMe’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 69, level with 14
- BFree plan and trialAbove 35 of 69, level with 15
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 69, level with 34
- CEase of useAbove 15 of 69, level with 33
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 18 of 69, level with 47
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 63 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep ReadMe, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of ReadMe you could make: documents and Markdown. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 45 of the 69 other docs and wiki tools grade higher. It costs $3,000 a year.
What you could make
- Documents and Markdown: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Google Analytics, Intercom and Segment among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. ReadMe’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is ReadMe?
ReadMe hosts developer documentation, with guides written in Markdown and an interactive API reference built from an API definition. Pro adds team editing, branches with reviews and a changelog, and AI features include an LLMs.txt file, an MCP server and an agent that helps write and lint docs.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
ReadMe pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, ReadMe has a free plan, and paid plans start at $250 per month, billed annually.
- Starts at
- $250 per month, billed annually
- 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.
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with all Pro features
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $250per 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). |
| Enterprise | Custom | Everything in Pro plus unlimited seats, multiple combined projects, user roles, audit logs, SSO and no ReadMe branding. Annual billing only. |
Read from readme.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with ReadMe before you buy.
Works with
- Google Analytics
- Intercom
- Segment
- Slack
- Zendesk
- Statuspage
- Smartling
- Transifex
ReadMe alternatives
- ReadMe vs Mintlify
Free plan · from $450/mo
- ReadMe vs GitBook
Free plan · from $65/mo
- ReadMe vs Document360
Free trial
- ReadMe vs Archbee
Free trial · from $80/mo
Common questions
Does ReadMe have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. ReadMe is listed for Web.
Does ReadMe have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. ReadMe is listed for Web.
Is ReadMe open source?
ReadMe is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does ReadMe have an API?
Yes. ReadMe offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.