Stoplight review (2026): is the free plan enough?
OpenAPI design and documentation platform for API teams
Black Friday: is there a Stoplight sale?
Stoplight report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for teams designing and documenting OpenAPI APIs
Stoplight designs and documents APIs from OpenAPI, with mock servers and Git sync. The free plan is 1 user and 1 project, private projects need Startup at $113 a month, and it isn't a company wiki.
Who Stoplight is for
- 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
Who Stoplight is not for
- 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
Why Stoplight gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyBasic 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.
- CFree plan and trialA free plan for 1 user and 1 project, and a 14-day trial of paid plans. Private projects aren't on it.
- CFeaturesVisual OpenAPI design, interactive docs, mock servers, Git sync and style guides. It's for API docs only, not a general wiki.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You write or import OpenAPI files and connect Git.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb app with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps links, plus Spectral and Prism.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Stoplight's own pages on 13 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/stoplight#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/stoplight.svg" alt="Stoplight: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Stoplight stands among docs and wiki tools
Stoplight's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 17 of the 86 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 28 of 86) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $44 a month, against a middle price of $18.50 for the category: 36 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 24 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 87 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Stoplight’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 19 of 86, level with 30
- CFree plan and trialAbove 9 of 86, level with 31
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 86, level with 51
- CEase of useAbove 25 of 86, level with 39
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 86, level with 54
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 79 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 Stoplight, or make your own?
Your call
A wiki at its plainest is pages that link to each other.
You could make the core of Stoplight for yourself: documents and templates. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $528 a year.
What you could make
- Documents and templates: an app builder makes these well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Stoplight’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 Stoplight?
Stoplight is a hosted platform for designing APIs in the OpenAPI format, generating interactive documentation and mock servers from the same definition. Plans are priced per workspace with a set number of included users. The company is part of SmartBear, and also maintains the open-source tools Spectral, Prism and Elements.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Stoplight pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stoplight has a free plan, and paid plans start at $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- $44 per month for 3 users, billed annually ($56 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- 1 user and 1 project; paid plans are priced per workspace.
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial on Basic, Startup and Pro Team
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 user and 1 project. |
| Basic | $44per 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 | $113per 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 | $362per 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). |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited projects and teams, custom payment terms, invoicing and priority support. Sold through sales. |
Read from stoplight.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Stoplight before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountLower prices with annual billing
Basic is $44 a month billed annually against $56 billed monthly; Startup $113 against $147; Pro Team $362 against $453.
Stated on stoplight.io
Works with
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Bitbucket
- Azure DevOps
- Google Analytics
- Spectral
- Prism
Stoplight alternatives
- Stoplight vs Redocly
Free trial · from $249/mo
- Stoplight vs Bump.sh
Free trial · from $50/mo
- Stoplight vs Fern
Free plan
- Stoplight vs ReadMe
Free plan · from $250/mo
- Stoplight vs GitBook
Free plan · from $65/mo
Common questions
Does Stoplight have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Stoplight is listed for Web.
Does Stoplight have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Stoplight is listed for Web.
Is Stoplight open source?
Stoplight is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Stoplight have an API?
Yes. Stoplight 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 13, 2026.