Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DevDocs VS HackMD

Compare DevDocs VS HackMD and see what are their differences

DevDocs logo DevDocs

Open source API documentation browser with instant fuzzy search, offline mode, keyboard shortcuts, and more

HackMD logo HackMD

Fast and flexible, real-time collaborative markdown, inspired by Hackpad.
  • DevDocs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-12
  • HackMD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-04

DevDocs features and specs

  • Comprehensive Documentation
    DevDocs offers a wide array of documentation for various programming languages, libraries, and frameworks, making it a one-stop resource for developers.
  • Offline Access
    Users can download documentation for offline use, which is beneficial for work in environments without consistent internet connectivity.
  • Fast Search
    DevDocs features a lightning-fast search functionality, allowing developers to quickly find the information they need.
  • Integrations
    DevDocs can integrate with various editors and tools, enhancing the workflow for developers.
  • Free and Open Source
    DevDocs is free to use and open source, allowing developers to contribute and improve the platform.

Possible disadvantages of DevDocs

  • Limited Customization
    The platform offers limited customization options for user interface preferences compared to some other documentation tools.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve to get accustomed to the interface and find the documentation they need.
  • Dependency on Contributions
    As an open-source project, DevDocs relies heavily on community contributions to keep documentation up to date, which might lead to inconsistencies.
  • No User Accounts
    DevDocs does not support user accounts, meaning there is no way to save personalized settings or bookmarks across different devices.
  • Limited Mobile Optimization
    While it is accessible on mobile devices, DevDocs is not specifically optimized for mobile use, which might affect the user experience on smaller screens.

HackMD features and specs

  • Collaboration
    HackMD offers real-time collaborative editing, which allows multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously. This feature enhances teamwork and productivity, especially for remote teams.
  • Markdown Support
    HackMD is built around Markdown, providing a simple yet powerful syntax for formatting documents. Markdown compatibility makes it easy to create well-structured content with minimal effort.
  • Version Control
    The platform includes version history, allowing users to track changes, revert to previous versions, and compare different iterations. This feature ensures that work is not lost and can be systematically reviewed.
  • Integration
    HackMD integrates with popular platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Dropbox, allowing for seamless workflow integration. This makes it easy to incorporate HackMD into existing development and project management processes.
  • Accessibility
    HackMD is a web-based tool, meaning it can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. This ensures that users can collaborate and edit documents from different locations and devices.

Possible disadvantages of HackMD

  • Limited Offline Support
    Since HackMD is primarily a web-based tool, it offers limited functionalities when offline. Users may face challenges accessing and editing documents without an internet connection.
  • Subscription Model
    While HackMD offers a free tier, advanced features and greater collaboration capacities are locked behind a subscription model. This could be a disadvantage for users and small teams with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with Markdown or collaborative editing tools may have a learning curve to overcome. This could affect initial productivity and user experience.
  • Data Privacy
    As a cloud-based service, users may have concerns about data privacy and security. Sensitive information stored on the platform could potentially be accessed by third parties or become vulnerable to data breaches.
  • Performance Issues
    Under heavy usage or with large documents, some users might experience occasional performance issues such as lag or slow syncing. This can disrupt the workflow and collaborative efforts.

DevDocs videos

DevDocs - An API Documentation Browser

HackMD videos

hackmd.io opensource application review

More videos:

  • Demo - Techstars Paris 2018 Demo Day - HackMD pitch
  • Review - Screencast-Tutorial zu HackMD

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DevDocs and HackMD)
Cryptocurrencies
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100
Blockchain
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
48 48%
52% 52

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, DevDocs should be more popular than HackMD. It has been mentiond 129 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DevDocs mentions (129)

  • 10 more Exciting Resources for Devs
    ID: i26 Tags: Programming, API, Documentation Description: Fast, offline, and free documentation browser for developers. GitHub Link | Website Link. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • 11 Must-Know Websites Every Developer Should Bookmark
    Search API documentation effortlessly with DevDocs. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Review: Boost Your Django DX by Adam Johnson
    The book has twelve chapters. It starts with documentation, the source of truth, and explores how to access documentation offline (DevDocs) or online. It then progresses towards creating your own System Checks. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • intro to web development in the era of genAI
    I use devdocs.io for a one place for many libraries and languages. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • 12 Essential Websites Every Coder Should Know
    DevDocs is a fast, offline-capable documentation browser that covers a wide range of programming languages and tools. No matter what technical documentation you need to look up, DevDocs can quickly find and display it for you. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
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HackMD mentions (66)

  • If it is worth keeping, save it in Markdown
    HackMD already does this. It has a dual-pane view for raw markdown and formatted output, supports WYSIWYG editing, and allows real-time collaboration. Surprised no one mentioned it. - [HackMD: Your Collaborative Markdown Workspace for Knowledge Sharing](https://hackmd.io/). - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • TL;DR of Deep Dive into LLMs Like ChatGPT by Andrej Karpathy
    [2]: https://hackmd.io/@opensourceinitiative/osaid-faq#What-is-the-role-of-training-data-in-the-Open-Source-AI-Definition. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Web scraping with GPT-4o: powerful but expensive
    About this document ===== [0] https://hackmd.io/@sparna/semantic-markdown-draft. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy
    It seems, at the beginning of the 90s there were a lot of expectations in regard to DC-nets, considered to be a way better alternative to remailers of the time [1]. At least that's my impression after reading Tim May's FAQ (The Cyphernomicon) [2]. Any progress on this front? [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_remailer [2]: https://hackmd.io/@jmsjsph/TheCyphernomicon. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Meta Llama 3
    Actually right now the OSI is hosting ongoing discussion this year on what it means for AI to be open source. Here is their latest blog post on the subject: https://opensource.org/blog/open-source-ai-definition-weekly-update-april-15 Here is the latest draft: https://hackmd.io/@opensourceinitiative/osaid-0-0-7 And a discussion about the draft:... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing DevDocs and HackMD, you can also consider the following products

Zeal - Zeal is an API Documentation Browser.

ReadTheDocs - Spend your time on writing high quality documentation, not on the tools to make your documentation work.

Dash for macOS - Dash is an API Documentation Browser and Code Snippet Manager. Dash searches offline documentation of 200+ APIs and stores snippets of code. You can also generate your own documentation sets.

Documize - Enterprise-grade wiki and knowledge management platform

DASH - DASH is a secure, blockchain-based global financial network which offers private transactions.

Boardist - Personal workspace for all the data