Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DevDocs VS ReadTheDocs

Compare DevDocs VS ReadTheDocs and see what are their differences

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DevDocs logo DevDocs

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

ReadTheDocs logo ReadTheDocs

Spend your time on writing high quality documentation, not on the tools to make your documentation work.
  • DevDocs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-12
  • ReadTheDocs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

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.

ReadTheDocs features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    ReadTheDocs simplifies the process of generating and hosting documentation. It integrates easily with various version control systems like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making it straightforward to deploy and update documentation.
  • Automatic Builds
    Documentation is automatically built and updated each time changes are pushed to the repository. This ensures that the docs are always in sync with the codebase.
  • Search Functionality
    Search functionality is built-in, providing users with the ability to quickly find information within the documentation.
  • Custom Themability
    ReadTheDocs supports theming and custom CSS, allowing users to personalize the look and feel of their documentation.
  • Multi-Version Support
    It supports multiple versions of documentation, making it easy to maintain and access different versions of your project’s documentation.
  • Multi-Language Support
    ReadTheDocs provides support for multiple languages, enabling users to create and manage documentation in various languages.
  • Integration with Sphinx
    As ReadTheDocs relies on Sphinx, it offers powerful extensions and integrations, enhancing the documentation capabilities with code syntax highlighting, inline citations, and API documentation generation.

Possible disadvantages of ReadTheDocs

  • Limited Customization
    While ReadTheDocs offers theming capabilities, it is still relatively limited compared to custom-built documentation sites. Customizing beyond basic theming can be challenging.
  • Performance Issues
    For very large projects, the build times can be longer, and occasional performance issues might arise, especially with extensive documentation.
  • Learning Curve
    Although it is designed to be user-friendly, integrating with Sphinx and setting up the initial configuration for complex projects can have a learning curve.
  • Dependency on Sphinx
    As ReadTheDocs relies heavily on Sphinx, any limitations or bugs within Sphinx can directly affect the documentation site's functionality.
  • Limited Control Over Hosting
    Because it's a hosted service, users have limited control over the hosting environment, which could be a limitation for some companies requiring specific deployment configurations.
  • Potential Downtime
    Since it’s a cloud service, ReadTheDocs may experience downtime or outages, which could temporarily affect the availability of the documentation.
  • Inconsistent Build Environments
    Differences between local development and the ReadTheDocs build environment can sometimes lead to inconsistencies and unexpected issues in the rendered documentation.

DevDocs videos

DevDocs - An API Documentation Browser

ReadTheDocs videos

No ReadTheDocs videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DevDocs and ReadTheDocs)
Cryptocurrencies
100 100%
0% 0
Documentation
0 0%
100% 100
Blockchain
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DevDocs and ReadTheDocs

DevDocs Reviews

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ReadTheDocs Reviews

Best Gitbook Alternatives You Need to Try in 2023
ReadTheDocs is a web-based platform for building, hosting, and versioning documentation. It supports multiple languages and has built-in versioning, so you can easily switch between different versions of your documentation. It also integrates with various version control systems, including GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. Additionally, ReadTheDocs provides a hosting service...
Source: www.archbee.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, DevDocs seems to be a lot more popular than ReadTheDocs. While we know about 129 links to DevDocs, we've tracked only 2 mentions of ReadTheDocs. 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 / 9 months ago
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ReadTheDocs mentions (2)

What are some alternatives?

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

Zeal - Zeal is an API Documentation Browser.

GitBook - Modern Publishing, Simply taking your books from ideas to finished, polished books.

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.

HackMD - Fast and flexible, real-time collaborative markdown, inspired by Hackpad.