Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pandoc VS ReadMe

Compare pandoc VS ReadMe and see what are their differences

pandoc logo pandoc

Pandoc is a Haskell library for converting from one markup format to another, and a command-line...

ReadMe logo ReadMe

A collaborative developer hub for your API or code.
  • pandoc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-24
  • ReadMe Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-03-04

pandoc features and specs

  • Flexibility
    Pandoc supports a wide range of input and output formats, allowing users to convert between Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, PDF, DOCX, and more, providing versatile document management.
  • Ease of Use
    With simple command-line instructions, Pandoc makes it easy for users to convert documents without needing extensive programming or formatting knowledge.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Pandoc is free to use and benefit from contributions across a broad community, which continuously improves its features and addresses bugs.
  • Customizability
    Pandoc offers template customization for document formatting, allowing users to define specific styles and structures for their outputs.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Pandoc provides comprehensive documentation and tutorials, making it accessible for new users and helpful for troubleshooting and exploring advanced functions.

Possible disadvantages of pandoc

  • Learning Curve
    New users might face a steep learning curve, especially if unfamiliar with command-line tools, as they need to understand the syntax and available options.
  • Performance
    For very large documents with complex formatting, Pandoc's performance might not be as efficient, potentially leading to increased processing time.
  • Limited GUI
    Pandoc primarily operates via the command line and lacks a fully-featured graphical user interface, which might be less convenient for some users accustomed to GUI-based applications.
  • Complexity in Advanced Features
    While powerful, some advanced features and customizations might require a deeper understanding of the tool and its scripting capabilities, which can be intricate.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    Converting documents into certain formats, like PDF, may depend on external tools (e.g., LaTeX), which need to be installed and configured separately.

ReadMe features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    ReadMe offers a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create and manage documentation without requiring extensive technical skills.
  • Interactive API Documentation
    The platform provides interactive API documentation, allowing users to try out API calls directly within the documentation, which enhances user understanding and engagement.
  • Customizability
    ReadMe allows a high level of customization, enabling users to tailor the look and feel of their documentation to match their brand identity.
  • Analytics
    The service offers built-in analytics, providing insights into how users interact with the documentation, which can help in improving user experience and understanding common issues.
  • Version Control
    ReadMe supports version control, making it easy to manage and maintain documentation for different versions of an API or product.
  • Collaboration Tools
    It includes collaboration tools that facilitate teamwork by allowing multiple users to work on documentation simultaneously.
  • Markdown Support
    The platform supports Markdown, making it easy for users to format their documentation efficiently.

Possible disadvantages of ReadMe

  • Cost
    Compared to some other documentation platforms, ReadMe can be more expensive, especially for small startups or individual developers.
  • Learning Curve
    While user-friendly, some advanced features may have a learning curve, especially for those who are not familiar with documentation tools.
  • Limited Offline Access
    ReadMe primarily operates as an online service, which can be limiting for users who need offline access to their documentation.
  • Performance on Large Projects
    There may be performance issues or slowdowns when dealing with very large projects or extensive documentation, requiring optimization.
  • Feature Limitations in Lower Tiers
    Some advanced features and customizability options are restricted to higher pricing tiers, which may not be accessible to all users.

pandoc videos

Who needs pandoc when you have Sphinx? An exploration of the parsers and builders of the Sphinx doc…

More videos:

  • Review - 0006 | Setting Up a Scholarly Writing Environment With Markdown, VSCodium and pandoc

ReadMe videos

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

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pandoc and ReadMe)
Documentation
26 26%
74% 74
Documentation As A Service & Tools
Knowledge Base
36 36%
64% 64
Developer Tools
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 pandoc and ReadMe

pandoc Reviews

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ReadMe Reviews

Best Gitbook Alternatives You Need to Try in 2023
Readme.com is a developer hub that allows users to publish API documentation. It focuses on making API references interactive by allowing to Try out API calls, log metrics about the API call usage, and more. This means it lacks some capabilities, like a review system and several blocks, which the Gitbook editor supports.
Source: www.archbee.com
12 Most Useful Knowledge Management Tools for Your Business
ReadMe offers integration with apps like Slack, Google Analytics, and Zendesk. One of its most significant advantages is the metrics option which lets you see how customers are using your API.
Source: www.archbee.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ReadMe seems to be a lot more popular than pandoc. While we know about 23 links to ReadMe, we've tracked only 1 mention of pandoc. 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.

pandoc mentions (1)

  • Convert plain text to rich text
    If you really want to stop using Markdown to write with, then the best solution will be to use a proper conversion tool to turn these into word processing documents, such as DOCX or ODT, and then import that into Scrivener. I don't think (without plugins anyway) that Obsidian has any way of making this easier, but a good general purpose tool for this is Pandoc. Source: about 3 years ago

ReadMe mentions (23)

  • 7 Top API Documentation Software Tools 2025 (With Reviews and Pricing)✨
    For more information and to subscribe, visit ReadMe. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Leveraging API Documentation for Faster Developer Onboarding
    Documentation portals like ReadMe provide complete Developer experience platforms with customization, analytics, and feedback mechanisms. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Integrating OpenAPI With Mintlify
    According to the OpenAPI specification initiative, OpenAPI is the standard for defining your API. This means that with the help of this file, you can migrate your API documentation from one platform to another. For example, you can migrate your API docs from Postman to ReadMe or Mintlify or vice versa. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How to view API request examples in a ReadMe documentation.
    My recent experience with The Movie Database (TMDB) API documentation underscores the importance of request examples in API documentation. It took me a couple of hours to figure out how to make a successful request to an endpoint because I couldn't access a request sample. However, I eventually found it in an unexpected place. ReadMe on the other hand didn't make it easy. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Do you Know Only Fools Use APIs Doc Platform?
    I came across readme.io some days back, and It's like that fresh outfit you wear to high-end parties—the one with crisp lines, dark colors, and intricate designs that make you stand out. Their documentation platform is sleek, modern, and highly customizable to fit your brand's drip. It's like having a tailor sew a 007 suit (James Bond) to your specs. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing pandoc and ReadMe, you can also consider the following products

mdbook - Gitbook alternative in Rust

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

Asciidoctor - In the spirit of free software, everyone is encouraged to help improve this project.

Docusaurus - Easy to maintain open source documentation websites

Archbee.io - Archbee is a developer-focused product docs tool for your team. Build beautiful product documentation sites or internal wikis/knowledge bases to get your team and product knowledge in one place.

Doxygen - Generate documentation from source code