# Read the Docs vs ReadMe

| Attribute | Read the Docs | ReadMe |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 62.2 (43% (low)) | 58.5 (75% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 66 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 8,392 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A managed documentation platform that connects to Git repositories to automatically build, preview, and host documentation. Handles infrastructure for builds, search, versioning, and authentication so teams can focus on writing documentation. It is indexed under Documentation Tools.","source":"https://readthedocs.org/pricing/","question":"What is Read the Docs?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Read the Docs is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $50 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://readthedocs.org/pricing/","question":"Is Read the Docs free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Read the Docs. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://readthedocs.org/pricing/","question":"What platforms does Read the Docs support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Read the Docs, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://readthedocs.org/pricing/","question":"Can Read the Docs be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 7 integrations for Read the Docs, including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Google, Sphinx, MkDocs and Docusaurus. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://readthedocs.org/pricing/","question":"What does Read the Docs integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Read the Docs is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org","question":"Is Read the Docs open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A cloud-based service for publishing and managing technical documentation and API references, featuring interactive reference tools, version control, customizable themes, AI-assisted writing, and team collaboration features. It is indexed under Documentation Tools.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"What is ReadMe?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"ReadMe offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $250 per year. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"Is ReadMe free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to ReadMe. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does ReadMe support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for ReadMe, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"Can ReadMe be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 12 integrations for ReadMe, including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Google Analytics, Intercom, Slack, Zendesk and Statuspage, plus 4 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"What does ReadMe integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR for ReadMe. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as ReadMe not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"What security certifications does ReadMe have?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"ReadMe is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://readme.com/pricing","question":"Where is ReadMe available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | A hosting service for software documentation that allows projects to build, version, and publish their documentation automatically | A cloud-based service for publishing and managing technical documentation and API references, featuring interactive reference tools, version control, customizable themes, AI-assisted writing, and team collaboration features. |
| features.capabilities | `{"kind":"hosted_build","engine":"Sphinx, MkDocs, Docusaurus, and others","search":"built_in","git_sync":true,"analytics":true,"authoring":"markdown","versioning":true,"api_reference":true,"hosted_offering":true}` | `{"i18n":true,"kind":"hosted_platform","engine":"OpenAPI/REST/GraphQL/SOAP/RPC","search":"built_in","git_sync":true,"analytics":true,"authoring":"markdown","themeable":true,"versioning":true,"api_reference":true,"self_hostable":false,"hosted_offering":true}` |
| integrations.count | 7 | 12 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"GitLab"},{"name":"Bitbucket"},{"name":"Google"},{"name":"Sphinx"},{"name":"MkDocs"},{"name":"Docusaurus"}]` | `[{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"GitLab"},{"name":"Bitbucket"},{"name":"Google Analytics"},{"name":"Intercom"},{"name":"Slack"},{"name":"Zendesk"},{"name":"Statuspage"},{"name":"Segment"},{"name":"Localize"},{"name":"Smartling"},{"name":"Transifex"}]` |
| language.primary | Python | - |
| license.spdx | MIT | - |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Read the Docs Community","summary":"Free forever for open source","features":["Clone public repositories","Public documentation","Ads-supported hosting"],"description":"For free and open-source projects","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"features":"ads-supported hosting","repositories":"public only","documentation":"public only"}},{"free":false,"name":"Basic","summary":"$50/month, billed monthly or annually","features":["2 concurrent builds","Shared domain","SSO with GitHub and GitLab","50 redirects","3 business day support","Automatic builds","Versioning","Search","Pull request previews","CDN hosting"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For small teams getting started with private docs","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"redirects":"50","custom_domains":"1 (shared domain)","concurrent_builds":"2"}},{"free":false,"name":"Advanced","summary":"$150/month, billed monthly or annually","features":["4 concurrent builds","5 custom domains","250 redirects","2 business day support","Automatic builds","Versioning","Search","Pull request previews","CDN hosting"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":150,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For hosting public docs at your own domain","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"redirects":"250","custom_domains":"5","concurrent_builds":"4"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$250/month, billed monthly or annually","features":["6 concurrent builds","15 custom domains","SSO with Google","500 redirects","1 business day support","Automatic builds","Versioning","Search","Pull request previews","CDN hosting"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":250,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For organizations with scale and security needs","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"redirects":"500","custom_domains":"15","concurrent_builds":"6"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Starting at $10,000/year","features":["SAML SSO","Dedicated builders","Advanced audit tracking","Support SLA"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":10000,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Custom plans for large-scale deployments","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free for open source. Paid plans from $50/month for commercial projects. 30-day free trial available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://readthedocs.org/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-14T15:30:38.558Z","freeTrialDays":30,"startingPrice":{"amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Starter","summary":"Free","features":["Custom domain","Bi-directional Sync","Interactive API reference","Usage metrics","Markdown editor","Customizable themes","AI Dropdown","MCP Server"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Free tier with core documentation features","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$250/year billed annually","features":["All Starter features","Invite teammates","Multiplayer editing","Branching and reviews","Notifications","Private docs","Landing page","Changelog, recipes & forums","Custom MDX components","Reusable content","CSS/HTML","Agent Owlbert","AI Linter","GitHub AI Writer"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":250,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Team collaboration with advanced documentation features","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing","features":["All Pro features","Multiple combined projects","Aggregated doc metrics","No ReadMe branding","User roles & access control","Branch review permissions","Global reusable content library","Audit logs","SSO, OAuth, & more","Dedicated support","Implementation services","Docs Audit","Private AI Context","Global Lint Rules"],"description":"Full-featured enterprise documentation platform with dedicated support","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Ask AI","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":150,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Ask AI Lite","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":150,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Docs Audit History","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":100,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Extended history & logs","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":100,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Additional admin","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"admin","amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free tier. Pro from $250/year (billed annually). Enterprise custom pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://readme.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-09-23T14:40:27.251Z","startingPrice":{"amount":250,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | mid | high |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":50,"currency":"USD"}` | `{"amount":250,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 6 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.10.13post2","date":"2026-10-13T13:07:14Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.10.13post2"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.10.06","date":"2026-10-06T15:53:26Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.10.06"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.09.22","date":"2026-09-22T15:19:48Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.09.22"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.09.15","date":"2026-09-15T12:40:30Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.09.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.09.01","date":"2026-09-01T15:00:05Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.09.01"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.08.26","date":"2026-08-26T14:54:05Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.08.26"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.08.18","date":"2026-08-18T15:07:27Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.08.18"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.08.11","date":"2026-08-11T16:05:45Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.08.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.08.04","date":"2026-08-04T16:49:45Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.08.04"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.07.28","date":"2026-07-28T14:55:41Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.07.28"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.07.21","date":"2026-07-21T16:14:39Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.07.21"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.07.07","date":"2026-07-07T16:14:18Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.07.07"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.07.01","date":"2026-07-01T19:16:11Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.07.01"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.06.30","date":"2026-06-30T12:19:59Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.06.30"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.06.23","date":"2026-06-23T15:59:57Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.06.23"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.06.16","date":"2026-06-16T14:56:53Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.06.16"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.06.09","date":"2026-06-09T13:12:30Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.06.09"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.06.02post1","date":"2026-06-02T17:19:50Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.06.02post1"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.06.02","date":"2026-06-02T15:45:02Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.06.02"},{"url":"https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/releases/tag/2026.05.26","date":"2026-05-26T16:05:37Z","type":"stable","version":"2026.05.26"}]` | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.hipaa | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 7.7 | - |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |

## Capabilities (Documentation Tools)

| Capability | Read the Docs | ReadMe |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Tool kind | Hosted build service | Hosted platform |
| Engine / language | Sphinx, MkDocs, Docusaurus, and others | OpenAPI/REST/GraphQL/SOAP/RPC |
| **Authoring** |  |  |
| Authoring format | Markdown | Markdown |
| **API docs** |  |  |
| API reference from OpenAPI / code | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Content** |  |  |
| Multi-version docs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Internationalisation | - | ✓ |
| **Discovery** |  |  |
| Search | Built-in | Built-in |
| **Design** |  |  |
| Theming / custom design | - | ✓ |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Edit-in-Git / WYSIWYG round-trip | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Self-hostable | - | ✗ |
| Official managed host | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Insight** |  |  |
| Built-in usage analytics | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:17:18.803Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*