Documentation · head to head
MkDocs vs npm
MkDocs
Documentation
Static site generator for project documentation in Markdown
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: MkDocs no built-in versioning, which Docusaurus provides and documentation teams eventually need; npm private packages require a paid user or organization account; the free registry publishes publicly only
- They diverge on capability: MkDocs covers Plain Markdown, npm covers Package installation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MkDocs and npm actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in MkDocs
- Plain Markdown
- Single YAML config
- Material theme
- Live preview
Only in npm
- Package installation
- Dependency management
- Version management
- Script running
- Package publishing
- Security auditing
- Package discovery
- CLI interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
MkDocs
- Project documentation for teams that would rather not run a JavaScript toolchainnot npm
- Python projects keeping docs beside the codenot npm
- Documentation that must build fast in CI on every commitnot npm
npm
- Package managementnot MkDocs
- Dependency installationnot MkDocs
- Project scaffoldingnot MkDocs
- Build automationnot MkDocs
- Package publishingnot MkDocs
- Version controlnot MkDocs
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
MkDocs
- No built-in versioning, which Docusaurus provides and documentation teams eventually need
- Extending past the theme means writing Python plugins
- Markdown only, so embedding interactive components is not the model
npm
- Private packages require a paid user or organization account; the free registry publishes publicly only
Pricing, plan by plan
MkDocs
Free- MkDocsFree
- Full functionality
- Commercial use permitted
- Community support
npm
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited public packages
- Package discovery
- npm CLI
- Pro$7/month
- Unlimited private packages
- Package analytics
- Support
- Teams$7/month
- Team management
- Organization packages
- Audit logs
Which should you pick?
Choose MkDocs if
- You need plain markdown.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want single yaml config.
Choose npm if
- You need package installation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
- You also want dependency management.
Questions people ask
- Is MkDocs or npm better?
- Neither clearly leads. MkDocs starts at Free and npm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, MkDocs or npm?
- MkDocs starts at Free and npm at Free.
- Does MkDocs or npm run on more platforms?
- MkDocs runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows. npm runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
- Can I use MkDocs for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is MkDocs best used for?
- MkDocs is most often used for project documentation for teams that would rather not run a javascript toolchain, python projects keeping docs beside the code, documentation that must build fast in ci on every commit. Of those, project documentation for teams that would rather not run a javascript toolchain and python projects keeping docs beside the code are not what npm is typically brought in for.
- What can MkDocs do that npm cannot?
- MkDocs covers Plain Markdown, Single YAML config, Material theme, Live preview. npm covers Package installation, Dependency management, Version management, Script running.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
MkDocs: Is MkDocs free?
Yes, open source under the BSD licence. The Material theme has a free version and a paid Insiders edition.
MkDocs: MkDocs or Docusaurus?
MkDocs is simpler and faster to adopt, especially for Python teams. Docusaurus offers versioning, internationalisation and React components, which matter once documentation grows.
MkDocs: Does MkDocs support versioned docs?
Not natively. Plugins such as mike add it, where Docusaurus includes versioning in core.
Related pages
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- npm vs Next.js
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