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Documentation · head to head

ReadMe vs Slab

ReadMe logo

ReadMe

Documentation

Hosted developer hub priced per API project, with docs personalised from live request logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Slab logo

Slab

Documentation

Internal knowledge base for teams, organised by topic rather than folders, with search across connected tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ReadMe pricing is per project, so an organisation with several distinct APIs multiplies the monthly bill rather than adding seats, and the sensible workaround, merging unrelated APIs into one documentation project, distorts the information architecture to fit the invoice.; Slab it is built for internal knowledge, so public product documentation on a custom domain with versioning is outside what the product does.
  • They diverge on capability: ReadMe covers OpenAPI reference, Slab covers Topics instead of folders.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ReadMe and Slab actually diverge.

Attributes where ReadMe and Slab differ
AttributeReadMeSlab
Pricing modelPer project per monthPer user per month

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Documentation).

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 ReadMe

  • OpenAPI reference
  • Try It playground
  • API metrics
  • Personalised docs
  • Versioning
  • Guides and recipes
  • Git sync via rdme
  • Changelog and support widget

Only in Slab

  • Topics instead of folders
  • Unified search
  • Post verification
  • Quill editor
  • Permissions
  • Free tier for small teams

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ReadMe

  • Publishing a public API reference where a developer can send a live request with their own key from the documentation pagenot Slab
  • Cutting support load by showing an integrating developer their own recent failing requests next to the endpoint descriptionnot Slab
  • Keeping documentation versions aligned with API versions so customers on an older release read the matching referencenot Slab
  • Shipping documentation from the same pull request as the code change using the rdme command line tool in CInot Slab

Slab

  • Building an employee handbook and onboarding path that new starters can actually findnot ReadMe
  • Replacing a folder-based wiki where nobody agrees which folder a document belongs innot ReadMe
  • Companies whose knowledge is already spread across Drive, Slack and GitHub and needs one search boxnot ReadMe
  • Documenting process and decisions for teams that do not want a project management tool attachednot ReadMe

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ReadMe

  • Pricing is per project, so an organisation with several distinct APIs multiplies the monthly bill rather than adding seats, and the sensible workaround, merging unrelated APIs into one documentation project, distorts the information architecture to fit the invoice.
  • The metrics and personalisation features require your API to stream request logs to ReadMe, which means production request metadata leaves your infrastructure and needs a scrubbing layer plus a security review before anything is switched on.
  • Single sign-on and private documentation sit on the higher tier, so a company that only needs to gate partner documentation behind SAML pays a large step up for one control.
  • The platform is built for describing REST APIs, and long-form product manuals, internal knowledge bases or non-OpenAPI protocols fit it badly, so most customers end up running a second documentation tool alongside it.
  • Theming is bounded by ReadMe templates and limited custom CSS, so a documentation site that must match a strongly designed marketing site will not get there without compromise.
  • Content uses ReadMe-specific Markdown extensions and platform features, so migrating away is an export plus a rewrite rather than moving a folder of Markdown files.

Slab

  • It is built for internal knowledge, so public product documentation on a custom domain with versioning is outside what the product does.
  • There is no docs-as-code workflow, no git synchronisation and no markdown files on disk, so engineering-owned technical documentation ends up somewhere else anyway.
  • Hierarchy is shallow by design, and organisations that genuinely need deep nested structure find topics an awkward substitute rather than an improvement.
  • There is no offline mode, so a knowledge base that includes incident runbooks is unavailable during exactly the incident where the network is the problem.
  • Pricing is per user per month, so organisations where most staff only read a handbook twice a year still pay a seat for each of them.

Pricing, plan by plan

ReadMe

Free
  • FreeFree
    • One project on a ReadMe subdomain
    • OpenAPI reference and guides
    • Basic editing and publishing
  • Startup$99/month
    • One project
    • Custom domain
    • API metrics from request logs
  • Business$399/month
    • One project
    • SAML single sign-on
    • Private and partner-only documentation
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multiple projects under one contract
    • Negotiated support and uptime terms
    • Security review and custom deployment questions

Slab

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to ten users
    • Unlimited posts
    • Core integrations
  • Slab$undefined/month
    • Priced per user per month with annual billing
    • Unlimited users and history
    • Full integration set and unified search

Which should you pick?

Choose ReadMe if

  • You need openapi reference.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want try it playground.
ReadMe review

Choose Slab if

  • You need topics instead of folders.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want unified search.
Slab review

Questions people ask

Is ReadMe or Slab better?
Neither clearly leads. ReadMe starts at Free and Slab at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ReadMe or Slab?
ReadMe starts at Free and Slab at Free.
Does ReadMe or Slab run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use ReadMe for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ReadMe best used for?
ReadMe is most often used for publishing a public api reference where a developer can send a live request with their own key from the documentation page, cutting support load by showing an integrating developer their own recent failing requests next to the endpoint description, keeping documentation versions aligned with api versions so customers on an older release read the matching reference, shipping documentation from the same pull request as the code change using the rdme command line tool in ci. Of those, publishing a public api reference where a developer can send a live request with their own key from the documentation page and cutting support load by showing an integrating developer their own recent failing requests next to the endpoint description are not what Slab is typically brought in for.
What can ReadMe do that Slab cannot?
ReadMe covers OpenAPI reference, Try It playground, API metrics, Personalised docs. Slab covers Topics instead of folders, Unified search, Post verification, Quill editor.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ReadMe: Is ReadMe priced per user?

No. It is priced per project, meaning per documented API. Team size does not change the bill, and a second API generally does.

Slab: Can I publish documentation publicly with Slab?

Posts can be shared by link, but it is not a product documentation platform. There is no custom domain publishing, versioning or API reference tooling.

ReadMe: Do I have to send my API logs to ReadMe?

Only for metrics and personalised documentation. The reference, guides and playground work without it, but the features that most distinguish the product are the ones that need the log stream.

Slab: What does the free plan actually cover?

Up to ten users with unlimited posts and core integrations. It is a real free tier rather than a trial, and it is enough for a small company handbook.

ReadMe: Can I keep documentation in Git?

Yes. The rdme command line tool synchronises Markdown and OpenAPI files from a repository, so documentation can ship in the same pull request as the code.

Slab: How does it compare with a general workspace tool?

Slab does less on purpose. There are no databases, boards or task views, which makes it faster to write in and much harder to turn into an unmaintained sprawl.

ReadMe: Can I self-host it?

No. ReadMe is a hosted product only, so buyers with a hard on-premises requirement need a different platform.

Slab: Does search really cover other tools?

Yes, connected sources are indexed and appear in results. That integration is the main reason to choose it, so verify your specific tools are supported before committing.

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