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Software · head to head

Stoplight vs Swagger

Stoplight logo

Stoplight

Software

API design, documentation, and governance platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Swagger

Software

API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user; Swagger swaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Stoplight covers API Design, Swagger covers API Specification.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stoplight and Swagger actually diverge.

Attributes where Stoplight and Swagger differ
AttributeStoplightSwagger
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, CLI, Desktop
Founded20142011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Stoplight

  • API Design
  • API Documentation
  • Governance
  • Jenkins
  • Cloud support

Only in Swagger

  • API Specification
  • Interactive Documentation
  • Code Generation
  • Jira
  • CLI support
  • Desktop support

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Azure DevOps
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Stoplight

  • Designing and documenting OpenAPI specifications visuallynot Swagger
  • Serving interactive API docs and instant mock servers from a specnot Swagger

Swagger

  • API Developmentnot Stoplight
  • API Gatewaynot Stoplight
  • API Testingnot Stoplight
  • API Documentationnot Stoplight
  • Microservicesnot Stoplight

Where each one falls short

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

Stoplight

  • The free plan allows one project and one user
  • Private projects, multi branch support and custom domains start at the Startup plan, $113 a month billed annually
  • SSO and shared style guides are Pro Team only, at $362 a month billed annually
  • Seats beyond each plan's allowance are $11 to $27 each per month depending on tier and billing period

Swagger

  • SwaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Stoplight

Free
  • FreeFree
    • API design
    • Documentation
    • Community support
  • Pro$75/monthly
    • Governance
    • Advanced testing
    • Team collaboration
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • SLA
    • Priority support

Swagger

Free
  • FreeFree
    • OpenAPI specification
    • Swagger UI
    • API documentation
  • Professional$20/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Team collaboration
    • API testing
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Stoplight if

  • You need api design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want api documentation.
Stoplight review

Choose Swagger if

  • You need api specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
  • You also want interactive documentation.
Swagger review

Questions people ask

Is Stoplight or Swagger better?
Neither clearly leads. Stoplight starts at Free and Swagger at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stoplight or Swagger?
Stoplight starts at Free and Swagger at Free.
Does Stoplight or Swagger run on more platforms?
Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud. Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop.
Can I use Stoplight for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stoplight best used for?
Stoplight is most often used for designing and documenting openapi specifications visually, serving interactive api docs and instant mock servers from a spec. Of those, designing and documenting openapi specifications visually and serving interactive api docs and instant mock servers from a spec are not what Swagger is typically brought in for.
What can Stoplight do that Swagger cannot?
Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, Jenkins. Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, Jira. Both handle GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Web support.
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