Read the Docs vs VuePress
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Read the Docs
Documentation hosting platform you can self-host
VS
VuePress
Vue-powered static site and documentation generator
| Feature | Read the Docs | VuePress |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Wikis & Documentation | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,373 | ★ 2,827 |
| First released | 2010 | 2018 |
| Replaces | GitBook, Confluence | Jekyll, GitBook |
Why pick each one
Choose Read the Docs if…
- Great for versioned project docs
- Automated build pipeline
Choose VuePress if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Read the Docs or VuePress better?
Neither is universally better. Read the Docs has the larger community, while VuePress is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Read the Docs and VuePress free and open-source?
Yes. Read the Docs is licensed under MIT and VuePress under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Read the Docs and VuePress with Docker?
Read the Docs: yes. VuePress: check the project docs for container support.