0docs vs Sphinx

0docs is a free, open-source documentation platform that teams can self-host to create, style, version, and publish documentation. Its MIT-licensed editor arranges content into pages, sections, and blocks such as callouts, steps, code tabs, cards, accordions, and API endpoints. Users can change colors, fonts, sidebar presentation, and individual block styles, then publish documentation snapshots using a custom domain. The “Ask docs” feature answers questions from published documentation and requires an OpenAI API key; an OpenAI-compatible base URL override is documented. AI clients can use a built-in MCP endpoint to read and edit documentation with project tokens or anonymous read-only access. The platform requires PostgreSQL, storing uploaded media there by default or in optional S3-compatible storage. Local installation calls for Node.js 20+ and pnpm, plus Docker Compose or PostgreSQL 14+. The default upload maximum is 20 MB per upload. SMTP is optional, but without it password-reset and invitation links appear in server logs. The self-hosting guide recommends HTTPS, database backups, and production configuration.

Sphinx is a free Python application that generates technical documentation from structured text. Authors can use reStructuredText or MyST Markdown; Markdown requires installing MyST-Parser separately. Built-in builders produce HTML, LaTeX for PDF, ePub, manual pages, Texinfo, and plain text. References can link sections, figures, tables, citations, glossaries, and code objects within one project or across projects. The autodoc extension imports documented modules and includes material from their docstrings. Themes and extensions, both built-in and third-party, add options such as diagrams, doctests, and API documentation. Other built-in extensions provide GitHub Pages publishing, Graphviz graphs, and intersphinx links. Sphinx also supports gettext-based translation and full-text search. It can be installed through Python and platform package managers, Docker, or from source, then deployed to services such as Read the Docs, GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages, Netlify, or self-hosted servers. Its code is released under the two-clause BSD license, and the project is community supported.