Asciidoctor vs TechWriter for Databases
Asciidoctor
asciidoctor.orgTechWriter for Databases
techwriter.meSide by side
| Figure | Asciidoctor | TechWriter for Databases |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $49/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Documentation Generators | 8.9 (#1) | 7.6 (#20) |
| Founded | 2012 | 2005 |
| Intended users | The project describes its toolchain as serving people who write and publish AsciiDoc content across platforms and runtimes. | The maker describes TechWriter as a tool for people documenting databases and other IT systems, with descriptions editable for different audiences. |
| Output formats | The core processor includes HTML 5, DocBook 5 and man page converters; PDF and EPUB 3 converters are provided separately. | It can generate PDF, Compiled Help (CHM), Word/RTF, HTML, XPS and XML documentation. |
| Purpose | Asciidoctor parses AsciiDoc source and converts it into publishable formats such as HTML 5 and PDF. | TechWriter for Databases uses database information to automatically produce reference documentation. |
| Support | The documentation directs users seeking real-time community support to the project chat’s #users stream. | The maker lists support requests, product updates and online documentation, with the first 12 months of support included with a license purchase. |
Plans
TechWriter for Databases
- TechWriter for Databases$179, paid once
- TechWriter Complete subscription license$49 a month
In their own words
Asciidoctor
Asciidoctor is a free, open-source text processor and publishing toolchain for converting AsciiDoc files or strings into formats such as HTML5, DocBook, PDF, EPUB 3 and manual pages. Its core includes converters for HTML5, DocBook 5 and man pages; PDF and EPUB 3 conversion comes from separate gems. Documents can be processed through a command-line interface or Ruby API. Asciidoctor runs with Ruby, on the JVM through AsciidoctorJ, or in JavaScript environments through Asciidoctor.js, and supports Linux, macOS and Windows. The wider ecosystem includes Maven and Gradle plugins, browser and editor extensions, and diagram tools. Default HTML output includes a stylesheet and integrations such as Font Awesome, highlight.js, Rouge, Pygments and MathJax. It is distributed as a RubyGem, Docker image, Linux packages and macOS packages, and is licensed under MIT. Its security modes include SECURE, SAFE, SERVER and UNSAFE; safe modes do not sanitize generated output or provide a comprehensive security framework.
TechWriter for Databases
TechWriter for Databases has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.