Docusaurus vs GitBook

Docusaurus is a free static-site generator that builds React single-page applications, with features aimed at documentation sites. Authors write documentation and blog posts in Markdown or MDX and can embed React components in Markdown. Versioning keeps documents aligned with project releases, while localization is built in and translation can use Git, Crowdin or another manager. Search choices include Algolia DocSearch, Typesense DocSearch, local search and custom SearchBar components; Algolia is the official option, and its DocSearch is free for eligible developer documentation or technical blogs. React components, plugins and theme customizations extend sites. Docusaurus generates static files for hosting on GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify or other static hosting. It can also power personal websites, product sites, blogs and marketing landing pages. Installation requires Node.js 20.0 or above. The listed platforms are self-hosted and web, with custom domains, version history and content analytics available. Docusaurus v2 and later do not support Internet Explorer 11. Help channels include Stack Overflow, GitHub, Discord and X.

GitBook is a documentation platform for teams creating, reviewing, and publishing branded documentation websites. Content can be written in a block-based visual editor or Markdown, organized through branch-based review, or synchronized with GitHub and GitLab. Published sites support custom domains, responsive layouts, SEO, preview deployments, and site variants. GitBook Agent can surface documentation gaps, draft updates, and review changes, while GitBook Assistant answers questions using documentation and connected sources. Teams can set tiered permissions and restrict documentation to authenticated users. The Free plan is free, includes one user, and limits GitBook Agent to 10 messages per week. Premium is $65 a month billed per site annually, plus $12 per user/month; Ultimate is $249 a month billed per site annually, plus $12 per user/month. Annual billing includes two months free, and a 14-day trial is available. Published documentation traffic is not limited.