mdBook vs TypeDoc
mdBook
rust-lang.github.ioTypeDoc
typedoc.orgSide by side
| Figure | mdBook | TypeDoc |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Documentation Generators | 7.8 (#12) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Code highlighting | mdBook provides color syntax highlighting for code blocks in many languages. | TypeDoc supports fenced code blocks and uses Shiki for syntax highlighting. |
| Customization | Theme files allow users to customize the formatting of the output. | Themes can change the look and feel of generated documentation, and plugins can add themes. |
| Integrations | The documentation describes using GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD to test and deploy books automatically. | The GitHub Pages option generates a .nojekyll file, and source links can use GitHub or Bitbucket remotes. |
| Purpose | mdBook is a command-line tool for creating books from Markdown, including product or API documentation, tutorials, and course materials. | TypeDoc converts comments in TypeScript source code into HTML documentation or a JSON model. |
| Security | The repository links to a security policy. | The GitHub repository links to a security policy, but the opened repository page does not state specific security certifications or compliance claims. |
| Support | The project directs users to its GitHub issue tracker for issues and feature requests and relies on community contributions to fix bugs and add features. | The project README invites users to open an issue or pull request on GitHub and points contributors to its contribution guide. |
Plans
In their own words
mdBook
mdBook is a free command-line tool for creating books from Markdown, including product and API documentation, tutorials, and course materials. It builds static output files in a book directory that can be transferred to a web service. Integrated search and syntax highlighting for code blocks help readers navigate and read examples, while theme files allow formatting changes. Preprocessors can add custom syntax or modify content; backends can render output to multiple formats. The `mdbook test` command tests Rust code samples in a book. Project documentation describes using GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD to test and deploy books automatically. Developers can also import mdBook libraries or use its plugin mechanism to build custom tooling and output backends. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and Markdown is its source input. Building from source requires Rust and Cargo, with Rust 1.88 as the stated minimum. The project directs issues and feature requests to its GitHub issue tracker and relies on community contributions for bug fixes and added features. The free, open-source plan is licensed under MPL-2.0.
TypeDoc
TypeDoc is a free TypeScript documentation generator that turns source comments into HTML pages or a JSON model. It builds from project exports and follows re-exports, allowing members declared elsewhere to appear in documentation. TSDoc and JSDoc tags are extracted, Markdown is accepted in comments, and fenced code blocks receive Shiki syntax highlighting. HTML and JSON are built in; Markdown output needs a plugin such as typedoc-plugin-markdown. A default theme is included, while plugins can add themes, alter conversion and symbol organization, or change display. Custom CSS and JavaScript can further adjust generated pages. Configuration can come from an options file, package.json, or tsconfig.json. TypeDoc runs on Node.js, uses the TypeScript compiler, and supports the current Node.js LTS or newer. For npm monorepos, the packages entry-point strategy can combine package documentation into one site. The project is Apache-2.0 licensed. Documentation warns that global installation can separate plugins and themes from the intended TypeDoc installation.