Scalar vs Stoplight Elements
Scalar
scalar.com
Stoplight Elements
stoplight.ioSide by side
| Figure | Scalar | Stoplight Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $150/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 1 |
| Spec score · Documentation Generators | 8.9 (#2) | 7.4 (#25) |
| Spec score · API Documentation Tools | 8.8 (#2) | 7.4 (#20) |
| Spec score · Knowledge base software | 8.8 (#19) | 7.4 (#118) |
| Spec score · Apis | 8.7 (#4) | 7.3 (#20) |
| Spec score · Technical Writing Platforms | 8.8 (#5) | 7.3 (#25) |
| Spec score · Api 1 | 8.8 (#5) | 7.3 (#19) |
| Spec score · Api Docs | 8.9 (#4) | 7.5 (#14) |
| Spec score · API Development Tools | 8.9 (#7) | 7.4 (#27) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | The company's terms list API Documentation Inc. (doing business as Scalar) at 2812 Dewdney Ave., British Columbia, Canada. | Somerville, Massachusetts, United States |
| Security | Scalar states that it has received a SOC 2 Type 1 report and maintains GDPR-compliant privacy practices. | Stoplight says it uses industry-standard technologies and services to protect data and conducts employee background checks and recurring security training. |
| What it does | Scalar turns OpenAPI or AsyncAPI descriptions into interactive API references, documentation sites, API clients, SDKs, registries and hosted MCP servers. | Stoplight Elements builds customized, interactive API documentation from OpenAPI documents using embeddable web components. |
Plans
Scalar
- FreeFree
- Pro$150 a month
- Business$600 a month
- FreeFree
- Pro$150 a month
- Business$600 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Scalar
Scalar is a set of API products for documentation, SDK generation, API registries, API requests, and MCP server use. Scalar Docs combines product guides and interactive API references generated from OpenAPI documents in a developer portal. Teams can write in Markdown or MDX, use GitHub content, preview pull requests, and publish through a CLI or after a merge. The SDK Generator builds idiomatic, type-safe client libraries from OpenAPI documents and can publish them through repository pull requests. Registry stores and versions OpenAPI and AsyncAPI documents, JSON Schema, and Spectral rules with Git integration. The open-source API Client works offline for sending requests, organizing collections, and testing APIs from OpenAPI documents. Scalar supports hosted and self-hosted deployment. Its Free plan is free and includes up to three APIs, one SDK with up to 25 endpoints, one editor seat, and 50 Agent Scalar credits. Pro is $150 a month; Business is $600 a month. Scalar states that it has received a SOC 2 Type 1 report and maintains GDPR-compliant privacy practices.
Stoplight Elements
Stoplight Elements is a free, open-source set of embeddable web components for building interactive API documentation from OpenAPI documents. It adds customizable left navigation and a three-column layout, while an embedded console lets readers try requests and inspect responses within the documentation. Elements supports OpenAPI, including version 3.1, and JSON Schema. It provides code samples in Curl, Python, Ruby, and Java, and its Stoplight-flavored Markdown supports tabs, callouts, and embedded JSON examples. The components require no build steps and can be used with any framework or HTML project. Documentation can be hosted anywhere, including S3 or GitHub. Elements can point to an OpenAPI document or a Stoplight Workspace and can work with any OpenAPI editor. The listed plan costs nothing and includes OpenAPI 3.1 support, an interactive API console, embedding into an existing CMS, and hosting anywhere. Compared with Elements DevPortal, the product page does not list multiple API listings, mocking, Markdown articles, branch version selection, or search. Stoplight identifies SmartBear as its parent company.