Stoplight Elements vs SwaggerHub
Stoplight Elements
stoplight.ioSwaggerHub
swagger.ioSide by side
| Figure | Stoplight Elements | SwaggerHub |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $61.67/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Rest Apis | 7.3 (#16) | 7.9 (#9) |
| Spec score · Api 1 | 7.3 (#16) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Spec score · Apis | 7.3 (#18) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Spec score · API Design Tools | 7.5 (#19) | 8.0 (#15) |
| Spec score · Api Docs | 7.5 (#14) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Spec score · API Governance Software | 7.5 (#19) | 8.0 (#14) |
| Spec score · API Development Tools | 7.4 (#27) | 8.0 (#20) |
| Spec score · Knowledge base software | 7.4 (#118) | 8.4 (#48) |
| Spec score · Technical Writing Platforms | 7.3 (#25) | 7.9 (#19) |
| Headquarters | Somerville, Massachusetts, United States | Somerville, Massachusetts, United States |
| Security | Stoplight says it uses industry-standard technologies and services to protect data and conducts employee background checks and recurring security training. | SmartBear says its security program aligns with SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, GDPR and CCPA, and NIST CSF, and describes encryption in transit and at rest. |
Plans
SwaggerHub
- FreeFree
- Team 1 User$740 a year
- Team 2 Users$1,480 a year
- Team 3 Users$2,220 a year
- Team 4 Users$2,960 a year
In their own words
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.
SwaggerHub
SwaggerHub provides API design, testing, documentation, and governance tools for software teams. Swagger Studio combines a visual editor with a shared API catalog for collaborative design, including work by contributors who do not code. It supports OpenAPI and AsyncAPI specifications, style guides, templates, reusable components, and centralized governance. Teams can generate mock servers to test endpoints and use contract or functional tests that integrate with CI/CD pipelines. Swagger Portal creates API documentation and onboarding guides, with branded portals and access controls. Listed integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, AWS, Bitbucket, Gradle, and ReadyAPI. The product is available on the web or self-hosted, and lists role-based access, SSO, version history, and custom domains. Swagger Enterprise is described as deployable on-premise or in the cloud and includes dedicated support and account management. A free plan covers basic API design and documentation. Listed Team plans begin at $740 a year for one user, billed over 12 months; pricing is also available on request.