What are Free Software Documentation Tools?

Software documentation tools are designed to help developers and technical writers create, manage, and share documentation related to software applications. These tools facilitate the writing of user guides, API references, installation instructions, and other types of technical content. They often include features like version control, templates, collaborative editing, and integration with code repositories to streamline the documentation process. Some popular tools offer support for various output formats, such as HTML, PDF, and Markdown, making it easier to distribute documentation to different audiences. By using these tools, teams can ensure that their documentation remains accurate, up-to-date, and accessible throughout the software development lifecycle. Compare and read user reviews of the best Free Software Documentation tools currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.

  • 1
    Docsie

    Docsie

    Docsie

    Docsie is an award-winning digital documentation and knowledge management platform based in Ontario, Canada. You can access Docsie through a SaaS web application to create & edit documentation from any location. Then, you can publish content to a dynamic knowledge portal that users can access whenever they need information! Docsie offers powerful business-grade features to write & manage product documentation: - Docsie Pilot onboarding - Custom portal design & optional training for paid plans - Internal & external portal for employees & end-users - Workspaces - Knowledge base analytics & user feedback collection - Free custom domain - Markdown import & export - WYSIWYG Editor - iFrame embed - SwaggerAPI import - Snippet, fragment, document & topic templates - Help center & in-app help interface - Guided tour builder - Version & language management - Webhooks - AI translation & content generation - Project management - RBAC/JWT/SSO for security
    Starting Price: $39 per month (annual)
  • 2
    Read the Docs

    Read the Docs

    Read the Docs

    Spend your time on writing high quality documentation, not on the tools to make your documentation work. Read the Docs simplifies software documentation by automating building, versioning, and hosting of your docs for you. We will host your documentation for free, forever. There are no tricks. We help over 100,000 open source projects share their docs, including a custom domain and theme. Whenever you push code to your favorite version control service, whether that is GitHub, BitBucket, or GitLab, we will automatically build your docs so your code and documentation are never out of sync. We build and host your docs for the web, but they are also viewable as PDFs, as single page HTML, and for eReaders. No additional configuration is required. We can host and build multiple versions of your docs so having a 1.0 version of your docs and a 2.0 version of your docs is as easy as having a separate branch or tag in your version control system.
    Starting Price: $5 per month
  • 3
    Mintlify

    Mintlify

    Mintlify

    Stop wrestling with outdated documentation. Integrate documentation into your CI/CD to move faster as you scale. Link your documentation with relevant code snippets and owners. Detect when documentation is out of date from code changes or user engagement. Configure alerts to be notified when documentation requires maintenance. Whether it is internal docs on Notion or external docs on ReadMe, we have integrations to support it. Be notified when documentation is out of date or resolve alerts when it has been properly updated. Detect how users engage with your documentation to improve its readability and clarity. Improve code readability without clustering your codebase with comments. Tag documentation ownership to those responsible of the code - or have it automatically detected.
    Starting Price: $40 per month
  • 4
    Bump.sh

    Bump.sh

    Bump.sh

    Bump.sh is the place for API developers to centralize all of their API documentation. Working with REST, Event-Drivent Architecture, or a mix of API technologies? Bump.sh is the only tool on the market that supports OpenAPI/Swagger, AsyncAPI, and soon more (such as GraphQL, SOAP, and gRPC). Plug Bump.sh into your CI, use our CLI, or upload your specification files manually, and benefit from a stunning UI that definitely contrasts with the legacy tools on the market. Enjoy all of the nifty UX details: we know devs will like it, as they were imagined by devs. Unique on the market: every time you publish a new version of your API documentation, Bump.sh automatically detects changes, publishes a changelog, and sends alerts to subscribe readers if the changes break anything.
    Starting Price: $149 per month
  • 5
    Docuo

    Docuo

    Spreading

    Docuo is an All-in-one tool documentation platform. It is a SaaS platform that helps you to build a great self-service knowledge base for your customers and internal users (public or private knowledge bases). It can Elevate your team's capabilities with one powerful documentation tool. Eliminate fragmented workflows, consolidate tasks, and supercharge efficiency. Benefits of using Docuo: —AI-Assisted Writing:Docuo Copilot automates documentation writing so developers can focus on coding, not writing. —Cross-Team Collaboration: Enable seamless collaboration so your developers and tech writers can co-create stellar documentation with ease. —Easy-to-use Editor: Intuitively embed images, videos, code and more. Customizable blocks make rearranging content effortless. —Hassle-Free Doc Management: Centralize docs for all products enabling effortless version control. —Publish Docs Sites: Docuo handles optimizations for responsiveness, mobile-friendliness and SEO
    Starting Price: $31/month/team
  • 6
    Alphadoc

    Alphadoc

    Alphadoc

    Your open API spec is at the core of Alphadoc, create tutorials and intuitive sequence diagrams on top of it. Always in sync with your OAS spec through versioning. We will help you document your SDKs, long code snippets, and entire demo applications. Easily create code walkthroughs, combining API references, variables and more. Interactive docs let developers try out API calls with real data, and from your documentation and guides. With auto-updating endpoints on your pages, you can effortlessly describe API calls without the need for manual copying and pasting. We provide you with the building blocks to create intuitive documentation. You can also embed endpoints, diagrams and code walkthroughs in websites, blogs, or wherever you want.
    Starting Price: €150 per month
  • 7
    Redocly

    Redocly

    Redocly

    Beautiful API documentation loved by teams and API consumers. At last, API documentation your whole team will be proud of. Publish beautiful API reference docs in seconds and style them in minutes. Tick every developer's favorite box right out of the box, three panels, a try-it console, generated code samples, SEO-friendly, even friendlier search. Nobody likes outdated docs and scope creep. Maintain API documentation with your favorite source control integrated with our cloud app workflows. We support them all, including on-premise and API management providers. Launch a developer portal in minutes reusing your API definitions as assets. Add tutorials, quick-start guides, and developer tooling with incredible customization. Validate, lint, and bundle multi-file API definitions. Write always on-spec OpenAPI documents. Plug in your API reference and customize every nook & cranny to wow your API consumers.
    Starting Price: $69 per month
  • 8
    Writerside

    Writerside

    JetBrains

    The most powerful development environment, now adapted for writing documentation. Use a single authoring environment, eliminating the need for a wide array of tools. With the built-in Git UI, an integrated build tool, automated tests, and a ready-to-use and customizable layout, you can focus on what matters most, your content. You can now combine the advantages of Markdown with those of semantic markup. Stick to one format, or enrich markdown with semantic attributes and elements, Mermaid diagrams, and LaTeX math formulas. Ensure documentation quality and integrity with 100+ on-the-fly inspections in the editor as well as tests in live preview and during build. The preview shows the docs exactly as your readers will see them. Preview a single page in the IDE, or open the entire help website in your browser without running the build. Reuse anything, from smaller content chunks to entire topics or sections of your TOC.
    Starting Price: Free
  • 9
    Penify

    Penify

    Penify

    Penify automates the software documentation process for Git repositories. Every time a code modification is merged into "main", Penify uses a Large Language Model to generate documentation for the updated code. This automation covers multiple documentation layers, including InCode Documentation, API Documentation, Architectural Documentation, and PR documentation, each designed to improve different aspects of the development process. By taking over the entire documentation process, Penify tackles the common problem of documentation becoming outdated as the code evolves.
    Starting Price: ₹835 per month per repository
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