mirror of
https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material.git
synced 2024-12-18 18:36:07 +01:00
113 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
113 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
# Alternatives
|
||
|
||
There are tons of static site generators and themes out there and choosing the
|
||
right one for your tech stack is a tough decision. If you're unsure if Material
|
||
for MkDocs is the right solution for you, this section should help you evaluate
|
||
alternative solutions.
|
||
|
||
## Docusaurus
|
||
|
||
[Docusaurus] by Facebook is a very popular documentation generator and a good
|
||
choice if you or your company are already using [React] to build your site.
|
||
It will generate a [single page application] which is fundamentally different
|
||
from the site Material for MkDocs generates for you.
|
||
|
||
__Advantages__
|
||
|
||
- Very powerful, customizable and extendable
|
||
- Provides many components that aid in technical writing
|
||
- Large and rich ecosystem, backed by Facebook
|
||
|
||
__Challenges__
|
||
|
||
- High learning curve, JavaScript knowledge mandatory
|
||
- JavaScript ecosystem is very volatile, rather high maintenance
|
||
- More time needed to get up and running
|
||
|
||
While [Docusaurus] is one of the best choices when it comes to documentation
|
||
sites that output a single page application, there are many more solutions,
|
||
including [Docz], [Gatsby], [Vuepress] and [Docsify] that approach
|
||
this problem similarly.
|
||
|
||
[Docusaurus]: https://docusaurus.io/
|
||
[React]: https://reactjs.org/
|
||
[single page application]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-page_application
|
||
[Docz]: https://www.docz.site/
|
||
[Gatsby]: https://www.gatsbyjs.com/
|
||
[VuePress]: https://vuepress.vuejs.org/
|
||
[Docsify]: https://docsify.js.org/
|
||
|
||
## Jekyll
|
||
|
||
[Jekyll] is probably one of the most mature and widespread static site
|
||
generators and is written in [Ruby]. It is not specifically geared towards
|
||
technical project documentation and has many themes to choose from, which
|
||
can be challenging.
|
||
|
||
__Advantages__
|
||
|
||
- Battle-tested, rich ecosystem, many themes to choose from
|
||
- Brings great capabilities for blogging (permalinks, tags, etc.)
|
||
- Generates a SEO-friendly site, similar to Material for MkDocs
|
||
|
||
__Challenges__
|
||
|
||
- Not specifically geared towards technical project documentation
|
||
- Limited Markdown capabilities, not as advanced as Python Markdown
|
||
- More time needed to get up and running
|
||
|
||
[Jekyll]: https://jekyllrb.com/
|
||
[Ruby]: https://www.ruby-lang.org/de/
|
||
|
||
## Sphinx
|
||
|
||
[Sphinx] is an alternative static site generator specifically geared towards
|
||
generating reference documentation, offering powerful capabilities that are
|
||
lacking in MkDocs. It uses [reStructured text], a format similar to Markdown,
|
||
which some users find harder to use.
|
||
|
||
__Advantages__
|
||
|
||
- Very powerful, customizable and extendable
|
||
- Generates reference documentation from [Python docstrings]
|
||
- Large and rich ecosystem, used by many Python projects
|
||
|
||
__Challenges__
|
||
|
||
- High learning curve, [reStructured text] syntax might be challenging
|
||
- Search is less powerful than the one provided by MkDocs
|
||
- More time needed to get up and running
|
||
|
||
If you're considering using Sphinx because you need to generate reference
|
||
documentation, you should give [mkdocstrings] a try – an actively maintained
|
||
and popular framework building on top of MkDocs, implementing Sphinx-like
|
||
functionality.
|
||
|
||
[Sphinx]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/
|
||
[reStructured text]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReStructuredText
|
||
[Python docstrings]: https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0257/
|
||
[mkdocstrings]: https://github.com/mkdocstrings/mkdocstrings
|
||
|
||
## GitBook
|
||
|
||
[GitBook] offers a hosted documentation solution that generates a beautiful and
|
||
functional site from Markdown files in your GitHub repository. However, it was
|
||
once Open Source, but turned into a closed source solution some time ago.
|
||
|
||
__Advantages__
|
||
|
||
- Hosted solution, minimal technical knowledge required
|
||
- Custom domains, authentication and other enterprise features
|
||
- Great collaboration features for teams
|
||
|
||
__Challenges__
|
||
|
||
- Closed source, not free for proprietary projects
|
||
- Limited Markdown capabilities, not as advanced as Python Markdown
|
||
- Many Open Source projects moved away from GitBook
|
||
|
||
Many users switched from [GitBook] to Material for MkDocs, as they want to keep
|
||
control and ownership of their documentation, favoring an Open Source solution.
|
||
|
||
[GitBook]: https://www.gitbook.com/
|