Hey folks! I'm diving into different options for publishing API documentation and I'm stuck between self-hosted tools like Docusaurus or Redoc and third-party platforms like GitBook or ReadMe. I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with either option: Why did you go with one over the other? What are the main trade-offs regarding customization, cost, collaboration, and maintenance? And do you have any regrets or standout recommendations?
2 Answers
Going for self-hosting gives you full control and is often cheaper long-term, but be ready for more setup and maintenance work. Third-party platforms are great for quick setup, offer good collaboration tools, and reduce hassle, but they can come with ongoing costs and potential vendor lock-in. If you have developer resources, self-hosting might be the way to go!
I used GitBook for years but recently switched to a VitePress setup for my side projects. The GitBook interface became quite confusing for me - things like the 'copy' button in code blocks were unreliable. VitePress was super easy to set up and is customizable enough to fit my needs, plus GitHub Pages is free! It's better for contributions from others too. Check out my setup [here](https://github.com/screeenly/docs).
How's collaboration with your technical writers? Is the UI user-friendly for them to make changes?
That sounds like a wise perspective. Thanks for sharing your insights!