Comparing Documentation Tools

Choosing the right tool depends on your specific needs. docmd was built to fill the gap between “too simple” (basic parsers) and “too heavy” (full application frameworks).

Feature Matrix

Detailed Breakdown

The “Live” Advantage

Unlike Docusaurus or MkDocs, which are strictly “Build Tools” that run on your server/computer, docmd has a modular, isomorphic core.

• Run it anywhere: You can run the full docmd compilation engine directly in a web browser.
• Live Previews: This enables features like the Live Editor, allowing you to build CMS interfaces or live preview tools for your users without needing a backend server.

The Search Advantage

• Docusaurus and others often rely on 3rd party services like Algolia. This is great for enterprise scale, but for most projects, it’s a hassle. You have to apply for an account, manage API keys, and configure crawlers.
• docmd includes a production-grade search engine out of the box. It generates a local index during the build. This means your documentation is searchable even offline (perfect for Intranets or air-gapped networks) and respects user privacy completely.

vs. Docusaurus

Docusaurus is the gold standard for large-scale React projects (like Meta’s own docs).

• Choose Docusaurus if: You need to embed complex React components inside your markdown, need versioning today, or are building a massive site with thousands of pages.
• Choose docmd if: You want a fast, lightweight site that is just HTML/CSS. You don’t want to maintain a React dependency tree just to display documentation.

vs. MkDocs (Material)

MkDocs is widely loved but requires a Python environment.

• Choose MkDocs if: You are already in the Python ecosystem or need its mature plugin ecosystem immediately.
• Choose docmd if: You are a JavaScript/Node.js developer. You want to run npm install and go, without dealing with pip, requirements.txt, or Python version conflicts.

vs. Docsify

Docsify is a “magical” generator that parses Markdown on the fly in the browser.

• Choose Docsify if: You absolutely cannot run a build step (e.g., you are hosting on a legacy server that only serves static files and you can’t run CI/CD).
• Choose docmd if: You care about SEO and Performance. Docsify requires the user’s browser to download the Markdown parser and the content before rendering anything, which is bad for search engines. docmd gives you the best of both worlds: Static HTML for SEO, plus a Browser Engine if you need dynamic previews.

The docmd Philosophy

We believe documentation tools shouldn’t be heavy. docmd generates zero-clutter websites. We don’t ship a heavy JavaScript framework to the client just to render text. This results in:

1. Better SEO: Search engines love clean, semantic HTML.
2. Faster Load Times: No “hydration” delay or runtime parsing.
3. Easier Maintenance: Standard web technologies (CSS/JS), no framework knowledge required.