Side by side
DeepDoc vs Fern
Both stand on ai documentation generators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
DeepDoc is a free, MIT-licensed tool to build navigable documentation from a code repository. It requires users to supply an LLM provider.
Visit DeepDoc Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
Fern combines API documentation publishing with client library generation and offers a defined Free plan. Teams considering it should check the free-tier limits and note that self-hosting is reserved for Enterprise.
Visit FernThe facts
| DeepDoc | Fern | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | deepdoc.tech | buildwithfern.com |
| On ai documentation generators | #2 of 28 | #1 of 28 |
DeepDoc: what it does well
- Supports Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, PHP, Vue, and OpenAPI.
- AI answers cite repository file paths and line ranges.
- Update regenerates pages affected by code changes.
- Offers Markdown, Mermaid, static site, and API reference outputs.
- Runs without an account or cloud requirement.
What to know first
- Users must bring an LLM provider.
- Generate and update incur costs from the chosen model and documentation pages.
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
Fern: what it does well
- Generates API references from several specification formats.
- Includes interactive API Explorer.
- Free plan includes one site.
- Supports SSO, JWT, and OAuth access controls.
- Supports custom domains and version history.
What to know first
- Free plan is limited to one site.
- Free plan has 10 team members.
- Free plan includes 250 AI credits monthly.
- Self-hosting is an Enterprise capability.