Side by side
DocFX vs Scalar
Both stand on 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 APILinuxMac+2
DocFX covers documentation generation from .NET, REST API and Markdown inputs, with static output and template customization. Check its .NET requirement and the additional PDF prerequisite, and plan for a custom converter if documenting other languages.
Visit DocFX
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
Scalar brings several API documentation and management tools together, with hosted and self-hosted options. Check the free plan's API and seat limits, and note that Agent Scalar credits do not carry forward between billing periods.
Visit ScalarThe facts
| DocFX | Scalar | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Pro: $150 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | dotnet.github.io | scalar.com |
| On documentation generators | #4 of 37 | #1 of 37 |
DocFX: what it does well
- Free and open-source static site generator.
- Produces HTML, JSON models and PDF files.
- Supports customizable templates and dark mode.
- Can generate git links for several CI systems.
- Can be used as a NuGet library.
What to know first
- Requires .NET SDK 8.0 or higher.
- PDF creation requires Node.js v20 or higher.
- Other language references require a custom API docs converter.
- PlantUML rendering uses a remote server by default.
Scalar: what it does well
- Interactive API references generated from OpenAPI documents
- Supports Markdown, MDX, and GitHub workflows
- API Client works offline
- Open-source tooling can run in a customer environment
What to know first
- Free plan is limited to three APIs
- Free plan includes one editor seat
- Agent Scalar credits reset and do not roll over