Side by side
Fern vs Swagger Codegen
Both stand on code generators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
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 Fern Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
Swagger Codegen can turn API specifications into client libraries, server stubs, and documentation, with both GitHub and SwaggerHub availability. Review untrusted definitions before generating code.
Visit Swagger CodegenThe facts
| Fern | Swagger Codegen | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | API, 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | buildwithfern.com | swagger.io |
| On code generators | #1 of 33 | #3 of 33 |
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.
Swagger Codegen: what it does well
- Generates client SDKs in over 40 languages.
- Generates server boilerplate in over 20 languages.
- Supports custom templates and project scaffolding.
- Free and licensed under Apache-2.0.
What to know first
- Untrusted API definitions may cause code injection.
- Version 2.4.46 supports through OpenAPI 2.0.
- Generated inputs should be reviewed before code generation.
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