Quick answer
Read the Docs - Read the Docs wins for open-source or public documentation that can stay public forever, while GitBook is the better pick for individual or small-team docs that need a richer editor and collaboration features.
How the free tiers compare
These products solve different problems even though both sit in documentation. GitBook is a doc authoring and publishing workspace: a block editor, Git sync, comments, change requests, version history, API playgrounds, and a free plan that is genuinely useful for one person. Its free tier is narrower on collaboration, but broader on editing workflow. Read the Docs is more of a deployment host for docs built from source, with the free tier aimed squarely at open-source projects and public repositories. That free tier is weaker for private or commercial use, but it is stronger as a no-cost forever hosting option for public docs. Once paid, GitBook charges per site plus per user, while Read the Docs uses flat monthly tiers that mainly unlock concurrency, domains, redirects, and support.
GitBook vs Read the Docs free tier, side by side
| GitBookFTV 62 | Read the DocsFTV 92 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free users / audienceGitBook free is for individual use; Read the Docs free is for public open-source docs. | 1 free user | Free open-source project hosting |
| Published page viewsRead the Docs input does not state a page-view cap. | Unlimited page views | Public documentation hosting |
| Preview / buildsDifferent units: GitBook emphasizes previews, Read the Docs emphasizes build concurrency on paid plans. | Unlimited full-site previews | 2 concurrent builds on Basic |
| Custom domainFree-tier custom domain details are not provided for Read the Docs. | Not included on free; available on Premium | Not included on free; 5 custom domains on Advanced |
| SSOGitBook free mentions domain-based SSO; Read the Docs paid plans list provider-based SSO. | Google/email domain SSO for allowed email domains | SSO with GitHub and GitLab on Basic and above |
| SupportSupport SLAs are only specified for Read the Docs paid tiers. | Email support via support tickets | 3 business day support on Basic |
After you outgrow the free tier
GitBook’s paid pricing is per site plus per user, starting at $65 per site/month plus $12 per user/month on Premium, then $249 per site/month plus $12 per user/month on Ultimate. That means costs rise with both sites and headcount. Read the Docs uses flat monthly plans: $50 Basic, $150 Advanced, $250 Pro, so the cost curve is stepwise rather than per-seat. For a small team, Read the Docs is easier to price; GitBook can be cheaper for a solo user, but it gets more expensive as collaborators are added. GitBook Enterprise and Read the Docs Enterprise are custom pricing.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | GitBook | Read the Docs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 site, 1 userGitBook’s listed monthly_price_usd is site-level, with per-user charges on top. | $65/mo est. + $12/user/mo if billed separately; the plan label starts at $65/site/mo | $50/mo |
| 1 site, 3 usersAssumes one paid site on GitBook Premium and three total users billed at $12 each. | $65/mo est. + $36/mo for users = $101/mo | $50/mo |
| 1 site, 5 usersRead the Docs Basic stays flat; GitBook increases with each additional user. | $65/mo est. + $60/mo for users = $125/mo | $50/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick GitBook when…
- You are a solo builder writing internal or product docs and want a polished editor plus Git sync.
- You need comments, change requests, version history, and API playgrounds in the free tier.
- You want to preview full sites without paying for a team plan.
- You expect to move into a per-site, per-user pricing model as your team grows.
Pick Read the Docs when…
- You are publishing open-source docs and want free hosting for a public repository.
- You want a forever-free tier with no credit card requirement stated in the input.
- You are fine with docs being built from source on every commit rather than edited in a rich web workspace.
- You need a paid plan with fixed monthly pricing for more builds, custom domains, and redirects.
Bottom line
For most builders choosing a free tier, GitBook is the better fit if you are actively writing and maintaining docs in a web app, especially solo or with a very small team. Read the Docs is the better free choice if your docs are public, open-source, and you want free hosting that can stay free indefinitely. If you expect collaboration and editing workflow to matter, GitBook wins. If you mostly need public docs deployment and can live in a source-to-build flow, Read the Docs is the safer free starting point.
Read the full listings: GitBook and Read the Docs. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.