ReadMe vs Scalar
ReadMe and Scalar are both API & developer docs tools. ReadMe is aimed at developers and enterprise, while Scalar is aimed at developers. Scalar costs less, from $150/mo versus $250/mo for ReadMe. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $250 | Open source · $150 |
| Starting price | $250/mo | $150/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
| Built for | Developers, Enterprise | Developers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US · 2014 | DE · 2023 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose ReadMe if
API-first companies wanting docs plus usage analytics.
- API usage metrics connected to docs
- Personalized developer experience
- Mature platform
Look elsewhere if: Small projects (Docusaurus, Scalar).
Choose Scalar if
Developers wanting modern free API docs.
- Beautiful UI
- Open source
- Free
Look elsewhere if: Enterprise portals.
ReadMe vs Scalar pricing
ReadMe
- Starter$01 project, 1 published version, 1 admin
- Pro$250/moBilled annually; 5 admins, unlimited versions
- EnterpriseCustomAnnual billing only
Scalar
- Free$0Up to 3 APIs, 1 editor seat, 1 SDK up to 25 endpoints
- Pro$150/mo$125/mo billed yearly; 5 seats, 15 APIs
- Business$600/mo$500/mo billed yearly; SSO, 10 seats, 25 APIs
- EnterpriseCustomSLAs and migration services
ReadMe · Key features
- Interactive API reference with try-it
- Guides, recipes and changelogs
- API metrics per developer and endpoint
- Personalized docs with user keys
- AI search (Owlbot)
- Versioning and staging
Cons
- Pro plan is expensive
- Design flexibility limited
- Docs-as-code workflow less native than Mintlify
Scalar · Key features
- Modern API reference
- API client
- Framework integrations
- Hosted docs
- Open source
- Themes
Cons
- Younger
- Fewer enterprise features
- Smaller community
ReadMe vs Scalar: FAQ
Which is cheaper, ReadMe or Scalar?
Scalar starts at $150/mo and ReadMe at $250/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do ReadMe and Scalar have a free plan?
Yes, both ReadMe and Scalar have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.