I'm building a docs site and API reference together, what should I use?

If you want docs site + API reference in one place, the best choice depends on how “developer-docs-heavy” your product is and how much customization you want.

Good default recommendations

1. Docusaurus

Best if you want:

• A polished docs site
• API reference pages alongside guides/tutorials
• MDX content, versioning, search, sidebar nav
• React-based customization

Common setup:

• Docs written in Markdown/MDX
• API reference generated from OpenAPI or included as Markdown
• Great for product docs, developer portals, and docs + blog

Use this if: you want a flexible docs site that can also host API reference cleanly.

2. Mintlify

Best if you want:

• Very fast setup
• Beautiful docs out of the box
• Excellent API reference support
• Minimal maintenance

It’s especially popular for:

• Developer-first SaaS
• OpenAPI-based reference docs
• Simple docs + reference + guides in one site

Use this if: you want the easiest path to a modern docs site with API reference.

3. ReadMe

Best if you want:

• Hosted docs platform
• Strong API reference experience
• Interactive API explorer
• Auth, analytics, and collaboration features

Use this if: you want a SaaS docs platform and not to manage the site yourself.

4. Redocly

Best if you have:

• An OpenAPI-first API
• Need strong API reference generation
• Want docs + API portal capabilities

Use this if: your API spec is central and you want clean OpenAPI-driven docs.

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Short answer

• Most flexible self-hosted option: Docusaurus
• Fastest best-looking option: Mintlify
• Best hosted API docs platform: ReadMe
• Best OpenAPI-centric option: Redocly

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My recommendation

If you’re building both a docs site and API reference from scratch, I’d usually suggest:

• Docusaurus if you want full control and a content-rich docs site
• Mintlify if you want speed and a strong out-of-the-box experience

If you tell me:

1. whether your API is OpenAPI/Swagger or not,
2. whether you want self-hosted vs hosted, and
3. your stack (React, Next.js, etc.),

I can recommend the best exact tool and setup.