Websites using Readthedocs

Okay, let s break down Read the Docs, covering its overview, revenue model, alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

Overview of Read the Docs

Read the Docs is an open-source platform that automatically builds, versions, and hosts documentation for software projects. It s designed to make it easy for developers to create, manage, and share their project documentation online.

Here s a more detailed look:

• Purpose: To streamline the documentation process for open-source and commercial software projects.

• Key Features:

  • Automatic Builds: Integrates with version control systems (like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) to automatically build documentation when changes are pushed.
  • Version Control: Allows documentation to be versioned alongside code, ensuring that the documentation always matches the specific code version.
  • Hosting: Provides a platform to host and make documentation publicly available with custom domains available for business customers.
  • Multiple Formats: Supports common documentation formats like reStructuredText and Markdown.
  • Themes and Customization: Offers pre-built themes and some customization options.
  • Search: Provides a built-in search function for easy navigation within the documentation.
  • Webhook Integration: Enables integration with other systems.

• Target Audience: Developers, open-source maintainers, technical writers, and organizations that need to manage and share software documentation.

• Open Source Foundation: The core platform is free and open-source, making it a popular choice for open-source projects.
• Two Versions:
  • Read the Docs Community: The free and open-source version of the platform.
  • Read the Docs for Business: The commercial version that provides additional features and functionality.

Revenue Model

Read the Docs has a dual revenue model:

• Read the Docs Community (Free): The open-source version of the platform is entirely free for hosting public documentation. This is funded through sponsorships and the commercial business arm.
• Read the Docs for Business (Paid): This commercial version provides enhanced features and functionality and is the primary source of revenue for the company.

Read the Docs for Business Features (Paid)

• Private Documentation: Host documentation that is not publicly accessible.
• Enhanced Support: Priority support from the Read the Docs team.
• Custom Domains: Use your own domain name for your documentation.
• Multiple Users: Collaborate with a team on documentation.
• More build time and bandwidth: Additional build and bandwidth allocated for your projects.

Alternatives to Read the Docs

Here are some popular alternatives, each with its strengths:

1. GitHub Pages:
   • Pros: Free, integrates directly with GitHub, simple to use for basic static sites including documentation.
   • Cons: Limited customization, fewer features for complex documentation projects, doesn t support automatic builds for non-Jekyll sites.
2. GitLab Pages:
   • Pros: Free, integrates directly with GitLab, similar functionality to GitHub Pages.
   • Cons: Limited customization, not designed specifically for documentation like Read the Docs.
3. Sphinx (with manual hosting):
   • Pros: Highly customizable and extensible, powerful for complex technical documentation.
   • Cons: Requires more manual configuration, hosting, and automation setup, can be more difficult for beginners.
4. Docusaurus:
   • Pros: Designed for documentation, modern UI, good for React-based projects, good search.
   • Cons: Requires more setup than simple static generators, may be more complex for non-JavaScript users.
5. MkDocs:
   • Pros: Simple setup, good for Markdown-based documentation, various themes, easy to use.
   • Cons: Less powerful than Sphinx or Docusaurus, fewer customization options.
6. Confluence:
   • Pros: Enterprise-grade wiki and collaboration platform, user friendly interface, good for complex teams.
   • Cons: Not specialized for technical documentation, can be more expensive.
7. Jekyll:
   • Pros: Good for blogs and simple static websites, easy to get started, free with GitHub Pages.
   • Cons: Not specifically built for documentation, fewer documentation-specific features.
8. Netlify, Vercel or other Hosting Providers:
   • Pros: Flexible, performant, highly customizable.
   • Cons: Requires manual configuration of the build process from your documentation system.

Pricing

• Read the Docs Community: Free for public documentation.
• Read the Docs for Business: Pricing is on a subscription basis, typically based on the number of projects and users, or build hours. Exact pricing details are available from the Read the Docs website. Contact Read the Docs for custom plans.
• Free tier: There is also a free tier available for qualifying open source or educational projects.

Customer Care Details

Read the Docs offers customer support primarily through:

• Community Forums and Documentation: For the free version of the platform, the main support channel is the Read the Docs community forum, along with their own documentation.
• Priority Support (Read the Docs for Business): Customers who pay for the commercial version receive prioritized support via email and other channels.
• Support Channels: Depending on your plan, support may come through email, chat, and the option for screen sharing or call.

Summary

Read the Docs is a valuable platform for software documentation, especially for projects using version control. Its open-source core makes it accessible to many, while the commercial version offers enhanced features and support for more demanding projects. Understanding the alternatives and your specific needs will help you choose the right documentation solution for your project.

Before making a decision, I recommend:

1. Exploring Read the Docs: Start with the free Community version to get a feel for the platform.
2. Evaluating Your Needs: Determine the complexity, scalability, and features your documentation requires.
3. Comparing Alternatives: Test different options to see which ones fit your specific requirements and comfort level.
4. Contacting Sales: If you are looking at the commercial option, get in touch with their sales team for pricing and support details.
5. Community involvement: Contribute to the platform or take advantage of the many helpful community resources.

If you have any more specific questions about Read the Docs or any alternative, feel free to ask!