GitBook, without the lock-in.
GitBook is a hosted SaaS with no supported self-hosted or static-export path, and the polish you used to pay for is now table stakes. Sourcey produces the same modern output (dark mode, instant search, clean design) as static HTML you own; a subscription buys the platform around the docs, not the way they look.
Feature by feature.
Same capabilities. No monthly bill. Static HTML you own and deploy yourself.
| GitBook | Sourcey | |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAPI reference | Hosted blocks | Native, static |
| Rich components | Limited | Yes |
| Static HTML output | No | Yes |
| No client-side framework | No | Yes |
| Self-hosted | No | Yes |
| Config format | GUI | TypeScript |
| Git sync | Yes | Yes |
| Dark mode | Yes | Yes |
| Search | Built-in | Built-in |
| Pricing | Free / $65/site/mo | Free |
What changed at GitBook.
The open source CLI is gone
GitBook started as an open-source CLI that developers liked: a Node.js tool that turned Markdown into a docs site you ran yourself. That lineage is over. GitBook moved to a hosted platform, and the old self-run CLI is no longer maintained.
The gap it left is why HonKit exists (a community fork of the old GitBook CLI) and why Markdown-to-docs tools like mdBook cover the same need as maintained, owned alternatives. If you liked the original GitBook workflow, Sourcey is closer to it than GitBook is today: a CLI, your files, static output.
$65/mo per site, plus per-user fees
GitBook Premium costs $65/month per site plus $12/month per additional user (verified May 2026). A custom domain requires Premium. The pricing compounds: every new product is another site plan, and every teammate is another seat on top of it.
The jump from free to paid is steep: $0 to $65/month the moment you need a custom domain or a second team member, and Ultimate runs $249/month per site. For an organization with a few products and a small team, the monthly bill adds up before anyone has written a word. Sourcey has no per-site or per-seat fees; the output is static HTML you host yourself.
No self-hosting, no static export
GitBook is SaaS-only. Your content lives on their servers. There's no supported self-hosted deployment and no static HTML export. The rendering engine is technically open source on GitHub, but GitBook explicitly warns that self-hosting means "you become responsible for the reliability of your published site" with no guarantees of compatibility.
This matters for regulated environments (healthcare, finance, government) where data residency and air-gapped deployments aren't optional. It also matters for anyone who's been burned by a SaaS vendor changing terms. Sourcey outputs a dist/ directory of static HTML; deploy it on anything that serves files.
OpenAPI lives inside their platform
GitBook generates API reference from an OpenAPI spec these days, but the reference is a feature of the hosted platform: blocks you insert in their editor, rendered on their infrastructure, tested through their embedded client. There is no build artifact. The reference exists exactly as long as your subscription does.
If the spec is the source of truth, the reference should build from it anywhere. Sourcey's openapi tab points at your YAML or JSON file and generates endpoint docs, schemas, and code samples at build time, into static files you own, beside your markdown guides with shared search and navigation.
A live Sourcey build: static HTML from Markdown and an OpenAPI spec, deployed with no platform underneath it.
Five minutes from install to first build.
GitBook content is markdown. If you have Git Sync enabled, it's already in a repo.
Get your content out
If Git Sync is on, your markdown is already in GitHub/GitLab. Otherwise, export from GitBook's editor.
Init
Creates the config and detects any OpenAPI specs in the directory.
npx sourcey initSet up navigation
Replaces GitBook's GUI sidebar. Define tabs, groups, and page order in the config.
import { defineConfig, markdown } from "sourcey";
export default defineConfig({
name: "Your Docs",
navigation: {
tabs: [
{
tab: "Documentation",
source: markdown({
groups: [
{
group: "Getting Started",
pages: ["introduction", "quickstart", "authentication"],
},
{
group: "Guides",
pages: ["webhooks", "sdks", "rate-limits"],
},
],
}),
},
],
},
});Build
Outputs static HTML to dist/. Deploy wherever.
$ npx sourcey build
Sourcey: building documentation site
Pages: 22
Output: dist
Time: 0.9sCommon questions.
Is Sourcey really free?
Yes. Sourcey is open source under AGPL-3.0 and every feature ships in the free CLI. There is no per-site plan and no per-user seat; a custom domain costs whatever your DNS already costs.
Can I use my existing GitBook markdown?
GitBook content is standard markdown. Copy your files into a Sourcey project, configure the navigation in sourcey.config.ts, and build. GitBook-specific syntax (like their hint blocks) will need minor adjustments to Sourcey's directive format.
Does Sourcey have a visual editor?
No. Sourcey is a CLI tool. You write markdown in your editor of choice (VS Code, Vim, whatever) and the dev server hot-reloads on every save. If you need a GUI editor, Sourcey isn't the right tool.
Can Sourcey handle API reference docs?
Yes. Add an openapi tab in sourcey.config.ts pointing at your OpenAPI 3.x or Swagger 2.0 spec. Sourcey generates endpoint docs, schema references, and code samples in 10+ languages, all as static HTML in your build. GitBook renders OpenAPI through its hosted editor; the reference never leaves their platform.
Is Sourcey harder to set up than GitBook?
Different, not harder. GitBook gives you a GUI and handles hosting. Sourcey gives you a CLI and a config file, which means you handle hosting by deploying static files. For teams already on Git and CI/CD, Sourcey drops into the existing workflow. For teams that need a GUI editor, Sourcey is the wrong tool.
Does Sourcey support Git Sync like GitBook?
Sourcey is Git-native by design. Your docs are markdown files in a repo. There's no sync step because the source files are the repo. Push to main, build in CI, deploy. Standard Git workflow.
Compare with other tools
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Own your docs.
Open source under AGPL-3.0. Fork it or run it on your own infrastructure.
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