Writerside
Writerside is a tool for authoring, building, testing, and publishing technical documentation.
What Writerside is
Writerside is a tool for authoring, building, testing, and publishing technical documentation. It is now available as a plugin for JetBrains IDEs rather than as a standalone IDE. The plugin keeps the standalone version's features and adds editor support and validation for supported code samples. Its components include an authoring plugin, a documentation builder, and a frontend for rendering help websites. Writerside supports Markdown and semantic markup, plus reuse of topics, sections, markup elements, filters, and variables across documentation outputs. Built-in Git integration can automate builds, testing, and deployment with GitHub or GitLab hosting; its Docker builder can be used for CI/CD pipelines. It can generate PDFs with a table of contents and optional cover, header, and footer, and create API entity references from OpenAPI specifications. Local previews have built-in search, while published documentation uses an external search service by default. AI writing actions require the Grazie Pro plugin. The plugin is free and supports Linux, macOS, and Windows through JetBrains IDEs.
Good
- Supports Markdown and semantic markup
- Reuses content across documentation outputs
- Built-in Git integration
- Generates PDF documentation
- Creates API references from OpenAPI specifications
Watch out
- No longer available as a standalone IDE
- AI writing actions require Grazie Pro
- Published documentation uses external search by default
- Rider and DataGrip cannot create new projects
Who it suits
Writerside suits people authoring and publishing technical documentation, especially those working in JetBrains IDEs. Its reuse and build automation features can help teams maintaining documentation outputs and pipelines.
Verdict
Writerside combines documentation authoring with build, testing, and publishing tools inside JetBrains IDEs. Note that AI writing actions need Grazie Pro and published-site search uses an external service by default.
Plans and prices
From Writerside's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free plugin | Free | JetBrains IDE plugin · all standalone-version functionality |
The facts
Each one read from Writerside's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI writing
- AI writing actions such as rephrasing, review, translation, and summaries require the Grazie Pro plugin.checked 30 Sep 2026
- API documentation
- Writerside can generate API entity references from OpenAPI specifications.checked 30 Sep 2026
- CI builds
- The Writerside Docker builder can be used for automated builds and CI/CD pipelines, with instructions for GitHub, GitLab, and TeamCity.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Components
- The plugin includes an authoring IDE plugin, a documentation builder, and a frontend for rendering help websites.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Content reuse
- Writerside supports single sourcing and reusing topics, sections, markup elements, filters, and variables across documentation outputs.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Feature parity
- The plugin has the same features as the standalone version and adds editor support and validation for supported code samples.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Known limitation
- Rider and DataGrip have a known issue that prevents creating a new Writerside project, although existing projects can be edited.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Markup
- Writerside supports Markdown and semantic markup.checked 30 Sep 2026
- PDF export
- Writerside can generate PDFs with a table of contents and optional cover, header, and footer content.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Product format
- Writerside is available as a plugin for JetBrains IDEs and is no longer available as a standalone IDE.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Writerside is used to author, build, test, and publish technical documentation.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Search limitation
- Local preview has built-in search, while published documentation requires an external search service by default.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- JetBrains says its security controls are described in its Information & Physical Security Standards and refers users to its privacy measures for protecting personal information.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- JetBrains directs Writerside users to its Slack community for feedback and support.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Version control
- Writerside has built-in Git integration and can automate builds, testing, and deployment with GitHub or GitLab hosting.checked 30 Sep 2026
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