RDoc
6.1#18 in documentation generatorsFree planFree planLinuxSelf-hosted
VisitRDoc vs Sphinx
What both publish
| Fact | RDoc | Sphinx |
|---|---|---|
| License | RDoc is free software and may be redistributed under the terms in its license file. | The project states that its code is released under the two-clause BSD license. |
| License and warranty | RDoc describes itself as free software and states that it is provided as is without express or implied warranties. | Sphinx code is released under the two-clause BSD license, with warranty disclaimers in the license text. |
| Purpose | RDoc produces HTML and command-line documentation for Ruby projects, with `rdoc` and `ri` tools to generate and display it. | Sphinx generates technical documentation from structured text. |
| Support | The project directs users to its contributing guide for filing bug reports and says problems producing desired output may be documentation bugs. | The project directs users to Stack Overflow, GitHub Discussions, GitHub Issues, or the sphinx-users mailing list for questions and problem reports. |
| Themes | RDoc includes the Aliki theme by default, while its classic Darkfish theme is deprecated and the site says it will be removed in v9.0. | Sphinx includes built-in and third-party HTML themes and supports custom themes. |
RDoc plans
- RDocFree
Sphinx plans
- Sphinx open-source softwareFree
Pick RDoc if…
RDoc suits Ruby project maintainers who need generated API references, command-line documentation, and local previews on Linux or self-hosted systems. It also fits teams documenting Ruby, C, or RBS sources in automation workflows.
Pick Sphinx if…
Sphinx suits technical writers and development teams maintaining structured documentation, especially when they need multiple output formats, cross-project references or API documentation drawn from docstrings.