# Fumadocs vs Scalar

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/compare/fumadocs-vs-scalar/

Every value below is read from Fumadocs's and Scalar's own documentation. See https://inetgeek.com/methodology/ for how.

## At a glance

| Criterion | Fumadocs | Scalar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Kind of free offer | Always free | Free tier |
| What the free plan includes | The framework is open source and free to adopt; no hosting is included, you deploy and run your own app on the hosting of your underlying React framework. The AI chat model is likewise not provided. | The Free plan costs $0 with no credit card: hosted OpenAPI docs, built-in API client, landing pages, up to 3 APIs, 1 SDK up to 25 endpoints, 50 Agent Scalar credits and 1 editor seat. Publishing a Docs site needs a paid plan after the 7-day trial every new team gets. |
| Entry paid plan | No paid plan is listed: fumadocs.dev shows no plans or prices and presents Fumadocs as an open-source project powered by its community. | Pro is $150/month ($125/month billed yearly): 5 editor seats, up to 15 APIs, 1 SDK up to 100 endpoints, custom domains, Git Sync, Markdown and MDX, hosted MCP servers. Business is $600/month. |
| Pricing model | No pricing model: the framework is open source and the site lists no plans, tiers or prices; the homepage shows a Sponsors section and a contributors list. | Priced per plan by APIs published, SDK size (endpoints in the OpenAPI document) and editor seats: Free 3 APIs and 1 seat, Pro 15 APIs and 5 seats, Business 25 APIs and 10 seats, Enterprise custom. Each plan includes 1 SDK; extra SDKs are $150/month each up to 100 endpoints or $600/month each for 101-250. Billed monthly or yearly. |
| Self-hostable | Supported | Limited — MIT-licensed core only; no page says the hosted Docs platform itself can be self-hosted. |
| Docs as code in a git repository | Supported | Supported |
| API reference from an OpenAPI spec | Supported | Supported |
| Interactive API playground | Supported | Supported |
| Client SDK generation | Limited — Generates example request code in several languages; no SDK generation is described | Supported |
| llms.txt and markdown for AI tools | Supported | Supported |
| MCP server for the docs or API | Supported | Supported |
| Built-in AI assistant over the docs | Limited — Installable AI chat UI; Fumadocs supplies no model, you bring your own | Supported |
| Multiple documentation versions | Supported | Supported — Docs plan table lists versions from Pro upward, not on Free. |

## Where they differ

### Kind of free offer

- Fumadocs: Always free ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/docs/comparisons))
- Scalar: Free tier ([source](https://scalar.com/pricing))
- Lean: none. No documented basis to lean either way on this criterion.

### What the free plan includes

- Fumadocs: The framework is open source and free to adopt; no hosting is included, you deploy and run your own app on the hosting of your underlying React framework. The AI chat model is likewise not provided. ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/docs/deploying))
- Scalar: The Free plan costs $0 with no credit card: hosted OpenAPI docs, built-in API client, landing pages, up to 3 APIs, 1 SDK up to 25 endpoints, 50 Agent Scalar credits and 1 editor seat. Publishing a Docs site needs a paid plan after the 7-day trial every new team gets. ([source](https://scalar.com/pricing))
- Lean: none. No documented basis to lean either way on this criterion.

### Entry paid plan

- Fumadocs: No paid plan is listed: fumadocs.dev shows no plans or prices and presents Fumadocs as an open-source project powered by its community. ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/))
- Scalar: Pro is $150/month ($125/month billed yearly): 5 editor seats, up to 15 APIs, 1 SDK up to 100 endpoints, custom domains, Git Sync, Markdown and MDX, hosted MCP servers. Business is $600/month. ([source](https://scalar.com/pricing))
- Lean: none. No documented basis to lean either way on this criterion.

### Pricing model

- Fumadocs: No pricing model: the framework is open source and the site lists no plans, tiers or prices; the homepage shows a Sponsors section and a contributors list. ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/))
- Scalar: Priced per plan by APIs published, SDK size (endpoints in the OpenAPI document) and editor seats: Free 3 APIs and 1 seat, Pro 15 APIs and 5 seats, Business 25 APIs and 10 seats, Enterprise custom. Each plan includes 1 SDK; extra SDKs are $150/month each up to 100 endpoints or $600/month each for 101-250. Billed monthly or yearly. ([source](https://scalar.com/pricing))
- Lean: none. No documented basis to lean either way on this criterion.

### Client SDK generation

- Fumadocs: Limited — Generates example request code in several languages; no SDK generation is described ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/docs/integrations/openapi))
- Scalar: Supported ([source](https://scalar.com/products/sdk-generator))
- Lean: 36% Fumadocs / 64% Scalar — documented support level. inetGeek's own reading, computed from the two values above by the rules at https://inetgeek.com/methodology/, not a provider claim.

### Built-in AI assistant over the docs

- Fumadocs: Limited — Installable AI chat UI; Fumadocs supplies no model, you bring your own ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/docs/integrations/llms))
- Scalar: Supported ([source](https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/ask-ai))
- Lean: 36% Fumadocs / 64% Scalar — documented support level. inetGeek's own reading, computed from the two values above by the rules at https://inetgeek.com/methodology/, not a provider claim.

### Self-hostable

- Fumadocs: Supported ([source](https://www.fumadocs.dev/docs/deploying))
- Scalar: Limited — MIT-licensed core only; no page says the hosted Docs platform itself can be self-hosted. ([source](https://scalar.com/enterprise))
- Lean: 64% Fumadocs / 36% Scalar — documented support level. inetGeek's own reading, computed from the two values above by the rules at https://inetgeek.com/methodology/, not a provider claim.

## Which should you choose?

Pick Fumadocs if A team that already builds in React or Next.js and wants to own its documentation site: Fumadocs is an open-source framework you deploy yourself, with an OpenAPI reference and playground, llms.txt and MCP integrations, and no paid plan.

Pick Scalar if A team that wants OpenAPI-driven docs, an API client, SDK generation and MCP servers from one toolchain with an MIT-licensed core. Pro is $150 a month for 15 APIs and 5 editor seats.

Consider something else: Fumadocs — You want someone to host and run it. Fumadocs sells no hosting, so deploying and keeping the site up is your work, SDK generation is not described, and its AI assistant needs a model you supply.

Consider something else: Scalar — You need SAML SSO, which starts at Business, or a SOC 2 Type II report, where Scalar states a Type 1. Publishing a docs site needs a paid plan after the 7-day trial, so the free plan is not a way to host docs.

## Documented by only one

One side documents these and the other does not. An absence is a missing source, not a stated "no" — except where a line says the other page was READ on a date and does not mention it, which is a sourced observation and the only one-sided case this site leans on.

- Sites or apps included: Scalar: Pro, the entry paid plan, allows up to 15 APIs and 5 editor seats; Free allows 3 APIs and 1 editor seat, Business 25 APIs and 10 seats.
- SAML single sign-on: Scalar: Supported — Business and Enterprise plans; not on Free or Pro.
- SOC 2: Scalar: SOC 2 Type 1 report received for controls relevant to security; no Type 2 stated. GDPR privacy rights are described, no data-residency region is stated.

## Questions this comparison answers

**Entry paid plan: Fumadocs or Scalar?**

Fumadocs: No paid plan is listed: fumadocs.dev shows no plans or prices and presents Fumadocs as an open-source project powered by its community.
Scalar: Pro is $150/month ($125/month billed yearly): 5 editor seats, up to 15 APIs, 1 SDK up to 100 endpoints, custom domains, Git Sync, Markdown and MDX, hosted MCP servers. Business is $600/month.

**Should I choose Fumadocs or Scalar?**

Pick Fumadocs if A team that already builds in React or Next.js and wants to own its documentation site: Fumadocs is an open-source framework you deploy yourself, with an OpenAPI reference and playground, llms.txt and MCP integrations, and no paid plan.
Pick Scalar if A team that wants OpenAPI-driven docs, an API client, SDK generation and MCP servers from one toolchain with an MIT-licensed core. Pro is $150 a month for 15 APIs and 5 editor seats.