docmd occupies the space between simple Markdown parsers and heavy framework applications. It delivers the speed and SEO of a static site with the interactive feel of a modern SPA — at a fraction of the payload.
Feature Matrix
| Feature | docmd | Docusaurus | MkDocs Material | VitePress | Mintlify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Node.js | React | Python | Vue | SaaS |
| Config required | None | docusaurus.config.js |
mkdocs.yml |
config.mts |
mint.json |
| Initial payload | ~18kb | ~250kb | ~40kb | ~50kb | ~120kb |
| Navigation | SPA router | React SPA | Full reloads | Vue SPA | Hosted SPA |
| Versioning | Native | Native (complex) | mike plugin | Manual | Native |
| i18n | Native | Native (complex) | Plugin-based | Manual | Native |
| Search | Built-in | Algolia (cloud) | Built-in | MiniSearch | Cloud |
| PWA | Optional plugin | Community plugin | None | None | Hosted |
| llms.txt | Built-in (Auto-generated) | Manual | None | None | Proprietary |
| Inline discussions | Threads plugin | None | None | None | None |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Zero-config start | npx @docmd/core dev |
No | No | No | No |
The Numbers
Build payload
A documentation site with 50 pages and default configuration:
| Generator | Initial page load | JS payload | CSS payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| docmd | ~18kb total | ~12kb | ~6kb |
| VitePress | ~50kb total | ~35kb | ~15kb |
| MkDocs Material | ~40kb total | ~25kb | ~15kb |
| Docusaurus | ~250kb total | ~200kb | ~50kb |
| Mintlify | ~120kb total | ~80kb | ~40kb |
Build speed
Building the same 50-page site on an M1 MacBook Air:
| Generator | Cold build | Hot rebuild (dev) |
|---|---|---|
| docmd | ~1.2s | ~80ms |
| VitePress | ~2.5s | ~150ms |
| MkDocs Material | ~3.0s | ~500ms |
| Docusaurus | ~15s | ~2s |
Configuration overhead
Lines of configuration required for a site with versioning, i18n, search, and sitemap:
| Generator | Config lines | Files required |
|---|---|---|
| docmd | ~15 lines | 1 (docmd.config.js) |
| VitePress | ~80 lines | 1 + theme dir |
| MkDocs Material | ~50 lines | 1 (mkdocs.yml) + plugins |
| Docusaurus | ~120 lines | 3+ config files |
Quality Assurance
docmd ships with a brute test suite that validates 25 distinct scenarios across 85 assertions — covering every feature in isolation and in combination. Every release must pass all 85 assertions and 13 internal failsafe checks before shipping.
git clone https://github.com/docmd-io/docmd.git
cd docmd && node scripts/brute-test.js
No other documentation generator in this class publishes a comparable end-to-end feature test suite as part of its source.
Where docmd Stands Out
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Zero-Config
Drop Markdown files into a folder and run npx @docmd/core dev. Navigation, search, SEO, and sitemap are all active with no configuration file.
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AI-First
The LLMs plugin auto-generates llms.txt and llms-full.txt — structured context files that AI coding assistants consume directly. No manual curation required.
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Smallest Payload
At ~18kb initial load, docmd serves pages faster than any competitor. Pure semantic HTML with a micro-SPA router — no framework runtime shipped to the browser.
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