head to head · open source
devdocs vs stashbase
devdocs has 39,462 GitHub stars, 2,643 forks, 196 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. stashbase has 703 stars, 28 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped yesterday. devdocs leads on adoption by 5,513% (39,462 vs 703 stars). devdocs is written in Ruby under MPL-2.0; stashbase is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. devdocs has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, stashbase 4%. stashbase was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| devdocs | stashbase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 703 |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.6K | ⑂ 28 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick devdocs if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Ruby
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick stashbase if
- You want the stashbase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and stashbase fits your workflow better
About devdocs
DevDocs is an API documentation browser that combines multiple developer documentations into a single, clean and organized web UI with instant search, offline support, a mobile version, a dark theme and keyboard shortcuts, and it is aimed at developers who need to read and search API and reference documentation quickly.
read the full devdocs overview →
About stashbase
StashBase Like an IDE, but for writing. StashBase is an open source, local first writing workspace where you can write with Claude Code and Codex, drawing on your own sources and past work. 🔎 From files to context. Give your agent fast, accurate search across your sources with text extraction and semantic search. 📝 Doc diff ≠ Code diff. Read edits in the flow of your document, without jumping between old and new lines. ✍️ Make it sound like you. Use your past writing and edits to guide new drafts and preserve your voice. Product Preview Design prototype. Inline document revisions are coming soon. Get Started ma…
read the full stashbase overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is devdocs or stashbase more popular?
devdocs has 39,462 GitHub stars and stashbase has 703. devdocs has the larger community by that measure.
Are devdocs and stashbase free?
Both are open source. devdocs is licensed under MPL-2.0 and stashbase under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between devdocs and stashbase?
devdocs is written in Ruby and stashbase in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, devdocs or stashbase?
Choose devdocs if you want the larger community (39,462 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose stashbase if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.