head to head · open source
docsify vs liam
docsify has 31,575 GitHub stars, 5,785 forks, 94 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. liam has 5,158 stars, 242 forks, 29 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. docsify leads on adoption by 512% (31,575 vs 5,158 stars). docsify is written in JavaScript under MIT; liam is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. docsify has attracted 18% as many forks as stars, liam 5%. docsify was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (documentation, documentation-tool), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| docsify | liam | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 5.2K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.8K | ⑂ 242 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick docsify if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick liam if
- You want the liam 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 liam fits your workflow better
About docsify
A magical documentation site generator. Gold Sponsor via Open Collective Docsify turns one or more Markdown files into a Website, with no build process required. Features No statically built HTML files Simple and lightweight Smart full text search plugin Multiple themes Useful plugin API Emoji support Quick Start Get going fast by using a static web server or GitHub Pages with this ready to use Docsify Template, review the quick start tutorial or jump right into a CodeSandbox example site with the button below. Showcase A large collection of showcase projects are included in awesome docsify. Links Documentation…
read the full docsify overview →
About liam
Automatically generates beautiful and easy to read ER diagrams from your database. Website • Documentation • Roadmap What's Liam ERD? Liam ERD generates beautiful, interactive ER diagrams from your database. Whether you're working on public or private repositories, Liam ERD helps you visualize complex schemas with ease. Beautiful UI & Interactive : A clean design and intuitive features (like panning, zooming, and filtering) make it easy to understand even the most complex databases. Simple Reverse Engineering : Seamlessly turn your existing database schemas into clear, readable diagrams. Effortless Setup : Get…
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Frequently asked questions
Is docsify or liam more popular?
docsify has 31,575 GitHub stars and liam has 5,158. docsify has the larger community by that measure.
Are docsify and liam free?
Both are open source. docsify is licensed under MIT and liam under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between docsify and liam?
docsify is written in JavaScript and liam 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, docsify or liam?
Choose docsify if you want the larger community (31,575 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose liam if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.