Comparisons / Docusaurus
ilumd vs Docusaurus
Your developers already love Docusaurus — docs-as-code, MDX, versioned in Git. ilumd does too; we don't move a single file. The difference is everything that happens after the docs are written: who's allowed to see each one, whether anyone knows it exists, whether it's still true, and whether a non-developer can ever touch it. Docusaurus leaves all of that to you. ilumd is the layer that handles it.
Credit where it’s due
Docusaurus is an excellent open-source static-site generator. For a single public developer-docs site your team maintains by hand — MDX, versioned, themed, fast, free — it's hard to beat, and ilumd doesn't try to replace it.
Where ilumd is different
Where Docusaurus stops, and ilumd keeps going.
The access control it lacks
Docusaurus is public by default; anything private means bolting on auth and hosting yourself. ilumd governs every doc per audience, default-deny — no infra to build.
Visibility across every repo
Docusaurus is one curated site per repo. ilumd auto-discovers every Markdown file across all your repos and clients — including the ones nobody remembers writing.
A way in for non-developers
Docusaurus edits are pull requests — developers only. ilumd lets a PM or client suggest an edit and opens the PR for them; docs stay in code.
Client isolation, by construction
Serving different clients from Docusaurus means separate builds and DIY auth. ilumd isolates Client A from Client B at the data layer, and gives each a branded portal.
Trust that a doc is current
Docusaurus will happily publish a doc that went stale a year ago. ilumd flags freshness and code-change drift so no one ships outdated docs.
Side by side
ilumd vs Docusaurus, feature by feature.
| Capability | Docusaurus | ilumd |
|---|---|---|
| Docs live as Markdown in Git | Yes | Yes |
| Who hosts and maintains it | You do | Managed |
| Per-audience access control | No | Yes |
| Client isolation enforced at the data layer | No | Yes |
| Auto-discovery across many repos | No | Yes |
| Non-developer suggest-an-edit → PR | No | Yes |
| Freshness & code-drift signals | No | Yes |
| Branded self-serve portal per client | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Free (you host) | Per workspace · readers free |
This reflects how each tool is meant to be used, as of today. Docusaurusis good at what it’s built for; ilumd solves a different problem over the same docs.
Reach for Docusaurus when…
You want one public documentation site for an open-source project or product, your developers maintain it in the repo, and everyone is meant to see the same thing. Docusaurus is the right tool — and ilumd can still sit on top of the same repo when you're ready.
Reach for ilumd when…
Different people are meant to see different docs — staff vs client, Client A vs Client B — across many repos, and you need that governed, kept current, editable by non-devs, and shareable as branded portals. Especially if you're an agency.
ilumd vs Docusaurus · FAQ
Common questions.
Is ilumd a Docusaurus replacement?
No. Docusaurus publishes a docs site; ilumd is a governance and access layer over the same repo Markdown. Keep Docusaurus if you like it — ilumd works alongside it on the exact same files.
Do I have to migrate off Docusaurus to use ilumd?
Never. ilumd reads the Markdown in your GitHub repos where it already lives. Nothing moves, nothing is locked in.
Can non-developers edit Docusaurus docs?
Not directly — Docusaurus changes go through pull requests, which is a developer workflow. ilumd lets a non-developer suggest an edit and opens the PR for them, so your review flow stays in charge.
Does Docusaurus support private or client-only docs?
Not out of the box — Docusaurus sites are public unless you build authentication and hosting around them. ilumd provides per-audience access, client isolation, and passwordless client portals natively.
Can I keep docs in code but still give clients a portal?
Yes — that's exactly what ilumd is for. Docs stay as Markdown in Git; ilumd serves each client a branded, isolated self-serve portal of just the docs they're allowed to see.