Comparisons / GitBook
ilumd vs GitBook
GitBook is a genuinely polished documentation platform — a nice editor, Git Sync, good public docs sites. The catch is where the docs live: GitBook wants to be the place you author and manage them, and it prices by the editor. ilumd takes a different stance — your Markdown stays in the repo as the source of truth, ilumd adds the governance and portals on top, and you never pay for readers.
Credit where it’s due
GitBook is a strong hosted documentation product. If you want a beautiful public docs site with a comfortable editor and don't mind authoring inside GitBook, it does that well.
Where ilumd is different
Where GitBook stops, and ilumd keeps going.
Your repo stays the source of truth
Even with Git Sync, GitBook is where docs are managed. ilumd never moves them — the Markdown in your GitHub repo is the source, always.
No per-editor tax
GitBook prices per editor and per site. ilumd charges per workspace and keeps readers free, so sharing widely never costs more.
Governance and isolation as core, not enterprise
GitBook's advanced permissions and SSO sit in higher tiers. ilumd's per-audience access and two-axis client isolation are the core primitive, on every plan.
See every doc, not just curated spaces
GitBook shows the spaces you curate. ilumd auto-discovers every Markdown file across every repo and client, forgotten ones included.
Built for agencies to resell
ilumd gives each client a branded, isolated portal, and you choose who's billed — bill the client directly or self-bill and mark it up — a workflow GitBook isn't shaped around.
Side by side
ilumd vs GitBook, feature by feature.
| Capability | GitBook | ilumd |
|---|---|---|
| Docs source of truth stays in your repo | Synced copy | Yes |
| Auto-discovery across many repos | No | Yes |
| Per-audience access + isolation as core | Enterprise | Yes |
| Non-developer suggest-an-edit → PR | In-app editor | Yes |
| Freshness & code-drift signals | No | Yes |
| White-label per-client portals + resale | Limited | Yes |
| Readers free | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per editor + per site | Per workspace |
This reflects how each tool is meant to be used, as of today. GitBookis good at what it’s built for; ilumd solves a different problem over the same docs.
Reach for GitBook when…
You want a hosted, polished public docs site and you're happy for GitBook to be the place your team authors and manages content. It's a capable product for exactly that.
Reach for ilumd when…
Your docs must stay in code as the source of truth, you don't want a per-editor bill, and you need governance, client isolation, and resellable branded portals — especially as an agency serving many clients.
ilumd vs GitBook · FAQ
Common questions.
Is ilumd a GitBook alternative?
For teams that want to keep docs in their repo and govern access rather than author inside a docs platform, yes. ilumd is a layer over your existing Markdown; GitBook is a place you write and host docs.
Do I have to move my docs into ilumd like I would with GitBook?
No. ilumd reads the Markdown already in your GitHub repos and treats it as the source of truth. There's no import, no lock-in, and no separate copy to keep in sync.
Does ilumd charge per editor like GitBook?
No. ilumd charges per workspace and never charges for readers. You pay for what you govern, not for how many people write or read.
Can I white-label docs per client the way an agency needs?
Yes — ilumd gives each client a branded portal, isolated from every other client. You choose who's billed: bill the client directly, or self-bill and fold it into your own fees at a markup.
Is client isolation available without an enterprise plan?
Yes. Two-axis client isolation is a core primitive in ilumd, enforced at the data layer on every plan — not a feature gated behind an enterprise tier.