About Docfx
Docfx is a static site generator that builds technical documentation sites. It converts .NET assembly, XML code comment, REST API Swagger files and markdown into rendered HTML pages, JSON model or PDF files.
It is designed for developers who need to generate documentation for .NET projects. The tool can be installed as a .NET tool and used from the command line to create and build documentation projects.
Key features
- Converts .NET assembly, XML code comment, REST API Swagger files and markdown into rendered HTML pages, JSON model or PDF files.
- Provides a command-line interface to initialize and build documentation projects.
- Produces static HTML files under the _site folder for publishing to static site hosting servers.
- Supports publishing to GitHub Pages via GitHub Actions.
Good fit for
- Building technical documentation sites for .NET projects.
- Generating API documentation from .NET assemblies and XML comments.
- Publishing documentation to GitHub Pages.
Docfx: questions and answers
- What is Docfx used for?
- Docfx converts .NET assembly, XML code comment, REST API Swagger files and markdown into rendered HTML pages, JSON model or PDF files. It is a good fit for building technical documentation sites for .NET projects, generating API documentation from .NET assemblies and XML comments, and publishing documentation to GitHub Pages.
- Is Docfx open source?
- Yes. Docfx is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at dotnet/docfx and is written mainly in C#.
- Is Docfx free?
- Yes. Docfx is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
- Can I self-host Docfx?
- Yes. Docfx can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
- What is Docfx an alternative to?
- Docfx is an open-source alternative to Bump.sh, Adobe RoboHelp, Theneo and Swimm. Other open-source alternatives to Bump.sh include Sphinx, GitBook and Readthedocs.org.
- Is Docfx actively maintained?
- Yes. The most recent commit to Docfx was on 4 October 2026, and the latest release is v2.81.0, published on 25 September 2026. The project has 4.4k stars on GitHub.
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