RapiDoc is a flexible web component for rendering OpenAPI in the browser. ApiNotes is the hosted version of the idea: your spec in, published docs, an automatic changelog and breaking-change alerts out.
RapiDoc is an open-source (MIT) custom element: drop one script tag in a page, point it at a spec and get a themeable reference with a try-it console and several layouts. It is lightweight and very customisable. It is also only the renderer. You host the page, it renders in the browser, and it has no memory of earlier versions.
ApiNotes takes the same OpenAPI file and publishes it for you: server-rendered, indexable pages on your domain, a Try-it panel, search, version history, an automatic changelog with breaking-change flags and subscriber emails. Free to start, $19/month flat on Team.
| Feature | RapiDoc | ApiNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | ||
| What it is | Open-source web component (MIT) | Hosted docs + changelog platform |
| Hosting included | ❌ Embed it in a page you host | ✅ your-api.apinotes.io, CDN-cached |
| Custom domain | ⚠️ Whatever you host it on | ✅ CNAME, TLS handled (Team) |
| Documentation | ||
| Layout | ✅ Several layouts, themeable | ✅ Three-column reference |
| Code samples | ⚠️ Generated cURL and hand-written x-codeSamples | ✅ 10+ languages per endpoint |
| Try-it console | ✅ Built-in try-it | ✅ Try-it panel with auth |
| Search | ✅ Built-in search | ✅ Full-text across endpoints and guides |
| Guides and prose pages | ⚠️ Slots for custom content in your page | ✅ Documentation editor |
| Server-side rendering / SEO | ❌ Rendered in the browser | ✅ SSR, indexable, per-project meta |
| Change management | ||
| Version history | ❌ Current file only | ✅ Every push kept, switch versions in docs |
| Automatic changelog | ❌ | ✅ Written from the spec diff on every push |
| Breaking-change detection | ❌ | ✅ Flagged per release |
| Email subscribers + RSS/JSON feed | ❌ | ✅ 25 on Starter, unlimited on Team |
| CI/CD and access | ||
| Publish from CI | ⚠️ Redeploy the page that embeds it | ✅ GitHub Action or one API call |
| PR comment with breaking changes | ❌ | ✅ GitHub Action (Team) |
| Spec validation | ⚠️ Shows spec errors, no fix hints | ✅ Validator with line numbers and hints |
| Private docs | ❌ Add your own proxy or auth | ✅ Password or magic link (Team) |
| Price | Free (plus your hosting time) | Free Starter / $19 per month Team, flat |
RapiDoc column describes the open-source rapidoc package on its own. Verified October 2026.
RapiDoc is a script you add to a page. You own the page, the hosting, the domain, the TLS and the deployment. That flexibility is the point — and the cost.
ApiNotes is the page and the hosting. Paste, upload or sync the spec and the docs are live on a subdomain or your own domain, with nothing to deploy.
RapiDoc renders in the browser, so a crawler that does not run JavaScript sees an empty shell. Large specs can also be slow to render on every visit.
Pages are rendered on the server and cached, so they are indexable and fast, with per-project metadata for search and social previews.
RapiDoc shows whatever spec URL it is given. Version history, release notes and breaking-change warnings are all things you build around it.
Each push is diffed against the last. You get a changelog entry, breaking-change flags, a version switcher, an RSS / JSON feed and email notifications for subscribers.
Anyone with the URL can read the page. Restricting it means putting auth in front of your own hosting.
On Team, use a password or invite up to 25 guest readers by magic link.
RapiDoc is free and MIT-licensed. You pay in hosting, maintenance and whatever you add around it for changelogs, indexing and access control.
Starter, $0: 1 public API, hosted docs, changelog for the last 10 releases, breaking-change detection, 25 subscribers, GitHub Action, Try-it panel. Team, $19/month flat: 5 APIs, full changelog history, unlimited subscribers, PR comments, private docs, 25 guest readers, custom domain, your own branding, 5 team members. 14-day trial, no card needed.
Paste the same OpenAPI file you use today. Hosted docs, a changelog and breaking-change alerts are live in under a minute.