OpenApi Round Up-Obsidian + Hugo vs TinaCMS vs GitBook for Docs

1. Obsidian + Hugo for OpenAPI Documentation

✅ Markdown-based – If you’re already using Obsidian, you can write and manage your API docs locally.

✅ Static site speed – Hugo generates lightning-fast sites, perfect for OpenAPI docs with large JSON files.

✅ Version Control – Git manages all changes, making it easy to track updates and rollback if needed.

✅ Customizable – Hugo’s themes and templates let you design fully tailored API documentation.

✅ Free & Self-hosted – No recurring costs or vendor lock-in.

❌ Setup Required – You need to configure Hugo, themes, and deployment (Netlify, GitHub Pages, etc.).

❌ No Live Editing – Unlike CMS tools, you don’t get an instant visual preview.

✅ Real-time Editing – A live Markdown editor directly in your browser.

✅ Git-backed – Changes are stored in Git, making it great for team collaboration.

✅ Headless CMS – You can pair TinaCMS with Next.js, Hugo, or other frameworks.

✅ Easy UI – Perfect for non-technical users who still need to update API documentation.

❌ Limited OpenAPI Support – Unlike Hugo or GitBook, TinaCMS doesn’t have built-in OpenAPI renderers.

❌ Complex Setup – Requires integrating TinaCMS with an existing static site framework.

❌ Not Fully Static – While Git-backed, it still relies on a CMS-style UI.

✅ Easy Setup – Just sign up and start writing; GitBook is built for documentation.

✅ Great UI/UX – A clean, intuitive interface with built-in navigation, search, and theming.

✅ Live Collaboration – Multiple people can edit docs simultaneously, like Google Docs.

✅ Automatic API Integration – Supports OpenAPI specs and has built-in API documentation templates.

❌ Not Fully Customizable – You’re stuck with GitBook’s themes and structure.

❌ Paid Plans – While there’s a free tier, advanced features require a subscription.

❌ Vendor Lock-in – Moving your documentation to another system is not as easy as exporting Markdown.

Feature	Obsidian + Hugo	TinaCMS	GitBook
Markdown Support	✅ Full Control	✅ Git-backed	✅ Native Markdown
Customization	🎨 Full Control	🎨 Requires Custom Integration	🚫 Limited
OpenAPI Support	✅ OpenAPI + Hugo Plugins	❌ Manual Formatting	✅ Built-in OpenAPI Docs
Ease of Use	🛠 Requires Setup	✅ Live Editing	✅ Easiest
Collaboration	✅ Git-based	✅ Git-based	✅ Real-time
Self-Hosting	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	🚫 No
Cost	🆓 Free	🆓 Free	💰 Paid Plans