Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DevDocs VS Zeal

Compare DevDocs VS Zeal and see what are their differences

DevDocs logo DevDocs

Open source API documentation browser with instant fuzzy search, offline mode, keyboard shortcuts, and more

Zeal logo Zeal

Zeal is an API Documentation Browser.
  • DevDocs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-12
  • Zeal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18

DevDocs features and specs

  • Comprehensive Documentation
    DevDocs offers a wide array of documentation for various programming languages, libraries, and frameworks, making it a one-stop resource for developers.
  • Offline Access
    Users can download documentation for offline use, which is beneficial for work in environments without consistent internet connectivity.
  • Fast Search
    DevDocs features a lightning-fast search functionality, allowing developers to quickly find the information they need.
  • Integrations
    DevDocs can integrate with various editors and tools, enhancing the workflow for developers.
  • Free and Open Source
    DevDocs is free to use and open source, allowing developers to contribute and improve the platform.

Possible disadvantages of DevDocs

  • Limited Customization
    The platform offers limited customization options for user interface preferences compared to some other documentation tools.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve to get accustomed to the interface and find the documentation they need.
  • Dependency on Contributions
    As an open-source project, DevDocs relies heavily on community contributions to keep documentation up to date, which might lead to inconsistencies.
  • No User Accounts
    DevDocs does not support user accounts, meaning there is no way to save personalized settings or bookmarks across different devices.
  • Limited Mobile Optimization
    While it is accessible on mobile devices, DevDocs is not specifically optimized for mobile use, which might affect the user experience on smaller screens.

Zeal features and specs

  • Offline Access
    Zeal allows users to download documentation sets and access them offline, which is beneficial for those who need to work without an active internet connection.
  • Speed
    Zeal provides quick and efficient searches across multiple documentation sets, making it faster to look up information compared to online searches.
  • Customizability
    Zeal supports a wide range of docsets and allows users to add their own, making it highly customizable to individual needs.
  • Cross-Platform
    Zeal is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, ensuring broad usability.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Zeal is free to use and can be improved or customized by anyone with the requisite skills.

Possible disadvantages of Zeal

  • User Interface
    Some users find Zeal's interface to be less intuitive or aesthetically pleasing compared to other documentation browsers.
  • Documentation Sync
    Zeal does not automatically update documentation sets, requiring users to manually download the latest versions, which can be a hassle.
  • Initial Setup
    Setting up Zeal and downloading docsets can initially be time-consuming, requiring a bit of configuration to get everything in place.
  • Dependency on Docsets
    Zeal's usefulness is highly dependent on the availability and quality of docsets, and less common technologies may not have comprehensive documentation available.
  • No Real-Time Collaboration
    Zeal does not support real-time collaboration features, which can be a limitation for team-based projects requiring coordinated documentation efforts.

DevDocs videos

DevDocs - An API Documentation Browser

Zeal videos

ZEAL for Life Wellness | Product Review!!!

More videos:

  • Review - Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit ALBUM REVIEW
  • Review - Zeal review 7lbs down in 4 days !

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DevDocs and Zeal)
Cryptocurrencies
57 57%
43% 43
Blockchain
55 55%
45% 45
Software Development
49 49%
51% 51
Productivity
56 56%
44% 44

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, DevDocs should be more popular than Zeal. It has been mentiond 128 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DevDocs mentions (128)

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Zeal mentions (63)

  • DevDocs
    There's also Zeal (https://zealdocs.org/) which is basically the same as Dash but open source and runs on non-Mac devices. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • How would you work effectively with an extremely slow 56Kbps connection?
    For offline tech documentation you can use Zeal. Must have tool for poor internet connection places. Present in ubuntu repos. https://zealdocs.org/. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: How do I code offline for a week?
    Check out Zeal if git cloning docs is something you do. https://zealdocs.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: How do I code offline for a week?
    There’s stuff like https://zealdocs.org/ that allow you to take all relevant documentation with you so offline coding will work. If you just want to be productive, you could also bring a lot of books or downloaded tutorials on a drive. Btw, make sure your drive is encrypted and you think of a way to backup your data so you don’t lose the offline progress. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Memex is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed
    I’d suggest you look into Kiwix¹ and also Zeal². 1. https://www.kiwix.org/ 2. https://zealdocs.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing DevDocs and Zeal, you can also consider the following products

Dash for macOS - Dash is an API Documentation Browser and Code Snippet Manager. Dash searches offline documentation of 200+ APIs and stores snippets of code. You can also generate your own documentation sets.

DASH - DASH is a secure, blockchain-based global financial network which offers private transactions.

Devhints - TL;DR for developer documentation

Devhelp - Devhelp is a GTK+/GNOME browser for API documentation; it works natively with gtk-doc (which is the...

Greenboard - Generate beautiful static api documentation

Velocity - Velocity gives your Windows desktop offline access to over 150 API documentation sets provided by...