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Head-to-head · Documentation Generators

Dokka vs rustdoc

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Dokka #6 in Documentation Generators 8.7/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit JetBrains
rustdoc #8 in Documentation Generators 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Rust Project

Dokka leads on 0 checks, rustdoc on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDokka · 8.7/10
  • Free planonly rustdoc

Dokka scores higher on our rubric for documentation generators: 8.7 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

Dokka is the better fit for kotlin and Java API documentation. rustdoc is the better fit for rust crate documentation and tested examples.

  • Dokka fits best

    Kotlin and Java API documentation

  • rustdoc fits best

    Rust crate documentation and tested examples

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Side by side

Feature Dokka 8.7/10 Visit ↗ rustdoc 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.5
Ranking #6 in Documentation Generators #8 in Documentation Generators
Best for Kotlin and Java API documentation Rust crate documentation and tested examples
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Free plan
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 3 integrations 1 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Dokka 2/3 · rustdoc 2/3
API reference generation ✓ ✓
Versioned documentation ✓ (best) Not checked yet
CI/CD integration Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Source inputs Kotlin source with KDoc, Java source with Javadoc, Markdown module and package documentation Rust crate roots, Markdown files
Output formats HTML, Javadoc HTML, GitHub Flavored Markdown, Jekyll-compatible Markdown HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Programming languages Kotlin, Java Rust
Our review
Pros
  • Supports Kotlin KDoc and Java Javadoc in mixed-language projects
  • Outputs HTML, Javadoc HTML, GFM, and Jekyll-compatible Markdown
  • Runs with Gradle, Maven, CLI, and supports versioned documentation
  • Generates browsable HTML API documentation from Rust crate roots
  • Runs documentation tests from code examples
  • Integrates with Cargo for project documentation builds
Cons
  • Focused on API documentation rather than a broader documentation suite
  • Requires source comments such as KDoc or Javadoc for API content
  • Its workflow centers on Kotlin, Java, and listed Markdown inputs
  • Focused on Rust rather than multi-language documentation
  • Produces HTML with associated CSS and JavaScript
  • Command-line workflow may not suit hosted documentation teams
Our verdict

Dokka is an open-source API documentation engine from JetBrains for developers and library teams working with Kotlin, Java, Android, and multiplatform projects. It reads Kotlin KDoc and Java Javadoc comments, making it suitable for…

Read the review →

rustdoc is a free, open-source command-line documentation generator distributed with the standard Rust distribution. It is designed for Rust developers documenting libraries and applications, with support for Rust crate roots and…

Read the review →
  1. DokkaDocumentation Generators 8.7Open source
  2. rustdocDocumentation Generators 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Dokka — where it wins

    • Supports Kotlin KDoc and Java Javadoc in mixed-language projects
    • Outputs HTML, Javadoc HTML, GFM, and Jekyll-compatible Markdown
    • Runs with Gradle, Maven, CLI, and supports versioned documentation

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on API documentation rather than a broader documentation suite
    • Requires source comments such as KDoc or Javadoc for API content
    • Its workflow centers on Kotlin, Java, and listed Markdown inputs

  • rustdoc — where it wins

    • Generates browsable HTML API documentation from Rust crate roots
    • Runs documentation tests from code examples
    • Integrates with Cargo for project documentation builds

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on Rust rather than multi-language documentation
    • Produces HTML with associated CSS and JavaScript
    • Command-line workflow may not suit hosted documentation teams

More comparisons

All documentation generators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update