Redoc is a solid open source tool for rendering API docs from an OpenAPI definition. It’s fast to get started, comes with a convenient CLI, and delivers a clean UI out of the box. It’s a great option when you just need a static reference and don’t mind managing the hosting and integration yourself.
Bump.sh builds on that same simplicity, but goes much further. We offer everything you’d expect from a modern CLI-driven workflow, and then add the layers that teams need as their API surface grows: support for multiple APIs through catalogs, automated breaking change detection, versioning, changelogs, and seamless deployment. All of it designed to slot cleanly into your existing CI/CD pipeline.
It’s also worth noting that Redoc is the open source base for Redocly, the commercial, hosted version with added features and integrations. In contrast, Bump.sh was designed from the start as a hosted service. That means no open core split or feature gating between tools. Just a fully supported, performance-driven platform purpose-built for teams who want to treat API documentation as a first-class product.
You’re not just getting a rendering engine. You’re getting a full documentation workflow, shaped by our experience helping teams of all sizes publish fast, reliable, and developer-friendly API docs.
Top 3 reasons to choose Bump.sh over Redoc
Batteries included
Bump.sh isn’t just a renderer. It’s built for modern API workflows.
We plug right into your Git-based process, generate changelogs automatically, detect breaking changes in CI, and help your team turn OpenAPI definition files updates into publish-ready release notes. All of that happens behind the scenes, without changing how your team works.
Need to manage more than one API? We’ve got that too. Bump.sh can consolidate multiple definitions into a single, searchable API catalog with a unified changelog across versions and specs. Your consumers get one clear place to explore everything you offer.
API docs are more than a listing of endpoints. An while your can always get your hands in the code to bend how Redoc is built and publish additional contextual information, this is all native in Bump.sh. Dedicated sections in the API reference, Markdown support (with external references), mermaid support. What you truly need, natively integrated, without requiring you to dedicate additional development time.
Performance is a core part of the product. Bump.sh parses specs server-side, so your docs load fast, scale smoothly, and stay SEO-friendly. Whether you’re documenting a single service or an entire platform, we handle deep nesting, large definitions, and multiple versions without flinching.
Highly integrated, ready for complex needs
With Redoc, customizing your docs usually means dealing with YAML overrides or hand-tuning HTML, CSS, or JS.
Bump.sh skips all that. Once it’s set up, your team just maintains API definitions and content. No front-end work required, no custom deployment logic to own. Everything is handled, from previews to production publishing, so your team can focus on shipping.
We’re focused on doing one thing really well: publishing stunning, reliable, versioned API reference docs. Not a docs CMS. Not a markdown site generator. Just the best OpenAPI (and AsyncAPI) publishing experience you’ll find. And one that fits cleanly into your stack. We’re here to make your API contracts something that your users can rely on for optimal API adoption.
We’re also not a faceless platform. We care about how your team works, and we’ve helped companies of all sizes build great documentation workflows. You’ll always get fast, thoughtful support from real humans, active members of the team behind your documentation tool, who genuinely care about helping you create the best possible documentation experience.
Modern UI and UX
Back in 2015, Redoc helped redefine what good API docs could look like. Bump.sh takes that idea and pushes it forward, with up-to-speed standards in UI design.
We give your users a polished, responsive, single-page interface built for exploration. You can share-and-highlight a deep link to a specific section of the docs, to help someone understand precisely what API object or operation you are taling about. In the same vein, share a pre-filled API request in the API Explorer and hereby a reproducer: super helpful in API guides, or as a support team who wants to give precise pointers to a user they help onboard. Everything is interactive, easy to navigate, and designed to make finding the right info fast.
We auto-generate examples from your definition, support multiple languages out of the box, and keep the layout clean and easy to navigate. Even when your API includes deeply nested properties or complex structures. The experience stays consistent no matter how big or detailed your definition gets. It’s not just functional, it’s enjoyable; something your users will notice the moment they land on the page.
And we don’t stand still. We’re always refining the experience based on user feedback and what we see across the API space. We believe great docs don’t just explain your API: they reflect the quality of the product behind it. We were one of the first two vendors to support OpenAPI Overlays, super useful to further tweak what API info to publish, when and to what audience.