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The open-source GitBook alternative that documents itself
Last updated June 30, 2026
GitBook is polished for public product docs, but it is proprietary SaaS you cannot self-host, priced per published site, and its Git Sync only mirrors markdown you already wrote. tela is the switch for internal team knowledge you own — markdown-native, self-hostable, and generated from your actual source.
tela vs GitBook, at a glance
| Feature | tela | GitBook |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (AGPL-3.0) | Proprietary SaaS |
| Self-hostable | Yes — self-host free, plus a free cloud tier | No — cloud only |
| Ask your docs (AI) | Built in — semantic + full-text, answers with citations | AI on its top tier |
| Agents read & write (MCP) | Built in — agents read & write (39 scoped tools) | MCP, but read-only (published docs) |
| Generate docs from your code | Yes — Atlas builds a cited, coverage-checked wiki from git + Jira | No — Git Sync mirrors existing markdown |
Why teams switch to tela
- Atlas writes the first draft from your code; GitBook's Git Sync only mirrors markdown you authored by hand.
- Agents are full citizens — GitBook's MCP is read-only and exposes only published docs; tela's agents search and write your live wiki.
- Self-host under AGPL and keep portable markdown, instead of renting per published site.
When GitBook is the better choice
If your job is beautiful public-facing developer documentation — versioned API references, multi-version docs for an open-source library, a branded docs site — GitBook is excellent and hard to beat. tela is a team wiki, not a public docs-publishing platform.
Try tela
tela is an open-source (AGPL), self-hostable team wiki. Self-host it, or start on the free cloud tier at telawiki.com. See the MCP server docs for connecting your agents, or compare tela with other tools.
GitBook pricing + published-docs MCP (verified 2026). tela facts current as of June 2026.