MkDocs vs. Leed
MkDocs is a mature, fast Python static site generator, and Material for MkDocs — the dominant theme, covered here too — layers on excellent navigation, instant search, and one of the best reading experiences in open source. It's genuinely great, and free. But it's also a build pipeline: you write Markdown, you run the build, and you own the hosting, deploys, analytics, and everything past the static site. Leed gives you a free managed docs platform instead — no CI to wire up, no server to run — and then adds analytics, access control, and a full growth engine that a static site can't reach.
You want a free, open-source Python generator you fully control and your team has the engineering time to host, deploy, and maintain it — via CI, GitHub Pages, or Read the Docs — plus wire up any plugins you need.
You want a free managed platform, not a build pipeline — hosting, reader analytics, release notes, and lead capture already built in, with unlimited users and nothing to run yourself.
Where the platforms diverge.
The growth engine MkDocs leaves to plugins.
A managed platform, not a build pipeline
MkDocs and Material output a static site — you own the build, the CI, the hosting, and every deploy, whether that's GitHub Pages, Read the Docs, or your own infrastructure. Leed is hosted and managed end to end, with nothing to provision or maintain, and free to start with unlimited users.
Analytics, access control, and lead-gen included — not a plugin each
MkDocs ships none of these natively; the plugin ecosystem is huge, but reader analytics means a Google Analytics plugin, and access control or lead capture means custom work your team builds and keeps running. Leed includes reader-level analytics, access control, and native lead capture out of the box.
Docs that capture pipeline
A static site ends at the reader — it renders the page and the visit is gone. Leed adds native lead capture, a closed per-reader funnel, and nurturing, turning engaged readers into identified, tracked pipeline. Capture is free; you pay only when you're ready to act on it — never per seat, never on raw traffic.
Start free. See what your docs are worth.
Bring your existing docs — unlimited users, your own domain, no card. Capture leads free; pay only when you're ready to email and nurture them.