Ferndesk and Ellie Docs share the same core idea: read your codebase, draft the help centre, and keep it current as pull requests merge. The differences are what else comes out of the same repo, and the price. Here's where each one is the better fit.
Both draft your help centre from code and keep it current. Ellie Docs also writes your changelog and API reference, from $39.
No card · Sign up with Google, Microsoft, GitHub or email
you want the changelog drafted from the same merged PRs as your help articles, you need an API reference even without an OpenAPI spec, or you'd like a free plan and a $39 starting price with no limit on editors.
you need a private help centre with SSO or magic-link sign-in for readers, you want support tickets from Intercom, Zendesk or Help Scout feeding the gap reports, or you publish in up to five languages. Ferndesk includes all three in its Pro plan.
Ferndesk details from ferndesk.com, checked 1 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Both products read your codebase, draft articles for you, screen merged pull requests for changes that affect the docs, re-take screenshots when your UI changes, and can be driven over MCP. Both put changes in front of you for review before anything goes live. If that core is all you need, the fairest test is to connect the same repo to each and compare the drafts.
Ferndesk reads your existing changelogs as a source for articles, but its pricing page doesn't list a changelog your customers read. Ellie Docs drafts one from your merged PRs: related commits grouped into one entry, internal noise filtered out, unreleased work held back, and each entry linked to the help article it affects. It publishes as a public page, an RSS/JSON feed and an in-app widget.
Ferndesk can draft articles about your API endpoints from the codebase, but its pricing page doesn't list a dedicated API reference. On Growth and above, Ellie Docs publishes one: from your OpenAPI spec, or derived from your code if you don't have a spec.
Ferndesk has one self-serve plan, Pro, at $149 a month or $124 a month billed annually, with 5 seats. Companies under $1M ARR with fewer than 10 people can get $75 a month for the first year. There's a 7-day trial and no free plan. Ellie Docs has a free plan, Starter at $39 a month billed annually, and no seat fees at any tier.
Like for like: help centre on your own domain, no vendor badge, AI answers and updates on every merged PR. Billed annually.
Your own domain, no badge, 500 AI answers a month, updates on every merged PR, changelog with in-app widget, unlimited editors.
Everything in Starter, plus 3 projects, the API reference and 2,000 AI answers a month.
$1,490 a year. 1,000 AI conversations a month, 5 seats, 5 languages, private help centres and white label. $75 a month for year one if you're under $1M ARR.
Ferndesk's list price is $149 a month billed monthly; Ellie Docs Starter is $49 a month billed monthly.
Point Ellie Docs at your published Ferndesk help centre during setup. Every article comes across as a draft, next to the ones Ellie drafts from your code, so you can keep, improve or replace each one.
The core overlaps: both draft from code, screen merged PRs and re-take screenshots. Ellie Docs adds a changelog drafted from the same PRs and an API reference without a spec, and has a free plan. Ferndesk includes private help centres, support-tool integrations and translations in its Pro plan.
No. Ferndesk offers a 7-day trial with no card, then Pro at $149 a month ($124 billed annually). Ellie Docs has a free plan, and every paid plan starts with a 14-day Growth trial, no card.
No. Ellie drafts and flags; nothing goes live until you approve it. That applies to help articles, changelog entries and anything you ask for from Claude or Cursor.
Connect a repo and read the first draft of your help centre. Free plan, no card.
Start free