Fumadocs vs tRPC
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A React and Astro framework for building documentation websites.
Open source · MIT
A TypeScript library for building APIs whose types are shared between server and client, with no code generati
The short answer
Choose Fumadocs if you need…
- React developers who want to build a documentation site
- Teams already using Next.js or Astro who want docs in the same stack
- Developers who want a customizable docs framework rather than a hosted service
Choose tRPC if you need…
- TypeScript teams building a web app where the frontend and backend are both written in TypeScript
- Developers adding typed APIs to an existing project (the README calls it easy to add to brownfield projects)
- Next.js or React developers who want typed calls between client and server
- Projects that want to avoid maintaining schemas or a code generation step
Side-by-side
| Fumadocs | tRPC | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 13.5k | 40.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Fumadocs
Fumadocs is an open-source framework for building documentation websites with React.js frameworks and Astro. It is meant to be used as a toolkit inside a developer's own project rather than as a finished, ready-made site. The README lists Next.js, Astro with React, and several Vite-based options (TanStack Start, Waku, React Router) as officially supported.
tRPC
tRPC lets you build and call APIs in TypeScript where the client gets full type checking and autocompletion from the server's code, without writing separate schemas or generating code. The README says the client imports only type declarations from the server, not the server code itself. It includes adapters for React, Next.js, Express and Fastify, and says it is not tied to React.
Best for
Fumadocs
- React developers who want to build a documentation site
- Teams already using Next.js or Astro who want docs in the same stack
- Developers who want a customizable docs framework rather than a hosted service
tRPC
- TypeScript teams building a web app where the frontend and backend are both written in TypeScript
- Developers adding typed APIs to an existing project (the README calls it easy to add to brownfield projects)
- Next.js or React developers who want typed calls between client and server
- Projects that want to avoid maintaining schemas or a code generation step
Strengths
Fumadocs
- Supports several popular React frameworks and Astro according to the README
- Documentation is available on the project's homepage at fumadocs.dev
- Released under the permissive MIT license
tRPC
- No code generation or build pipeline, according to the README
- The README states zero dependencies and a small client-side footprint
- Full static type safety for inputs, outputs and errors on the client
Not ideal for
Fumadocs
- People who want a no-code documentation tool, since it requires writing React code
- Projects on frameworks not listed as officially supported, since the README only names the supported ones
- Users who need CommonJS-only environments, because the README says all packages are ESM only
tRPC
- Teams whose clients are not TypeScript, since the main benefit is shared TypeScript types (the README does not describe other-language clients)
- Projects that need a language-neutral public API for third parties, where a standard like OpenAPI is usually expected (the README does not discuss this)
Trade-offs
Fumadocs
- All packages are ESM only, which may cause friction with older tooling
- Requires familiarity with React and a JavaScript framework to use
- The README provided is truncated, so detailed setup and feature information was not available to verify
tRPC
- The README is focused on TypeScript; it does not describe use outside that ecosystem
- Relies on TypeScript type inference across the client and server, so both sides need to be in the same TypeScript project setup
- Documentation is hosted on an external site (trpc.io), and this README excerpt is truncated
Getting started
Fumadocs
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/fuma-nama/fumadocstRPC
Create a full-stack Next.js starter (npm)
npx create-next-app --example https://github.com/trpc/trpc --example-path examples/next-prisma-starter trpc-prisma-starterFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Fumadocs and tRPC?
Fumadocs: A React and Astro framework for building documentation websites. tRPC: A TypeScript library for building APIs whose types are shared between server and client, with no code generati. Fumadocs suits react developers who want to build a documentation site, while tRPC suits typescript teams building a web app where the frontend and backend are both written in typescript.
Are Fumadocs and tRPC free?
Fumadocs: Free and open source. tRPC: Free and open source.
Is Fumadocs or tRPC more popular?
tRPC has more GitHub stars (40.8k) than Fumadocs (13.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Fumadocs and tRPC?
Other options people compare them with include shadcn/ui, Magic UI, RedwoodGraphQL, CopilotKit, SWR.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.