Paperless-ngx
Paperless-ngx shipped seven releases in October, two of them for security
Comparison · Collab
BookStack vs Read the Docs
A side-by-side editorial comparison of BookStack and Read the Docs — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:security
BookStack vs Read the Docs: at a glance
What is BookStack?
BookStack's first feature release since May requires an APP_KEY and needed two quick patches
After four months of security patches on the 26.05 line, BookStack shipped v26.09 in late September: an interface layout system with theme support, API search within a book or chapter, a page scroll indicator, changelog messages on page API writes, and password changes that require the current password. It also stopped falling back to a default APP_KEY. Two patches followed within a month, one checking ZIP imports' real uncompressed size and one fixing comment and attachment exposure around the recycle bin and drafts.
What is Read the Docs?
Read the Docs moves builds to Python 3.14 and Ubuntu 26.04 by default.
Read the Docs ships a dated release most weeks. October's notable changes: the default build image moved to Python 3.14 and Ubuntu 26.04, git:// URLs are no longer allowed, search scores pages by their best-matching section, and certifi was upgraded to distrust the compromised eMudhra CAs. Earlier October work added temporary environment variables in build commands, a size cap on build media, and the GitHub App as the default on Community.
BookStack vs Read the Docs: editorial side-by-side
BookStack
2.5COLLAB
BookStack's first feature release since May requires an APP_KEY and needed two quick patches
◆ Current state
After four months of security patches on the 26.05 line, BookStack shipped v26.09 in late September: an interface layout system with theme support, API search within a book or chapter, a page scroll indicator, changelog messages on page API writes, and password changes that require the current password. It also stopped falling back to a default APP_KEY. Two patches followed within a month, one checking ZIP imports' real uncompressed size and one fixing comment and attachment exposure around the recycle bin and drafts.
◆ Where it's heading
Security hardening keeps setting the cadence even after a feature release, with researcher reports credited in most patches. The new layout system opens the UI to customization through the theme system.
◆ Prediction
Further 26.09.x security releases are likely given the steady run of researcher reports; the entries give no date for the next feature release.
Read the Docs
5.0COLLAB
Read the Docs moves builds to Python 3.14 and Ubuntu 26.04 by default.
◆ Current state
Read the Docs ships a dated release most weeks. October's notable changes: the default build image moved to Python 3.14 and Ubuntu 26.04, git:// URLs are no longer allowed, search scores pages by their best-matching section, and certifi was upgraded to distrust the compromised eMudhra CAs. Earlier October work added temporary environment variables in build commands, a size cap on build media, and the GitHub App as the default on Community.
◆ Where it's heading
Two threads run through the releases: a direct upload path for docs built elsewhere, which has had design docs, workflows and onboarding in September and October, and steady hardening of the build platform. Most entries are still lists of merged PRs with dependency bumps.
◆ Prediction
Expect direct upload to move toward general availability and more GitHub App defaults replacing the OAuth app.
Alternatives to BookStack and Read the Docs
Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either BookStack or Read the Docs.
Slack
Slack lets companies manage Slackbot skills from code and CI, not only by hand
Komga
Komga's NextUI beta keeps gaining features while the old UI gets only translations.
Capacities
Capacities adds whiteboards and a global graph to its object-based notes.
Guru
Guru's Knowledge Agents get the plumbing that makes their answers checkable and safe.
EGroupware
EGroupware retires 23.1 and keeps shipping security fixes every week or two.
See all BookStack alternatives → · See all Read the Docs alternatives →
Recent activity from BookStack and Read the Docs
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 5d agoRead the DocsRedirect form tweaks and slug-change notices
- 12d agoRead the DocsDefaults move to Python 3.14 and Ubuntu 26.04
- 13d agoBookStackBookStack 26.09.2 closes recycle-bin and draft attachment leaks
- 20d agoRead the DocsNo commit status on closed PR previews
- 20d agoRead the DocsRelease branch merge, no listed changes
- 20d agoRead the DocsRelease branch merge, no listed changes
- 26d agoRead the DocsTemporary build env vars and the GitHub App by default
- 1mo agoBookStackBookStack 26.09.1 checks real ZIP size and fixes chapter permissions
- 1mo agoBookStackBookStack 26.09 adds a UI layout system and scoped search API
- 1mo agoBookStackBookStack 26.05.5 fixes social login account mismatches
- 2mo agoBookStackSecurity release closes a ZIP-import RCE and permission bypasses
- 3mo agoBookStackSecurity release fixes five issues including auth matching
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BookStack and Read the Docs?
Both compete on the same themes — security — within Collab. Read the Docs is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is BookStack better than Read the Docs?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Read the Docs is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to BookStack?
Top BookStack alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "BookStack alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/bookstack for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Read the Docs?
Top Read the Docs alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Read the Docs alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/read-the-docs for the full list with editorial commentary on each.