Technical writing in 2025 isn’t something you can treat as an afterthought anymore. Over the last few years, I’ve watched docs go from “nice to have” to a major part of how teams onboard users, support developers, and even ship product updates. And honestly, the pressure has only increased.
I’ve had to rethink the way I work. Developers expect answers instantly. Products ship updates faster than ever. APIs change without warning. And documentation if it’s not well-structured and well-maintained becomes the bottleneck for everyone.
This article isn’t a list of popular tools. I’m not interested in trend-chasing or giving you ten random apps you’ll never use. Instead, I want to walk you through the stack that has actually held up for me and for other writers I’ve worked with. These are tools that make writing smoother, keep docs accurate, and help teams adapt without everything falling apart.
1. Documentation Platforms That Don’t Break When You Grow
DeveloperHub
If you need structured, developer-facing documentation without wrestling with config files, DeveloperHub gets out of the way and lets you write. It handles navigation, versioning, AI search and reusable components cleanly, which is why a lot of teams end up choosing it once their docs stop being “small.”
Why teams switch to DeveloperHub once their docs stop being “cute and small”:
- No config hell. No endless YAML acrobatics, no build failures because you forgot a comma.
- Navigation built for grown-up docs. Once you go beyond a handful of pages, bad TOC structure becomes pain. DeveloperHub keeps it clean.
- Real versioning. Not “fake branches.” Actual production-ready version control for complex products.
- AI search that doesn’t embarrass you. Users actually find what they need without you manually tuning search indexes every week.
Apidog
Whenever I’m documenting anything API-related, Apidog saves me time a lot of time. Instead of manually fixing broken examples or outdated parameters, Apidog just pulls from your OpenAPI/Swagger file. Your docs stay tied to real schema changes, and you’re not constantly “catching up” to engineering. If your product revolves around APIs, this tool honestly feels like cheating in the best way.
GitBook
GitBook is simple and clean, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. I like it for early-stage products or teams with lighter documentation. You’ll eventually hit limits if your structure gets more complex, but if simplicity is your priority, it’s a solid choice.
Docusaurus
If your team prefers everything inside Git Markdown, versioning, PR reviews, CI/CD Docusaurus is still one of the most dependable options. It does require setup and a bit of discipline, but when it’s configured properly, it’s incredibly powerful. I tend to recommend it for engineering-heavy teams that already live in GitHub.
2. Authoring Tools That Make Writing Less Painful
VS Code + Markdown
When I’m working in a docs-as-code environment, nothing beats this combo. Clean diffs, predictable formatting, and extensions that actually help instead of getting in the way. It’s not fancy, but it’s reliable.
Obsidian
For early drafts, planning, and personal notes, Obsidian has become my default workspace. The linking system makes it easy to map large topics before formalizing them. Half of my documentation ideas start here before they ever make it into a platform.
3. Tools That Make Docs Easier to Understand
Search: Algolia or Meilisearch
Good search changes everything. Most users don’t navigate your sidebar they search. If that search is bad, your entire documentation experience suffers. I’ve seen teams switch to Algolia or Meilisearch and immediately see fewer support questions.
Mermaid & Excalidraw
I got tired of outdated diagrams years ago. Mermaid lets me keep diagrams text-based, versioned, and easy to update. Excalidraw handles the quick sketches or conceptual visuals that need to feel more human.
OpenAPI / JSON Schema
If your docs involve APIs, using schemas is non-negotiable. It keeps things consistent and prevents the classic “the docs say one thing, the API does another” problem.
4. Workflow Tools That Keep Everything Moving
Linear or Jira
I treat documentation as real work meaning it deserves its own backlog. The moment I started tracking docs in a proper ticketing system, the quality and predictability of updates improved dramatically.
Slack + GitHub Integration
If your docs team isn’t wired into GitHub through Slack, you’re basically choosing to be blind. Changes to the product should never sneak up on writers. Ever.
Pull requests, merged updates, feature flags going live those things need to hit your Slack instantly. When the alerts flow straight into a channel the docs team actually watches, you see trouble before it turns into a fire.
A PM tweaks an API? You know.A developer merges a breaking UI change at 11 p.m.? You know.A feature ships without telling anyone? Not with this setup.
This pipeline keeps writers reacting early, not scrambling after the damage is already done.
CI/CD for Docs
Manual publishing is where most documentation problems start. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen teams ship a feature and forget to update the docs simply because the publishing step depended on someone remembering to click a button.
Automated pipelines remove that entire layer of risk. When docs are wired into CI/CD, they build and deploy the same way the product does: consistently, predictably, and without anyone babysitting the process. Every merged PR triggers an update. Every version release builds a matching documentation version. And if something breaks a missing file, a bad link, an outdated reference the pipeline catches it before users ever see it.
5. AI as a Support Tool (Not the Writer)
I use AI the same way I’d use a junior assistant: to summarize PRs, draft example snippets, or help brainstorm structure. But the final decisions accuracy, clarity, tone, narrative still need a human. AI is helpful, but it’s not the writer.
Picking the Right Stack (Short Version)
If you’re solo or a small team:
- Apidog (if you handle APIs)
- Obsidian
- Docusaurus
If you’re scaling fast:
- DeveloperHub
- OpenAPI
- Algolia
- GitHub + CI/CD
If you want simplicity that still works:
- DeveloperHub or GitBook
- VS Code
- Mermaid
Final Thoughts
The right tools make documentation feel lighter, not heavier. Over the years, I’ve learned that a good stack doesn’t just help writers; it helps entire teams move faster. When your docs are clear, accurate, and easy to update, everything else becomes simpler.
2025 isn’t about using every shiny new tool out there. It’s about finding the combination that lets you write clearly, keep up with product changes, and help developers get the answers they need without friction. And honestly, once you settle into a stack that actually works for your workflows not someone else’s the entire documentation process stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like part of the product itself.
I’ve seen teams where the docs become the source of truth, not the afterthought. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when your tools support the way you think, the way you write, and the speed at which your product evolves. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: when your documentation stack is solid, everything downstream gets easier onboarding, support, product adoption, even internal communication.
Top comments (4)
That's very solid!!
haven't heard of developerhub before. Seems interested will check it out.
Love how you kept this practical. Most ‘technical writing stack’ posts feel theoretical this one actually reflects what people use day to day.
Have you tried pairing DeveloperHub with an internal CMS or do you keep everything in one place?