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GitHub Pages vs MkDocs

Based on 31 and 1 real audits

View GitHub Pages details | View MkDocs details
MetricGitHub PagesMkDocsWinner
Performance7680MkDocs
Accessibility8993MkDocs
Best Practices9596MkDocs
SEO96100MkDocs
Security6556GitHub Pages
TTFB180ms166msMkDocs
Composite7876GitHub Pages
Performance
GitHub Pages
76
MkDocs
80
Accessibility
GitHub Pages
89
MkDocs
93
Security
GitHub Pages
65
MkDocs
56
SEO
GitHub Pages
96
MkDocs
100
Composite
GitHub Pages
78
MkDocs
76

MkDocs outperforms GitHub Pages in 5 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (76 vs 78). GitHub Pages leads in security, composite score.

When to choose GitHub Pages

Choose GitHub Pages when your primary concern is security. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose MkDocs

Choose MkDocs when your primary concern is server response time and performance. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 31 audited GitHub Pages sites and 1 audited MkDocs sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

Small sample: one or both technologies have fewer than 10 audited sites. Treat these numbers as directional — medians stabilize around 20–30 audits per side.

FAQ

Which is faster, GitHub Pages or MkDocs?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, MkDocs sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (80 vs 76 on average).
Which has better security, GitHub Pages or MkDocs?
GitHub Pages sites score higher on security analysis (65 vs 56 on average).
Which has better accessibility, GitHub Pages or MkDocs?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor MkDocs (93 vs 89). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, GitHub Pages or MkDocs?
MkDocs sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (100 vs 96 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), GitHub Pages or MkDocs?
MkDocs sites show lower Time to First Byte (166 ms vs 180 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose GitHub Pages or MkDocs for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. MkDocs scores higher on overall composite score while GitHub Pages may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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