Key takeaway: The only good reason to be on VuePress now is that you already are and the site works. It still builds and still receives maintenance, but the Vue team's attention moved to VitePress and the plugin authors followed. Every new documentation project in the Vue world should start on VitePress instead.
Quick facts
- LanguageJavaScript
- CategoryVue-based
- LicenseMIT
- Created2018
- GitHub stars22.7k
- Statusdeclining
Templating: Vue SFC Markdown
What it is
VuePress is the original Vue-based docs SSG. Still maintained but VitePress is the recommended successor. Existing VuePress sites can stay; new ones should use VitePress.
Best for
- Existing VuePress sites that are stable
When not to pick it
For new projects in 2026, pick VitePress. VuePress is in maintenance mode.
My take
Use VitePress unless you have a specific reason to be on VuePress.
What VuePress got right, and where it stalled
VuePress established the pattern VitePress later kept: Markdown files compiled into Vue components, a documentation theme with a configured sidebar, and an escape hatch into full Vue when a page needs real interactivity. Its plugin ecosystem is broader than its successor's, which is the one genuine argument for staying put, since some older sites depend on plugins for search behaviour, offline support, or internationalisation handling that have no direct equivalent. The problem is underneath. The original build ran on webpack, and the gap in cold-start and hot-reload time against a Vite-based tool is not subtle once a site passes a few hundred pages. A later release added a Vite bundler option, but by then the community had already moved, and the gravity of documentation, examples, and third-party themes moved with it.
Migrating to VitePress, honestly
The content usually moves easily, because both tools use Markdown with front matter and share the same broad idea of a configured sidebar. What does not move is everything around it: VuePress plugins have no equivalent, custom themes must be rewritten against a different theme API, and any Vue components embedded in pages need checking against the current Vue version. For a straightforward documentation site of a few dozen pages that is an afternoon of work. For a heavily customised site with a bespoke theme and a stack of plugins, it is a project, and the sensible time to do it is when you next redesign rather than as a standalone migration nobody asked for. Leaving a working VuePress site alone is defensible; starting a new one is not.
Frequently asked questions
Is VuePress dead?
No, but it is superseded. The project still receives maintenance and existing sites keep building, so there is no cliff edge coming. What has gone is momentum: new themes, plugins, examples, and community answers are being produced for VitePress instead. Treat VuePress as a stable place to sit rather than a platform to build something new on.
Should I migrate from VuePress to VitePress?
Eventually, yes, but not as an isolated task. Content converts easily since both use Markdown with front matter; themes and plugins do not, and a heavily customised site is a real project rather than an afternoon. The right moment is your next redesign or major documentation restructure, when you are touching the templates anyway and the rewrite costs you less.
What is the difference between VuePress and VitePress?
VitePress is the lighter successor: Vite instead of webpack for a much faster dev loop, a leaner default theme, built-in local search, and less shipped JavaScript. VuePress has the broader plugin ecosystem, inherited from being first. Both compile Markdown into Vue components and configure a sidebar the same way, so the concepts transfer directly between them.
Links
Similar tools you should also consider
If VuePress is your pick, the next conversation is short
The 30-min call is where your project gets a real architecture, an SEO transport plan, and a price range you can take to your team. Describe your site, your timeline, your existing content. I tell you whether VuePress is genuinely the right call for you, and what the build actually looks like.