Jekyll Theme Comparison: Minima vs Just the Docs
When setting up the Aditi documentation site on GitHub Pages, I experimented with two different Jekyll themes. Here’s a visual comparison and analysis of both options.
Minima Theme (Default)
Minima is Jekyll’s default theme and what you get out of the box with GitHub Pages. As shown in the screenshot from 8:33 AM, it provides:
Pros:
- Clean, minimalist blog-style layout
- Simple navigation with header links
- Good for personal blogs or simple project sites
- Zero configuration required
- Mobile-friendly responsive design
Cons:
- Limited functionality for technical documentation
- No built-in search capability
- Basic navigation structure
- Less suitable for projects with extensive documentation
Just the Docs Theme
After switching to Just the Docs at 8:38 AM, the transformation was significant:
Pros:
- Professional documentation-focused design
- Powerful built-in search functionality
- Hierarchical navigation sidebar
- Better code syntax highlighting
- Table of contents for long pages
- Optimized for technical documentation
Cons:
- Requires additional configuration
- More complex setup than Minima
- Potentially overwhelming for simple blogs
The Verdict
For the Aditi project—a technical tool for AsciiDoc to DITA migration—Just the Docs is the clear winner. The theme transformation took only 5 minutes but dramatically improved the site’s professional appearance and functionality.
The built-in search alone makes Just the Docs invaluable for technical documentation. Users can quickly find specific rules, configuration options, or implementation details without scrolling through pages.
While Minima works well for blogs and simple sites, projects with technical documentation benefit from Just the Docs’ purpose-built features. The visual comparison shows how the same content can be presented in vastly different ways depending on your audience and goals.
Bottom line: Choose your Jekyll theme based on your content type. For technical documentation, Just the Docs provides a superior user experience.