AnatomyOf vs MDN Web Docs in 2026

Q: Can AnatomyOf run on your own computer?

There is nothing to install to use AnatomyOf on its site . To run it locally, the sources give the commands bun install and then bun run dev . Each entry has its own shareable address , and the site works on phones, where you tap to pin a note .

AnatomyOf and MDN Web Docs compared on what each covers, what each costs, how each is set up and what to check before choosing.

By SayDeploy · 2026-10-26

SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

AnatomyOf shows example code with color-coded notes linked to the exact lines they explain ^[1]. MDN Web Docs offers web development tools, including a border-radius generator and a box-shadow generator ^[2]. Which one fits depends on whether you want to read through how an example works, or use one of MDN's tools.

Option	What it covers	Price	Account	Install
AnatomyOf	Example source files with color-coded notes linked to the exact lines they explain ^[1]	Free ^[1]	No account required ^[1]	Nothing to install; to run it locally, use bun install and bun run dev ^[1]
MDN Web Docs	An MCP server that brings documentation and browser compatibility data into an editor ^[2]. Web development tools, including a border-radius generator and a box-shadow generator ^[2]	not published	not published	not published

The short answer

AnatomyOf is for reading example code, with notes that explain the exact lines they point to ^[1]. Its sources say it meets the need to compare a minimal and a verbose version of an example for each language ^[1].

MDN Web Docs has a set of web development tools ^[2], and an MCP server that brings its documentation into an editor for AI coding agents ^[2]. Its sources point to web style tools and documentation inside a code editor as its uses ^[2].

What MDN Web Docs is built for

The sources available for MDN Web Docs are limited, so this section says only what they state.

Its MCP server brings MDN's documentation and browser compatibility data directly into the editor or IDE, which is the software a developer writes code in, for use by AI language models and coding agents ^[2].

Its content is available in several languages, including German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese ^[3].

Beyond these points, the sources given here do not describe what its pages teach or cover, so check the site itself for that.

What AnatomyOf is built for

AnatomyOf is made by the team that publishes this site.

It shows an example source file with color-coded notes linked to the exact lines they explain ^[1]. Hovering a note highlights its code, and clicking it opens a longer writeup with a Learn more link ^[1]. Each language has a minimal and a verbose example, and switching between them animates only the lines that change ^[1].

The same annotated format extends to non-code concepts such as an email and a CI pipeline ^[1]. Some entries have a third Visual tab with diagrams generated from data and linked to the same annotations ^[1].

The language list is sorted by TIOBE Index rank, can be switched to A-Z, and has instant search ^[1]. It highlights code with Shiki, the engine VS Code uses ^[1]. It has light and dark themes and works on phones, where you tap to pin a note ^[1]. A developer who wants to add a language can do it by writing one TypeScript file, a typed form of JavaScript, that describes it ^[1].

Pricing and fees

AnatomyOf is free, with no account required and nothing to pay ^[1].

The sources available for MDN Web Docs do not state any price or fee, so none is published on this page.

If price matters to your decision, check each site's current terms before you choose.

Setting it up and daily use

There is nothing to install to use AnatomyOf on its site ^[1]. To run it on your own computer, the sources give two commands, bun install and then bun run dev, which use Bun ^[1].

Day to day, you pick a language from the sorted list, or search for one instantly ^[1]. You can then switch between the minimal and verbose examples to see what changes ^[1]. Each entry has its own shareable address, so you can send someone straight to it ^[1].

MDN's MCP server is described for editors and IDEs, but the sources here do not give the steps to connect it, so check MDN's own pages before you start ^[2]. Beyond that, the sources given here say nothing about how MDN Web Docs is used day to day.

Things to check before you choose

Ask whether you need a close reading of one example or a lookup for a specific web feature. AnatomyOf's sources describe the first ^[1], and MDN's sources describe documentation brought into an editor ^[2].

Check which languages you need. The language list in AnatomyOf can be sorted and searched ^[1], and the sources given for MDN list several human languages for its content ^[3]. The sources given here do not state which coding languages either site includes, so check each site for that.

Check data collection. AnatomyOf sends one anonymous visit ping per browser session on page load, and its README says it collects anonymous usage statistics ^[1]. The sources given here do not describe data collection for MDN Web Docs, so check its own terms before you decide.

Check the devices you will use. AnatomyOf runs in any reasonably current desktop or mobile browser ^[1]. The sources here say nothing about MDN's device support, so check that on MDN's own pages.

How to choose

If you want to read example code with notes linked to each line, AnatomyOf's sources describe that ^[1]. If you want to compare a minimal and a verbose example in one language, that is described too ^[1].

If you want web style tools, such as a border-radius generator or a box-shadow generator, MDN's sources list them ^[2]. If you want MDN's documentation inside your editor for an AI coding agent, its MCP server is described for that ^[2].

If you want a tool that is free and needs no account, AnatomyOf's claims say it is free with no account required ^[1]. The sources for MDN do not state a price, so no price is given here for it.

Frequently asked questions

Is MDN Web Docs free to use?

The sources available here for MDN Web Docs do not state a price or fee, so none is published on this page. They do describe an MCP server that brings its documentation and browser compatibility data into an editor for AI coding agents ^[2]. They also list web development tools, including a border-radius generator and a box-shadow generator ^[2]. Check the site for any terms of use before relying on it.

Is AnatomyOf free and open source?

AnatomyOf is free, with no account required and nothing to pay ^[1]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[1]. It runs in any reasonably current desktop or mobile browser ^[1], so there is nothing to install before you use the site ^[1].

Can AnatomyOf run on your own computer?

There is nothing to install to use AnatomyOf on its site ^[1]. To run it locally, the sources give the commands bun install and then bun run dev ^[1]. Each entry has its own shareable address ^[1], and the site works on phones, where you tap to pin a note ^[1].

Does AnatomyOf collect data about visitors?

AnatomyOf sends one anonymous visit ping per browser session on page load ^[1]. Its README says it collects anonymous usage statistics ^[1]. The sources given here do not describe data collection for MDN Web Docs, so check that site's own terms before you decide which tool to use.

Can AnatomyOf show examples in many programming languages?

Each language in AnatomyOf has a minimal and a verbose example, and switching between them animates only the lines that change ^[1]. The language list is sorted by TIOBE Index rank, can be switched to A-Z, and has instant search ^[1]. The sources given here do not name all of the languages included, so check the list on the site itself.

AnatomyOf is free, with no account and no paid tier. ^[1]

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