--- {"title": "Cheatography vs QuickRef in 2026", "description": "Cheatography and QuickRef compared on what each offers developers, what each costs, and what to check before you pick a syntax reference.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/cheatography-vs-quickref/", "date": "2026-10-17"} --- Cheatography and QuickRef compared on what each offers developers, what each costs, and what to check before you pick a syntax reference. Cheatography and QuickRef compared on what each offers a developer, what each costs and what to check before you pick one for syntax references. Cheatography's page describes over 6,000 free cheat sheets and quick references [^1]. AnatomyOf explains example code with notes linked to the exact lines they cover [^2], and it is free [^2]. | Option | Free to use | How it is paid for | Account | Install | |---|---|---|---|---| | Cheatography | Over 6,000 free cheat sheets [^1] | Advertising revenue [^1] | Not published | Not published | | QuickRef | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | | AnatomyOf | Free [^2] | Not stated in its claims | No account needed [^2] | Nothing to install to use the site [^2] | ## The short answer Cheatography is a site that hosts over 6,000 free cheat sheets and quick references [^1]. It says it is supported by advertising revenue and asks visitors to disable ad blockers [^1]. AnatomyOf shows example code with notes linked to the exact lines they explain [^2]. QuickRef has few facts in the sources for this page, so this section says less about it and points to what to check instead. On needs, Cheatography's sources cover a free library of cheat sheets and quick references [^1]. AnatomyOf's claims cover annotated examples, with a short and a long version of each example [^2], and a language list that can be sorted and searched [^2]. ## What Cheatography and QuickRef are built for Cheatography's own page says it hosts over 6,000 free cheat sheets, revision aids and quick references [^1]. It says the resources it provides are possible only because of advertising revenue, and it asks visitors to disable ad blockers [^1]. The sources for this page give nothing else about what Cheatography is built for, so that is all this page can state. For QuickRef, the sources give no facts, so nothing can be said here about what it is built for. The questions in the last section are a fair way to check its own pages. ## 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 [^2]. Hovering a note highlights its code, and clicking it opens a longer write-up [^2]. Each language has a short and a long example, and switching between them animates only the lines that change [^2]. The same annotated format covers concepts that are not code, such as an email or an automated build pipeline [^2]. Some entries also have a diagram view, generated from data and linked to the same notes [^2]. The language list is sorted by TIOBE Index rank, can be switched to alphabetical order, and has instant search [^2]. The code is highlighted with Shiki, the engine VS Code uses [^2]. Entries have shareable addresses, so a single example can be linked to directly [^2]. It has light and dark themes and works on phones, where you tap to pin a note [^2]. A developer who forks the project adds a language by writing one TypeScript data file [^2]. ## Pricing and fees Cheatography's sources do not state a price. Its page says it is supported by advertising revenue [^1]. QuickRef's price is not published in the facts available for this page. AnatomyOf is free, with no account needed [^2]. It is open source under the MIT License [^2]. A fee is listed here only where a source gives one, so no fee for Cheatography or QuickRef is stated beyond what is shown above. Check each site's own pages before you assume a cost. ## Setting it up and daily use The sources for this page do not describe how Cheatography or QuickRef is set up or used day to day, so this page states nothing about either. AnatomyOf needs nothing installed to use the site [^2]. It runs in any reasonably current desktop or mobile browser [^2]. To run it on your own machine, use the Bun tool with the commands bun install and then bun run dev [^2]. The language list has instant search, so you can find an example by name [^2]. ## Things to check before you choose Ask what kind of reference you need: a free library of cheat sheets and quick references, which Cheatography's page describes [^1], or example code with each line explained, which AnatomyOf's claims describe [^2]. Ask how each site is paid for. Cheatography says advertising revenue pays for its resources and asks visitors to disable ad blockers [^1]. The claims for AnatomyOf do not say how it is paid for, so check its own pages. Ask what data each site collects. AnatomyOf sends one anonymous visit ping per browser session on page load, and its README says it collects anonymous usage statistics [^2]. The facts for this page do not describe Cheatography's data handling, so check its own pages before you rely on it. Ask which languages and topics you need. The facts for this page do not list Cheatography's topics, so check its library. AnatomyOf's claims say a developer can add a language by writing one TypeScript data file [^2]. ## How to choose If you want a free library of cheat sheets and quick references, Cheatography's page describes that [^1]. If you want short code examples where each line is explained, with a longer version of each example, AnatomyOf's claims describe that [^2] [^2]. If you want to read on a phone, AnatomyOf's claims say it works there, where you tap to pin a note [^2]. If you want to use a site without an account and without paying, AnatomyOf is free with no account needed [^2]. If you need a clear answer on QuickRef, the sources for this page are too thin to give one, so use the questions in the earlier section to check its pages before you decide. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Cheatography free to use? Cheatography's page says it hosts over 6,000 free cheat sheets and quick references [^1]. It says the resources it provides are possible only because of advertising revenue, and it asks visitors to disable ad blockers [^1]. The facts for this page state no price beyond that, so check the site's own pages for any fee. ### Is AnatomyOf free and open source? AnatomyOf is free, with no account needed [^2]. It is open source under the MIT License [^2]. It runs in any reasonably current desktop or mobile browser, and there is nothing to install to use the site [^2] [^2]. ### Is QuickRef free, and how does it compare with Cheatography? The facts available for this page say little about QuickRef, so no price or feature for it is stated here. Cheatography's page describes over 6,000 free cheat sheets and quick references [^1], and says advertising revenue pays for its resources [^1]. Check QuickRef's own pages for its price, its contents and any account it asks for, then compare those with the same points. ### Does AnatomyOf collect data about visitors? AnatomyOf sends one anonymous visit ping per browser session on page load [^2]. Its README says it collects anonymous usage statistics [^2]. The facts for this page do not describe what Cheatography collects, so check its own pages before relying on either site for sensitive work. ### How does a reader see what each line of code does on AnatomyOf? AnatomyOf shows an example source file with color-coded notes linked to the exact lines they explain [^2]. Hovering a note highlights its code, and clicking it opens a longer write-up [^2]. On a phone, you tap to pin a note instead [^2]. AnatomyOf is free, with no account and no paid tier. [^2] - [Visit AnatomyOf](/go/start-anatomyof) ## Sources [^1]: Cheatography, cheatography.com, read 2026-10-09 (https://cheatography.com) [^2]: AnatomyOf's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-anatomyof)