sphinx-rtd-theme
Read the Docs theme for Sphinx
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. This is a stable, widely-used theme (14.8M monthly downloads, top 5000 PyPI packages) with no known security vulnerabilities, permissive licensing, and low install friction. It solves a concrete problem—making Sphinx documentation look professional and work on mobile—with a single configuration line. The aging maintenance status reflects maturity rather than neglect; the repository is active and the code is well-established. Install it if you use Sphinx and want a responsive, polished appearance without building a theme from scratch.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction; the package is a pure Python wheel with three runtime dependencies (sphinx, docutils, sphinxcontrib-jquery).
- Maintenance status is aging—last release was 214 days ago—but the repository remains active and well-starred (5074 stars), suggesting stable, established code rather than abandoned.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this theme freely in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-01-12 (214 days) · last repo commit 2026-01-12 · 5,074 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 14,892,270 downloads/mo, #1,213 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install sphinx-rtd-theme
Then in your Sphinx conf.py:
html_theme = "sphinx_rtd_theme"- Exact browser and operating system compatibility matrix beyond 'supported and tested combinations'
- Performance characteristics or rendering speed on large documentation projects
- Customization depth and ease for non-standard layouts or branding
What it is and what it does
sphinx-rtd-theme is a Sphinx theme that applies the visual design and layout used by Read the Docs, a popular documentation hosting platform. It replaces Sphinx's default HTML output with a modern, responsive interface designed to work well on phones, tablets, and desktops. The theme integrates with your existing Sphinx project by setting a single configuration option in conf.py.
You install it as a Python package, and it becomes available as a theme choice for any Sphinx documentation build. It depends on sphinx itself, docutils (Sphinx's underlying text processor), and sphinxcontrib-jquery (a Sphinx extension that bundles jQuery). The theme is highly configurable, allowing you to adjust colors, fonts, layout, and behavior through Sphinx configuration options without forking or modifying the theme code directly.
Use it for
- Style a Sphinx documentation project to match the familiar Read the Docs appearance without hosting on Read the Docs itself
- Build mobile-friendly API or software documentation that renders well on phones and tablets
- Apply a professional, production-ready theme to open-source project documentation
- Customize documentation appearance globally across a large project using Sphinx configuration alone
- Migrate from default Sphinx HTML output to a modern, responsive design with minimal setup
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
This is a stable, widely-used theme (14.8M monthly downloads, top 5000 PyPI packages) with no known security vulnerabilities, permissive licensing, and low install friction. It solves a concrete problem—making Sphinx documentation look professional and work on mobile—with a single configuration line. The aging maintenance status reflects maturity rather than neglect; the repository is active and the code is well-established. Install it if you use Sphinx and want a responsive, polished appearance without building a theme from scratch.
Install
sphinx-rtd-theme on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction; the package is a pure Python wheel with three runtime dependencies (sphinx, docutils, sphinxcontrib-jquery). Maintenance status is aging—last release was 214 days ago—but the repository remains active and well-starred (5074 stars), suggesting stable, established code rather than abandoned.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this theme freely in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install sphinx-rtd-theme
Then in your Sphinx conf.py:
html_theme = "sphinx_rtd_theme"Verify before relying
- Exact browser and operating system compatibility matrix beyond 'supported and tested combinations'
- Performance characteristics or rendering speed on large documentation projects
- Customization depth and ease for non-standard layouts or branding
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagessphinxdocutilssphinxcontrib-jquery |
| Maintenance | Aging 214 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 14,892,270 / month, #1,213 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentFramework :: SphinxFramework :: Sphinx :: ThemeIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: DocumentationTopic :: Software Development :: Documentation |
Evidence: sphinx_rtd_theme-3.1.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also sphinx-bootstrap-theme · sphinx-press-theme · furo · pydata-sphinx-theme · shibuya · sphinx-rtd-dark-mode · sphinx_design · python-docs-theme · sphinx-immaterial