shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Zenn?

Zennはエンジニアが技術・開発についての知見をシェアする場所です。本の販売や、読者からのバッジの受付により対価を受け取ることができます。 - zenn.dev

Depends. Use it if you write technical content for Japanese developers — it is free and authors can earn via book sales and reader badges. Skip it for English-language audiences or compliance-vetted publishing; public evidence is thin, so confidence is low.

Confidence

Low. Based on 7 public sources relevant to zenn.dev. Most 'Zenn' search results matched unrelated businesses (restaurants, EVs, audio, clothing), so confidence is low.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usability reviews found
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support reviews found
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Publishing

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Japanese-language tech writers
  • Engineers self-publishing paid books
  • Company engineering blogs targeting JP devs
  • Qiita alternative seekers

Not for

  • English-first dev audiences
  • Compliance-sensitive publishers needing security docs
  • Non-technical content marketers
  • Anyone wanting guaranteed traffic — no reach data found

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Content export and migration path not documented in reviewed sources — plan before committing

medium

No public security page; harder to pass vendor or compliance review

medium

Book revenue-share and payout terms unpublished in reviewed sources

low

Many online 'Zenn' reviews are unrelated businesses (clothing, restaurants, audio) — vet sources carefully

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free platform for engineers to share technical knowledge
  • Authors earn via book sales and reader badges
  • Runs on Cloudflare; case study documents the setup
  • Published comparisons position it as a Qiita alternative
  • Companies publish engineering blogs there

Cons

  • No public security page found during site crawl
  • Japan-first; English-language reach unproven
  • Monetization terms and revenue share not publicly documented

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 7 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x2security x1news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 7

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free to use; authors earn rather than spend
  • Ease of use. No usability reviews found
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Articles, books, and reader badges per tagline
  • Support quality. No support reviews found
  • Security posture: 3/5. Cloudflare-hosted; no public security page
  • Free Price Authors earn via books and reader badges
  • Japanese engineers Primary audience Japan-based, per Cloudflare case study
  • Not found Public security page Crawl of zenn.dev/security
  • None located Independent reviews Most 'Zenn' reviews are unrelated businesses

Pricing

Publishing

Free

  • Publish technical articles
  • Receive reader badges
  • Sell self-published books

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

No reliable user reviews of zenn.dev surfaced; most online 'Zenn' reviews cover unrelated businesses.

Companies that use it

Full analysis

Based on 7 public sources relevant to zenn.dev. Most 'Zenn' search results matched unrelated businesses (restaurants, EVs, audio, clothing), so confidence is low.

Free Japanese dev-publishing platform (a Qiita rival). Monetize via books and badges; public evidence is thin.

Methodology

Based on 7 public sources relevant to zenn.dev. Most 'Zenn' search results matched unrelated businesses (restaurants, EVs, audio, clothing), so confidence is low.

Sources

  1. Zenn — official sitezenn.dev
    official
  2. Zenn security page (crawl result)zenn.dev
    security
  3. Zenn & Cloudflare Customer Storycloudflare.com
    news
  4. A Data-Driven Comparison of Qiita and Zennzenn.dev
    review
  5. Top 5 zenn.dev Alternatives & Competitorssemrush.com
    news
  6. 15 Best CRM Tools for Small Teams (Optifai on Zenn)zenn.dev
    official
  7. Z E N N Reviews (unrelated clothing brand — name collision)trustpilot.com
    review

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