Starlight review (2026): is it any good?
Documentation theme for the Astro framework
Starlight report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for docs sites built on Astro
Starlight is a documentation theme for Astro with built-in search, translations and MDX support. It needs an Astro project and a command line, and there's no hosted editor, accounts or comments, so the site is yours to build and host.
Who Starlight is for
- Fits if you already use Astro and want docs in the same project
- Works for multilingual docs written as Markdown files
Who Starlight is not for
- Not for you if you don't want to use a command line, as projects start from it
- Skip it if you're not on Astro, since the site is tied to that framework
- Watch out: there's no hosted editor, accounts or comments
- Watch out: you build and host the static site yourself
Why Starlight gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for the hosting. A program anyone can download and run is graded as free and substantial.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with no plan or cap. The only cost is wherever you host the output.
- CFeaturesSite search, Markdown, Markdoc and MDX, translations and components. It stops at building a static site, with no editor or comments.
- DEase of useIt's a developer tool run from the command line with files you write yourself. No store rating on record.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb output only, with Astro, Pagefind, Algolia DocSearch and React, Vue, Svelte and Solid links. No app or hosted service.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Starlight's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/starlight#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/starlight.svg" alt="Starlight: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Starlight stands among docs and wiki tools
Starlight's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 47 of the 86 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 61 of 86) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Starlight has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 87 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Starlight’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 60 of 86, level with 26
- AFree plan and trialAbove 61 of 86, level with 25
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 86, level with 51
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 86, level with 24
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 86, level with 27
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 79 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Starlight, or make your own?
Keep it
Starlight is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could make
- Markdown, documents and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Astro, Pagefind and Algolia DocSearch among them.
What this rests on. Starlight’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Starlight?
Starlight is a documentation theme built on top of the Astro framework. A new project gives you site navigation, search, internationalization, code highlighting and dark mode, with pages written in Markdown, Markdoc or MDX. It is open source under the MIT License and the output is a static site you host yourself.
Worth knowing
- It is a developer tool: you create a project from the command line and write pages as files.
- There is no hosted editor, user accounts or comments; you build and host the static site yourself.
- It requires an Astro project, so the site is tied to that framework.
Key features
- Built-in site search
- Sites include full-text search powered by Pagefind by default; Algolia DocSearch is documented as an alternative.
- Markdown, Markdoc and MDX
- Pages can be written in any of the three formats, with frontmatter validated with TypeScript types.
- Internationalization
- Multilingual docs are supported, and the interface itself is translated into a list of languages shown on the site.
- Built-in components
- Cards, asides, tabs, steps, file trees, badges and icons can be used in pages, and components can be overridden.
- Astro integrations and UI frameworks
- Extend the site with Astro integrations, or add components from React, Vue, Svelte, Solid and others.
Starlight pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Starlight is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for wherever you host the output.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Free under the MIT License. You build the site with Astro and host the output yourself. |
Read from github.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Starlight before you buy.
Works with
Starlight alternatives
Common questions
Does Starlight have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Starlight is listed for Web.
Does Starlight have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Starlight is listed for Web.
Is Starlight open source?
Yes. Starlight is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.