The Starlight Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Starlight in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Starlight
The Insider’s Guide
Documentation theme for the Astro framework
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among docs and wiki tools, read from Starlight’s own pages.
Made by Astro contributors · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Starlight’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Starlight’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 47 of the 86 other docs and wiki tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Starlight, taken from its own pages and our grades.
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.
- 1
Best for docs sites built on Astro
Starlight is a documentation theme for Astro with built-in search, translations and MDX support.
- 2
It is free
Starlight has no paid plan at all. Free and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for wherever you host the output.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Built-in site search
Sites include full-text search powered by Pagefind by default; Algolia DocSearch is documented as an alternative.
- 5
Markdown, Markdoc and MDX
Pages can be written in any of the three formats, with frontmatter validated with TypeScript types.
- 6
Internationalization
Multilingual docs are supported, and the interface itself is translated into a list of languages shown on the site.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 47 of 86
That is against the other docs and wiki tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Starlight is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Starlight at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Astro contributors
- Category
- Docs & Wikis
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free 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. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright, with no plan or cap. The only cost is wherever you host the output. |
| Features | C | Site search, Markdown, Markdoc and MDX, translations and components. It stops at building a static site, with no editor or comments. |
| Ease of use | D | It's a developer tool run from the command line with files you write yourself. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web output only, with Astro, Pagefind, Algolia DocSearch and React, Vue, Svelte and Solid links. No app or hosted service. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want a docs site on Astro
- Open-source projects that need multilingual documentation
- Teams that want a docs site with no per-seat or hosting fee from the tool itself
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Starlight is free to use.
Free and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for the hosting.
Open source
$0
Free under the MIT License. You build the site with Astro and host the output yourself.
The free plan
Free and open source under the MIT License; you pay only for wherever you host the output.
Read from github.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Documentation theme for the Astro framework. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, Markdown, templates, documents.
Site search, Markdown, Markdoc and MDX, translations and components.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Astro
- Pagefind
- Algolia DocSearch
- React
- Vue
- Svelte
- Solid
Starlight is made by Astro contributors.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
47/86
Other docs and wiki tools it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 61 of 86
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 86
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 86
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 86
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 79 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Starlight is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
VitePress, Docusaurus, Nextra, MkDocs and Fumadocs
The 5 tools Starlight is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
VitePress
Free
Markdown-to-docs static site generator built on Vite and Vue.
- 2.8GPA
Docusaurus
Free
Open-source static site generator for documentation.
- Starlight also covers templates.
- 2.6GPA
Nextra
Free
- 2.6GPA
MkDocs
Free
Static site generator for Markdown project documentation.
- Starlight also covers templates.
- 2.6GPA
Fumadocs
Free
React documentation framework that works with several frameworks.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Starlight free?
Yes. Starlight is free to use.
How much does Starlight cost?
Starlight lists one plan. Open source: $0.
What platforms does Starlight work on?
Starlight is available on Web.
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.
What does Starlight integrate with?
Starlight's listing names Astro, Pagefind, Algolia DocSearch, React, Vue, Svelte and Solid.
Who makes Starlight?
Starlight is made by Astro contributors.
What are the alternatives to Starlight?
The closest alternatives to Starlight in our directory are VitePress, Docusaurus, Nextra, MkDocs and Fumadocs.
How does Starlight compare with other 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.
Is Starlight good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Starlight A for value for money. Starlight has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Starlight?
Starlight is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: It plugs into other products, Astro, Pagefind and Algolia DocSearch among them.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Starlight’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Astro contributors. Prices change, so check starlight.astro.build before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Starlight, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/starlight
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Starlight: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/starlight
Know someone choosing between docs and wiki tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/starlight/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded docs and wiki tools after Starlight, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Docs & Wikis Insider's GuideEvery one of the 87 docs and wiki tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Writer Insider's GuideFree online word processor with AI and document automation3.6 GPA
- Google Docs Insider's GuideBrowser-based word processor, free with a Google Account3.4 GPA
- ONLYOFFICE Insider's GuideOpen-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Starlight’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Starlight is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Astro contributors. Prices and plans change: check starlight.astro.build before you buy.