Documentation · head to head
Antora vs Starlight
Antora
Documentation
Static site generator that assembles versioned AsciiDoc documentation from many git repositories
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Starlight
Documentation
Documentation site framework built on Astro that ships no JavaScript to the reader by default
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Antora content must be AsciiDoc, so an existing markdown documentation set has to be converted before you can evaluate the tool properly.; Starlight there is no editing interface, so every correction requires a git client, a Node install and a CI run, which puts documentation changes out of reach for anyone who does not already work in a repository.
- They diverge on capability: Antora covers Multi-repository sourcing, Starlight covers File based routing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Antora and Starlight actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Documentation).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Antora
- Multi-repository sourcing
- Version handling
- AsciiDoc
- Cross-component references
- Separate UI bundle
- Content reuse
Only in Starlight
- File based routing
- Pagefind search
- Internationalisation
- Component overrides
- Zero client JavaScript
- Expressive Code blocks
- Auto generated sidebar
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Antora
- Publishing one documentation site from several product repositories owned by different teamsnot Starlight
- Maintaining documentation for three or more supported releases without copying directoriesnot Starlight
- Enterprise documentation teams that already write in AsciiDoc and need version-aware cross-referencesnot Starlight
- Keeping documentation in the same repository and pull request as the code change it describesnot Starlight
Starlight
- A developer tool whose docs live in the same repository as the code and are reviewed in the same pull requestnot Antora
- A team that already runs Astro for its marketing site and wants one build pipeline for bothnot Antora
- Documentation that must be served from a CDN or an air gapped static host with no search backendnot Antora
- A multilingual open source project that needs per locale content trees and untranslated page fallbacknot Antora
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Antora
- Content must be AsciiDoc, so an existing markdown documentation set has to be converted before you can evaluate the tool properly.
- The component, version and module model must be understood before anything builds, and the first working site typically takes days rather than the afternoon a markdown generator needs.
- Theming means building a separate UI bundle with Handlebars templates and its own pipeline, which is a front-end project most documentation teams are not staffed for.
- There is no search included, so every deployment adds either a Lunr extension with its own index size limits or a paid hosted search service.
- Builds fetch from every configured repository, so large multi-component sites become slow and depend on git availability during every documentation build.
Starlight
- There is no editing interface, so every correction requires a git client, a Node install and a CI run, which puts documentation changes out of reach for anyone who does not already work in a repository.
- Starlight versions track Astro versions, so an Astro major release becomes a documentation site migration on someone else timeline rather than yours.
- Pagefind builds the whole search index at compile time, so build duration and index size grow with page count and large documentation sets pay for it on every deploy.
- There is no analytics, no feedback widget and no page level rating built in, so measuring which pages fail readers means wiring a third party script yourself.
- Component overrides are limited to the slots the theme exposes, and anything outside those slots means forking the theme and inheriting the merge burden on every upgrade.
Pricing, plan by plan
Antora
Free- AntoraFree
- Mozilla Public Licence 2.0
- Unlimited components and versions
- No hosting or seat costs
Starlight
Free- Open sourceFree
- MIT licence
- All features included
- Self hosted on any static host
Which should you pick?
Choose Antora if
- You need multi-repository sourcing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Static hosting, CI pipelines.
- You also want version handling.
Choose Starlight if
- You need file based routing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
- You also want pagefind search.
Questions people ask
- Is Antora or Starlight better?
- Neither clearly leads. Antora starts at Free and Starlight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Antora or Starlight?
- Antora starts at Free and Starlight at Free.
- Does Antora or Starlight run on more platforms?
- Antora runs on Self-hosted, Static hosting, CI pipelines. Starlight runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use Antora for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Antora best used for?
- Antora is most often used for publishing one documentation site from several product repositories owned by different teams, maintaining documentation for three or more supported releases without copying directories, enterprise documentation teams that already write in asciidoc and need version-aware cross-references, keeping documentation in the same repository and pull request as the code change it describes. Of those, publishing one documentation site from several product repositories owned by different teams and maintaining documentation for three or more supported releases without copying directories are not what Starlight is typically brought in for.
- What can Antora do that Starlight cannot?
- Antora covers Multi-repository sourcing, Version handling, AsciiDoc, Cross-component references. Starlight covers File based routing, Pagefind search, Internationalisation, Component overrides.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Antora: Can I use markdown with Antora?
Not as the primary format. Antora is an AsciiDoc pipeline, and treating markdown as a first-class input means a different tool.
Starlight: Can a non technical writer publish a page without help?
No. There is no content management interface. Every change is a commit, a pull request and a build.
Antora: Is it worth it for a single product with one version?
Usually not. The model pays off when you have several repositories or several supported versions; below that a simpler generator will do the same job with far less setup.
Starlight: Do I need to know Astro to use it?
Not for basic use. Markdown files and a config file are enough until you want custom components, at which point Astro knowledge becomes mandatory.
Antora: How does versioning actually work?
Each branch or tag of a source repository becomes a version of that component. You publish a new version by branching, not by copying a directory.
Starlight: Is search included or do I pay for it?
Included and free. Pagefind builds a static index at compile time. Algolia DocSearch is optional if you want hosted search instead.
Antora: Who maintains it?
OpenDevise, the group behind Asciidoctor, under the Mozilla Public Licence. Paid consulting and custom UI work are available from them separately.
Starlight: What happens when Astro releases a major version?
Starlight follows it, and your site needs a migration. Read the upgrade guide before pinning a version for a long lived project.
Starlight: Can I self host with no external services?
Yes. The output is static HTML, CSS and a search index. Nothing calls out at runtime unless you add it.
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