Softwr

Content Creation · head to head

Confluence vs Starlight

Confluence logo

Confluence

Content Creation

Your remote-friendly team workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Starlight logo

Starlight

Documentation

Documentation site framework built on Astro that ships no JavaScript to the reader by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Confluence specific pricing tiers and costs not published on main product page; requires visiting dedicated pricing page; 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: Confluence covers Page creation, Starlight covers File based routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Confluence and Starlight actually diverge.

Attributes where Confluence and Starlight differ
AttributeConfluenceStarlight
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux
CategoryContent CreationDocumentation
Founded2002Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Confluence

  • Page creation
  • Rich text editing
  • Macros
  • Templates
  • Comments
  • Version history
  • Content organization
  • Jira

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.

Confluence

  • Team documentation and knowledge managementnot Starlight
  • Project collaboration and planning documentationnot Starlight
  • Technical specification writingnot Starlight
  • Agile team documentationnot Starlight

Starlight

  • A developer tool whose docs live in the same repository as the code and are reviewed in the same pull requestnot Confluence
  • A team that already runs Astro for its marketing site and wants one build pipeline for bothnot Confluence
  • Documentation that must be served from a CDN or an air gapped static host with no search backendnot Confluence
  • A multilingual open source project that needs per locale content trees and untranslated page fallbacknot Confluence

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Confluence

  • Specific pricing tiers and costs not published on main product page; requires visiting dedicated pricing page
  • Free tier availability confirmed but feature limits not detailed on landing page

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

Confluence

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited pages
    • Basic sharing
    • Search
  • Standard$5.5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced permissions
    • Macros

Starlight

Free
  • Open sourceFree
    • MIT licence
    • All features included
    • Self hosted on any static host

Which should you pick?

Choose Confluence if

  • You need page creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want rich text editing.
Confluence review

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.
Starlight review

Questions people ask

Is Confluence or Starlight better?
Neither clearly leads. Confluence 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, Confluence or Starlight?
Confluence starts at Free and Starlight at Free.
Does Confluence or Starlight run on more platforms?
Confluence runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Starlight runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Confluence for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Confluence best used for?
Confluence is most often used for team documentation and knowledge management, project collaboration and planning documentation, technical specification writing, agile team documentation. Of those, team documentation and knowledge management and project collaboration and planning documentation are not what Starlight is typically brought in for.
What can Confluence do that Starlight cannot?
Confluence covers Page creation, Rich text editing, Macros, Templates. Starlight covers File based routing, Pagefind search, Internationalisation, Component overrides.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Confluence: Does Confluence offer a free version?

Yes, Confluence offers a free tier. Detailed plan features and pricing are available at https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/pricing.

Source
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.

Confluence: Can I try Confluence for free before purchasing?

Yes, Confluence can be tried free. Full pricing details for standard plans and the Teamwork Collection bundle are available on the dedicated pricing page.

Source
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.

Confluence: Is Confluence available as part of a bundle?

Yes, Confluence is available as part of the Teamwork Collection which includes Rovo, Jira, Confluence, and Loom, with bundled pricing available.

Source
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.

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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