Softwr

Content Creation · head to head

Mintlify vs Starlight

Mintlify logo

Mintlify

Content Creation

Documentation platform for building and maintaining developer docs

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: Mintlify starter plan excludes webhooks, analytics, and integrations, pushing most teams toward the $450/month Pro tier; 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: Mintlify covers Web editor, Starlight covers File based routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mintlify and Starlight actually diverge.

Attributes where Mintlify and Starlight differ
AttributeMintlifyStarlight
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
Platformsweb, apiWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux
CategoryContent CreationDocumentation
Founded2022Unknown

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 Mintlify

  • Web editor
  • Custom domain
  • Authentication
  • MCP server
  • API playground
  • AI agent and assistant
  • Automations

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.

Mintlify

  • Hosting versioned API and product documentationnot Starlight
  • Building docs that AI agents can query via MCPnot Starlight
  • Collaborative documentation editing for engineering teamsnot Starlight
  • Gating internal or partner docs behind authenticationnot Starlight
  • Automating documentation updates alongside code changesnot Starlight

Starlight

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mintlify

  • Starter plan excludes webhooks, analytics, and integrations, pushing most teams toward the $450/month Pro tier
  • Pro plan AI credits are metered with per-credit overage charges, making costs variable for heavy agent usage
  • Jump from free Starter to Pro is a large price step with no mid-tier option
  • Enterprise features like SSO and SLAs require contacting sales rather than transparent pricing

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

Mintlify

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 5 editor seats
    • Custom domain
    • Web editor
  • Pro$450/month
    • Unlimited editor seats
    • Agent and Assistant
    • Automations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited editor seats
    • SSO, SCIM, RBAC
    • Performance SLA

Starlight

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Mintlify if

  • You need web editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want custom domain.
Mintlify 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 Mintlify or Starlight better?
Neither clearly leads. Mintlify 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, Mintlify or Starlight?
Mintlify starts at Free and Starlight at Free.
Does Mintlify or Starlight run on more platforms?
Mintlify runs on web, api. Starlight runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Mintlify for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mintlify best used for?
Mintlify is most often used for hosting versioned api and product documentation, building docs that ai agents can query via mcp, collaborative documentation editing for engineering teams, gating internal or partner docs behind authentication. Of those, hosting versioned api and product documentation and building docs that ai agents can query via mcp are not what Starlight is typically brought in for.
What can Mintlify do that Starlight cannot?
Mintlify covers Web editor, Custom domain, Authentication, MCP server. Starlight covers File based routing, Pagefind search, Internationalisation, Component overrides.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mintlify: Is there a free plan for Mintlify?

Yes, the Starter plan is free with no credit card required, offering 5 editor seats, custom domain hosting, the web editor, authentication, MCP server, and an API playground.

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.

Mintlify: What does the Pro plan cost and include?

Pro costs $450/month (or discounted annually) with unlimited editor seats plus the AI Agent, Assistant, Automations, preview deployments, and admin APIs.

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.

Mintlify: How are AI credits metered?

Pro includes 10,000 AI credits per month consumed by the Assistant, Agent, and Automations, with overage billed at $0.01 per credit; additional credit packs can be purchased.

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.

Mintlify: What do new users get to try AI features?

New users receive their first month of AI credits free, letting them try the Agent and Assistant before being billed for usage.

Source
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.

Mintlify: What does Enterprise add over Pro?

Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM, RBAC, a performance SLA, advanced insights, enterprise-grade security and legal terms, and migration support, priced via custom sales contact.

Source
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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