Documentation · head to head
Archbee vs Starlight
Archbee
Documentation
Hosted documentation platform for product and developer docs with a block editor and AI answers
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Starlight
Documentation
Documentation site framework built on Astro that ships no JavaScript to the reader by default
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Starlight has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Archbee content is stored in a proprietary block format, and although markdown export exists, the structure, permissions and site configuration do not migrate, so leaving means rebuilding.; 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: Archbee covers Block 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 Archbee and Starlight actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Archbee
- Block editor
- API reference blocks
- Public and private spaces
- AI search answers
- Document verification
- SSO and permissions
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.
Archbee
- Publishing product documentation, API reference and a changelog from one workspacenot Starlight
- Giving each enterprise customer private documentation without building an access systemnot Starlight
- Letting support and product staff edit documentation without learning gitnot Starlight
- Consolidating internal handbooks and external docs so the same content is not maintained twicenot Starlight
Starlight
- A developer tool whose docs live in the same repository as the code and are reviewed in the same pull requestnot Archbee
- A team that already runs Astro for its marketing site and wants one build pipeline for bothnot Archbee
- Documentation that must be served from a CDN or an air gapped static host with no search backendnot Archbee
- A multilingual open source project that needs per locale content trees and untranslated page fallbacknot Archbee
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Archbee
- Content is stored in a proprietary block format, and although markdown export exists, the structure, permissions and site configuration do not migrate, so leaving means rebuilding.
- There is no genuine docs-as-code workflow, so teams that want documentation reviewed in the same pull request as the code change will find the review model does not match.
- Editor seats are capped per tier rather than sold individually, so an organisation with many occasional contributors is pushed up a whole tier for a handful of people.
- It is a small vendor, and buyers whose public documentation is a customer-facing dependency should weigh continuity risk more heavily than the feature comparison suggests.
- Theming is limited compared with a static site generator, so a documentation site that must match a designed brand exactly will hit the limits of the customisation options.
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
Archbee
On request- Archbee$undefined/year
- Tiered plans with a capped number of editor seats
- Custom domain and public documentation sites
- Private spaces with reader accounts
Starlight
Free- Open sourceFree
- MIT licence
- All features included
- Self hosted on any static host
Which should you pick?
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 Archbee or Starlight better?
- Neither clearly leads. Archbee starts at On request and Starlight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Archbee or Starlight?
- Starlight has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Archbee and Free for Starlight.
- Does Archbee or Starlight run on more platforms?
- Archbee runs on Web. Starlight runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use Starlight for free?
- Yes. Starlight has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Archbee starts at On request.
- What is Archbee best used for?
- Archbee is most often used for publishing product documentation, api reference and a changelog from one workspace, giving each enterprise customer private documentation without building an access system, letting support and product staff edit documentation without learning git, consolidating internal handbooks and external docs so the same content is not maintained twice. Of those, publishing product documentation, api reference and a changelog from one workspace and giving each enterprise customer private documentation without building an access system are not what Starlight is typically brought in for.
- What can Archbee do that Starlight cannot?
- Archbee covers Block editor, API reference blocks, Public and private spaces, AI search answers. Starlight covers File based routing, Pagefind search, Internationalisation, Component overrides.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Archbee: Can documentation live next to the code?
Not really. There is an API and importers, but the working model is a browser editor, and pull-request-driven documentation is better served by a static site generator.
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.
Archbee: Is there a free plan?
No. There is a trial, then paid tiers. The free option in this category is a self-hosted static site generator.
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.
Archbee: How does it handle versioned documentation?
Versions are managed inside the workspace and published side by side, which suits products with a handful of supported releases rather than one version per git branch.
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.
Archbee: Who edits the documentation in practice?
Product, support and technical writing staff, which is the point. If your only contributors are engineers who already live in git, the advantage largely disappears.
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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