A Builder.io alternative for Astro sites

Markstage vs Builder.io for Astro: page editing on your site's real design with content in git, self-hosted, no per-user fees. Facts checked 3 Nov 2026.

Facts about Builder.io checked on 2026-11-03, from its own website. Markstage is not affiliated with it.

Markstage
Visual editor

A visual editor for Astro: writers edit on the site’s real design; content stays Markdown and JSON in git.

Edits on the real page
Yes The site's own components and CSS; text and rich text typed on the page, other fields in a side panel. Components mark their fields with a helper ⁴

Content in git
Yes ³

Self-host
Yes One docker run with the server image, Docker Compose, or systemd and nginx ⁹ ⁸

Price to start
Free to self-host ³

Licence
Elastic License 2.0 Source-available, free to self-host ²⁰
Builder.io
Hosted CMS

A hosted drag-and-drop visual editor on a preview page of your site.

Edits on the real page
Yes Drag-and-drop visual editor on a preview page of your site ⁸¹

Content in git
No Your Builder space ⁸¹

Self-host
No ⁷⁹

Price to start
Free; Pro $24 per user/mo ⁷⁹

Licence
SDKs: MIT; service closed ⁸⁰

From the full comparison; each number links to its source.

Builder.io is a hosted visual platform. In Astro, you add a preview page and Builder's drag-and-drop editor works on it; content lives in your Builder space. Markstage edits on the site's own pages, keeps content as files in git, and runs on your own server.

Who each one is for

Builder.io suits teams who want drag-and-drop page building with their own components, AI features and a hosted service, often across several frameworks.

Markstage suits Astro sites that want writers on the real design, every change as a git commit, and no per-user fees. Markstage is pre-release.

Side by side

	Markstage	Builder.io
Visual editing	On the site's own pages	Drag-and-drop editor on a preview page you add
Where content lives	Markdown and JSON in your git repository	Your Builder space (hosted)
Astro	`@markstage/astro` integration	A guide in Astro's docs: a `builder-preview` page and a preview URL
Price	Free to self-host	Free (1 user, up to 5); Pro $24 per user a month; Team $40 per user a month
Pricing model	No limits or credits	Monthly AI credits per plan
Roles and sign-on	Five roles plus custom roles; OpenID Connect single sign-on, included	Admin only on Free and Pro; four roles on Team; custom roles, RBAC and single sign-on on Enterprise
AI agents (MCP)	MCP server, included	Built-in MCP servers from Pro; custom MCP servers on Team
Licence	Elastic License 2.0 (source-available)	SDKs: MIT; the service is closed

Where Builder.io is stronger

Drag-and-drop layout with your own components and a Figma plugin.
AI features across design and code, on credits.
Many frameworks, not only Astro.
Hosted, with nothing to run.

Moving from Builder.io to Markstage

Builder content has to become Markdown or JSON files and sections. Read your entries through Builder's API, map each Builder component to a section in your Astro components and Markstage block pack, and run Markstage's import API (dry run first, imported as drafts, idempotent on each source id).

Frequently asked questions

Does Builder.io work with Astro?

Yes. Astro's docs have a Builder.io guide: you create a preview page and set it as the preview URL in your Builder space.

Is there a free Builder.io alternative?

Markstage is free to self-host and has no per-user or credit fees. Builder.io also has a free plan for one user.

Can Markstage drag sections onto a page?

Yes. Writers drag a section or a synced item from the Library onto the live page, and a line between two sections shows where it will land.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03: Builder.io pricing · Builder.io developer docs · Builder.io on GitHub · Astro: Builder.io guide. Markstage facts: the full comparison.

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