A self-hosted CloudCannon alternative for Astro

Markstage vs CloudCannon: both git-based with on-page editing for Astro. Markstage runs on your own server for free. Facts checked 3 Nov 2026.

Facts about CloudCannon 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
CloudCannon
Git-based editor

A hosted git-based CMS that edits regions on a preview of your built site.

Edits on the real page
Yes Editable regions on a preview of your built site; Astro components re-render live ²⁸ ²⁹

Content in git
Yes GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket ²⁷

Self-host
No No self-hosted version listed ²⁷

Price to start
Standard $55/mo ($49 yearly), 3 users ²⁷

Licence
Closed, hosted service ²⁷

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

CloudCannon is the product closest to Markstage. Both keep content as files in git, and both let writers edit text where it appears on the site. The big difference: CloudCannon is a hosted service with monthly plans, and Markstage runs on your own server for free.

Who each one is for

CloudCannon suits teams and agencies who want everything hosted: the editor, the builds, hosting on a CDN, forms and support. It is a featured CMS partner in Astro's docs.

Markstage suits teams who want the same way of working (git files, editing on the page) but on their own server, with no per-user fees, and with staging, custom roles and single sign-on included. Markstage is pre-release.

Side by side

	Markstage	CloudCannon
Editing on the page	Text typed on the real page; other fields in a side panel	Editable regions on a preview of your built site; Astro components re-render live
Content	Markdown and JSON in git	Files in GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket
Where it runs	Your server (Docker Compose, or systemd and nginx)	CloudCannon's service; no self-hosted version listed
Hosting your site	Your own host	Included, on a CDN
Price to start	Free	Standard $55/mo ($49 yearly), 3 users
Extra users	No fees	$10 per user a month
Staging and branches	Local, staging and production included	Branching workflows on Team ($350/mo)
Custom roles	Included	Custom permissions from Team
Single sign-on	OpenID Connect, included	SSO/SAML on Enterprise
Forms inbox	Yes	Yes
Licence	Elastic License 2.0 (source-available)	Closed, hosted service

Where CloudCannon is stronger

Nothing to run. CloudCannon builds and hosts the site and runs the editor. Markstage needs your own server.
Hosting and CDN included, with automatic HTTPS and DDoS protection on its plans.
Support and services. Priority and dedicated support, onboarding, and a migration service.
Many generators. CloudCannon works with more than Astro; Markstage has one adapter today, Astro; adapters beyond Astro are planned (roadmap).
Maturity. CloudCannon has years of production use; Markstage is pre-release.

Moving from CloudCannon to Markstage

Your content is already in your git repository, so nothing has to be exported. List the same folders as collections in markstage.config.mjs and add the @markstage/astro integration. CloudCannon's editable regions are HTML data attributes and web components; Markstage uses its own field bindings, emitted only in editor mode, so you mark the same fields again. Forms: point the site's forms at Markstage (/markstage/forms/<id>). Then host the built site wherever you like and run the Markstage server next to it.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a self-hosted alternative to CloudCannon?

Yes. Markstage is git-based like CloudCannon, edits on the site's design, and runs on your own server. It is free to self-host. CloudCannon does not list a self-hosted version.

How much does CloudCannon cost?

On 3 November 2026 its pricing page listed Standard at $55 a month ($49 a month paid yearly) with 3 users, Team at $350 a month ($300 yearly) with 15 users, and Enterprise at a custom price. Extra users are $10 a month each.

Does CloudCannon work with Astro?

Yes. Astro's docs have a CloudCannon guide, and CloudCannon has an @cloudcannon/editable-regions package for live editing of Astro components.

What does Markstage not do that CloudCannon does?

It does not host your site or run your builds as a service, and it has no paid support plans or migration service today.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03: CloudCannon pricing · CloudCannon: what is visual editing? · Astro: CloudCannon guide. Markstage facts: the full comparison.

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