EmDash vs Markstage: which fits your Astro site?

EmDash keeps Astro content in a SQL database; Markstage keeps it as Markdown and JSON in git and edits on the real page. Facts checked 3 Nov 2026.

Facts about EmDash 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
EmDash
Self-hosted CMS app

A content database built on Astro, WordPress-style, with an admin.

Edits on the real page
Partly "Inline visual editing" in its README; the docs we read edit in the admin ⁶¹ ⁶²

Content in git
No SQL database ⁶¹

Self-host
Yes ⁶¹

Price to start
Free ⁶¹

Licence
MIT ⁶¹

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

EmDash and Markstage are both built for Astro and both free to self-host, but they store content in opposite ways. EmDash is a full-stack CMS inside your Astro site, with content in a SQL database, in the spirit of WordPress. Markstage keeps every page and post as a file in git.

Who each one is for

EmDash suits sites that want a WordPress-like CMS in Astro: content types made in an admin screen, a plugin system with sandboxed plugins, and content queried live, on Cloudflare or Node with SQLite.

Markstage suits sites that want content as Markdown and JSON in git, every save as a reviewable commit, writers on the real design, and a static live site. Markstage is pre-release.

Side by side

	Markstage	EmDash
Where content lives	Markdown and JSON in git	A SQL database (SQLite, D1, Turso, PostgreSQL)
Content format	Markdown and JSON files	Portable Text (structured JSON) in the database
Content types	Defined in `markstage.config` and your files	Defined in the database through the admin
Editing	On the real page	An admin panel; its README also lists inline visual editing
Live site	Stays static; Markstage runs beside it	The Astro site runs as a server (Workers or Node)
Roles	Five built in, plus custom roles	Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor
Sign-in	Password, two-step, OpenID Connect	Passkeys first, with OAuth and magic links; no single sign-on listed
Plugins	Block packs and site config	Sandboxed plugins with capability manifests
AI agents	MCP server	MCP server and agent skills
WordPress import	Reusable blocks and old contact messages; posts through the JSON import	An import wizard
Licence	Elastic License 2.0 (source-available)	MIT

Where EmDash is stronger

WordPress-style flexibility: content types made by non-developers in the admin, and a plugin system.
Live content through Astro's live collections, with no rebuild.
A large, fast-growing community (about 14.1k GitHub stars on 3 November 2026).
Runs on Cloudflare as well as on Node.

Which one to pick

Pick EmDash if you want a database-backed CMS with plugins and content types that editors create. Pick Markstage if you want your content in git as plain files, every change reviewable as a diff, a static live site, and editing on the real design.

Frequently asked questions

Is EmDash free?

Its repository is under the MIT licence, and its docs describe running it yourself on Cloudflare or Node.

Does EmDash keep content in git?

No. Its README says content types and content are stored in a SQL database.

Does Markstage need a database?

Not for content: the content itself is files in git. One SQLite file on the server holds people, sessions, the inbox, drafts in progress, trash, releases, the media index and the audit log.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03: EmDash on GitHub · EmDash docs · Astro: EmDash guide. Markstage facts: the full comparison.

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