A Storyblok alternative for Astro sites
Markstage vs Storyblok: visual editing on your Astro site with content in git, self-hosted, staging and custom roles included. Facts checked 3 Nov 2026.
Facts about Storyblok checked on , from its own website. Markstage is not affiliated with it.
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Markstage
Visual editor
A visual editor for Astro: writers edit on the site’s real design; content stays Markdown and JSON in git.
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Storyblok
Hosted CMS
A hosted visual CMS: click a component on your site and its block opens.
From the full comparison; each number links to its source.
Storyblok is a hosted, component-based headless CMS with a Visual Editor: your site shows in a preview area and clicking a component opens its block. Markstage also edits on the real page, but keeps the content as files in your git repository and runs on your own server.
Who each one is for
Storyblok suits marketing teams who want a hosted visual CMS with many locales, AI features, A/B testing on top plans and enterprise support.
Markstage suits Astro sites that want visual editing without a hosted database or seat fees, and with staging, releases and custom roles included. Markstage is pre-release.
Side by side
| Markstage | Storyblok | |
|---|---|---|
| Visual editing | On the real page; text typed in place | Visual Editor: click a component, its block opens in the editor |
| Where content lives | Markdown and JSON in your git repository | Storyblok's hosted service, read by API |
| Astro | @markstage/astro; the live site stays static | @storyblok/astro; live preview needs server or client rendering |
| Price to start | Free to self-host | Starter free (1 seat, up to 2); Growth $99/mo ($90.75 yearly) |
| Seats | No limit, no fee | 5 on Growth (up to 10), 15 on Growth Plus; $15 per extra seat |
| Environments | Local, staging and production, included | Premium and Elite |
| Releases | Included | Premium and Elite |
| Custom roles and workflows | Included | Premium and Elite |
| Single sign-on | OpenID Connect, included | Premium and Elite |
| Licence | Elastic License 2.0 (source-available) | Closed, hosted service |
Where Storyblok is stronger
- Hosted, with traffic and API limits handled for you; nothing to run.
- Many channels from one content API.
- Enterprise features: A/B testing, AI SEO, SCIM, a 99.9% uptime SLA on top plans.
- A large ecosystem of integrations and partners.
Moving from Storyblok to Markstage
Storyblok content has to become Markdown or JSON files. Read your stories through Storyblok's API, write them as JSON in the shape Markstage's import API takes, and run it: a dry run first, then the import as drafts, with each source id remembered so a second run only updates what changed. Each Storyblok component becomes a section in your Astro components and Markstage block pack.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Storyblok alternative with visual editing?
Markstage is free to self-host and edits on your Astro site's real design. Storyblok also has a free Starter plan for one seat (up to two).
Does Storyblok work with Astro?
Yes. There is an official @storyblok/astro integration and a guide in Astro's docs.
Which Storyblok plans include environments?
On 3 November 2026 its pricing page listed environments, release management and custom roles on Premium and Elite (custom prices), not on Starter, Growth or Growth Plus.
Can I keep my content out of a hosted database?
With Markstage, yes: everything is Markdown and JSON in your own git repository. With Storyblok, content lives in its hosted service.
Sources
Checked on 2026-11-03: Storyblok pricing · Storyblok visual preview in Astro · Astro: Storyblok guide. Markstage facts: the full comparison.
Get Markstage on GitHubAll comparisonsRead the docs
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