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Content-focused web framework · by Cloudflare (The Astro Technology Company)

Astro

MIT-licensed framework for content-driven sites that renders HTML on the server, ships zero JavaScript by default and hydrates only the interactive islands you mark.

Visit astro.build ↗ Alternatives Open source Open source Self-hostable
Astro homepage
§1

Overview

Astro is a web framework aimed at content-driven websites. Components render on the server to HTML, and JavaScript is sent only for islands you opt in with client directives, so a page with one interactive widget ships the code for that widget alone. Content Collections give typed Markdown and MDX with schema validation, and Live Content Collections (stable in Astro 6) fetch external content at request time.

By default every page prerenders at build time. Adding an adapter lets you render some or all routes on demand, with HTML streaming, cookies and middleware. Astro maintains official adapters for Node.js, Netlify, Vercel and Cloudflare; community adapters cover other hosts.

Astro 6 (March 2026) rebuilt the dev server on Vite's Environment API so development runs the same runtime as production, which matters most on Cloudflare Workers, Deno and Bun. It also added a Fonts API and a Content Security Policy API. In January 2026 The Astro Technology Company joined Cloudflare; Astro and Cloudflare both state the project remains MIT-licensed, openly governed and platform-agnostic.

§2

Pricing and plans

Astro is free and MIT-licensed. A fully static build needs only static hosting; on-demand rendering needs an adapter and a runtime (Node.js server, Cloudflare Workers, Vercel, Netlify and others), billed by that host.

Source: docs.astro.build/en/guides/on-demand-rendering/ · prices as published, excluding tax.

§3

What it does

Islands
Interactive components hydrate independently with client directives; everything else stays static HTML.
Bring your own UI framework
Use React, Vue, Svelte, Solid or Preact components, even several in one project.
Content Collections
Typed Markdown/MDX with frontmatter validation; Live Content Collections load content at request time.
Per-route rendering
Prerendered by default; export prerender = false on a page, or output: 'server' for the whole site.
Server islands
Defer a component to render on the server after the static page loads (needs an adapter).
Built-in Fonts and CSP APIs
Astro 6 downloads and self-hosts fonts with fallbacks and can generate Content Security Policy headers.
§4

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Ships little or no JavaScript for content pages, which helps Core Web Vitals.
  • Not tied to one UI library; you can migrate components in from React, Vue or Svelte projects.
  • Static output deploys to any static host with no server.
  • Astro 6 runs the production runtime (for example workerd) during development, reducing dev/prod differences.

Limitations

  • On-demand rendering and server islands require an adapter; a static build cannot personalise per request.
  • Built around content sites; highly interactive single-page apps fit React- or Vue-first frameworks better.
  • Official adapters cover Node.js, Netlify, Vercel and Cloudflare; other hosts rely on community adapters.
  • Now owned by Cloudflare; the team promises platform neutrality, but roadmap priorities are set inside one hosting company.
§5

Who it suits

Good for

  • Blogs, docs and marketing sites
  • Content sites that need a few interactive widgets
  • Teams mixing components from several UI frameworks

Look elsewhere if

  • App-like dashboards with heavy client state
  • Teams that want one UI library end to end with deep client routing
§6

Pricing history

  • Astro 6 released

    Released 10 March 2026: a redesigned dev server on Vite's Environment API runs the production runtime (such as Cloudflare workerd) in development; adds Fonts and CSP APIs and stable Live Content Collections. Source ↗

  • Cloudflare acquires the Astro team

    Announced 16 January 2026: The Astro Technology Company joined Cloudflare. Astro stays MIT-licensed with open governance and continues to support deployment targets other than Cloudflare. Source ↗

§7

Alternatives to Astro

Tool From Free option Stages
React Router (framework mode) React router and full-stack framework
— Open source
Next.js Full-stack React framework
— Open source
Hugo Static site generator (Go)
— Open source
React UI library
— Open source
Nuxt Full-stack Vue framework
— Open source
Docusaurus Documentation site generator (React)
— Open source

All frontend and full-stack frameworks →

§8

Questions

Is Astro still open source after Cloudflare acquired it?

Yes. Astro and Cloudflare both state it stays MIT-licensed with open governance and continues to support deployment targets other than Cloudflare.

Does Astro need a server?

No. By default every page prerenders to static HTML. You add an adapter only when you want some routes rendered on demand.

Can I use React components in Astro?

Yes. Astro supports React, Vue, Svelte, Solid and Preact components, which hydrate as islands when you add a client directive.

What is new in Astro 6?

A redesigned dev server on Vite's Environment API, better Cloudflare support, a Fonts API, stable Live Content Collections and a Content Security Policy API.

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