Pick GitBook if
solo writers who will stay on Free $0, then buy Essential at $65/site/month billed annually plus $12/user when they need a custom domain, analytics, and AI Ask.
Read the GitBook pageGitBook vs Starlight
Our take
Pick GitBook if you're solo writers who will stay on Free $0, then buy Essential at $65/site/month billed annually plus $12/user when they need a custom domain, analytics, and AI Ask. Pick Starlight if you're on a docs team already on Astro (or willing to start there) who will host the build. Skip Starlight if you're on a team who need a Next.js docs app (Fumadocs) or a hosted API playground (Mintlify).
Best for
GitBook Product docs that also speak MCP
Starlight A docs site on Astro at $0
Free plan
GitBook $0 · individuals. Block editor. GitHub/GitLab sync. Auto API docs. Preview deployments. Published sites expose MCP / WebMCP. No team invites, no custom domain
Starlight $0 · official Astro docs theme
Lowest paid
GitBook Essential $65/user/mo
Starlight Not published by the vendor
Next step up
GitBook Ultimate $249/user/mo
Starlight
Coding agent
GitBook GitBook Agent
Starlight
Runs where
GitBook
Starlight Hosted
Watch out
GitBook Free is one person and a GitBook domain
Starlight You host the build
Last checked
GitBook 2026-10-22 · gitbook.com/pricing
Starlight 2026-10-28 · Not published by the vendor
Which one, then?
Pick Starlight if
docs teams already on Astro (or willing to start there) who will host the build.
Read the Starlight page