Astro vs Gatsby.
Two free frameworks for fast sites: one built for content and still adding features, one built on React and GraphQL with slower releases.
Astro
GatsbyFeature by feature.
Rendering & Performance
| Feature | Astro | Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Default output | Static HTML, prerendered | Static pages (SSG) |
| Other modes | On-demand rendering, server islands | Deferred static generation, server rendering |
| JavaScript in the browser | None unless you opt in | React, hydrated in the browser |
| Images | Built-in Image and Picture | gatsby-plugin-image |
Data & Content
| Feature | Astro | Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Content collections with loaders | GraphQL data layer |
| GraphQL | Not needed | Optional |
| UI frameworks | React, Vue, Svelte, Solid and more | React only |
| Plugins | Official and community integrations | Over 3,000 plugins |
Upkeep & Backing
| Feature | Astro | Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Both MIT | |
| Latest version | Astro 7.4 (October 2026) | Gatsby 5.16.1 (February 2026) |
| Node.js | 22.22 or later | 18 to 25 |
| Backed by | Cloudflare, since January 2026 | Netlify, since February 2023 |
| Hosted service | Deploys to Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare or Node | Gatsby Cloud closed; Netlify instead |
Our conclusion.
Pick Astro for a new content site, because it sends less JavaScript by default and its team is still shipping major versions. Keep Gatsby when a site already runs well on it and your team knows its GraphQL data layer, and plan a move before you need new features.
Both are free under the MIT licence. Astro 7 came out in June 2026, and its team works on it full time at Cloudflare. Gatsby's latest release, 5.16.1, came out in February 2026 after 5.16 added React 19 and Node.js 24 support. Netlify, which Gatsby joined in 2023, says it does not plan for Gatsby to be where the main new ideas in frameworks happen.
Gatsby still has more than 3,000 plugins and a GraphQL layer that pulls data from many sources into one query. If you move a Gatsby site to Astro, its React components can come with you through Astro's React integration.
Other comparisons.
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See Astro vs WordPress
Next.js
Webflow
WordPressFAQ
Questions,
answered.
No. It still gets releases (5.16.1 in February 2026) and commits, and Gatsby 5 is on long-term support. Netlify, which Gatsby joined in 2023, says it does not plan for Gatsby to be where the main new ideas in frameworks happen, so expect fixes more than features.
No neutral benchmark settles it for every site. By default Astro sends HTML and CSS with no JavaScript and adds it only to the parts you mark as interactive, while a Gatsby site loads React in the browser. For a content site, less JavaScript usually means a lighter page.
Yes. Astro's React integration renders your React components, so many of them can move as they are. The GraphQL queries are rewritten as Astro content collections or direct API calls, and old addresses keep their place with redirects.
Not by default. Astro reads content through collections with Zod schemas and loaders, and a page can still call any GraphQL API you already have.
Netlify ended Gatsby Cloud after Gatsby joined it in 2023 and moved customers to Netlify. Netlify says the change does not affect the Gatsby framework itself.
Yes. Gatsby is open source under the MIT licence, as Astro is. You pay for hosting and for the people who build the site.
