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The best CMS for Astro, from the ones we run on client sites

For most Astro business sites, the best CMS is a Git-based one. Every save becomes a tracked commit, the site stays static, and nothing new needs hosting. We run Sveltia CMS where clients edit a lot and Pages CMS where they edit a few things.

Sveltia CMSPages CMS
What it is A free, open source editor built to read the same configuration as Decap CMS, the project once called Netlify CMS. It is one page added to your site. An open source editor that runs as a hosted app and connects to your GitHub repository. Nothing extra ships with your site.
Where editors go An admin page on your own site, or its own subdomain such as cms.yourdomain.com. The Pages CMS app, which opens your repository.
How editors sign in GitHub. We route sign-in through an endpoint on the site's own Cloudflare Worker, so it never depends on Netlify. GitHub, through the Pages CMS app.
What saving does Commits the change to GitHub. The site rebuilds and the change is live in about two to three minutes. Commits the change to GitHub, then the same build and deploy.
Setup effort More: a configuration file, a GitHub sign-in app, and a sign-in route on the Worker. Less: one configuration file in the repository.
Best for Clients who edit many pages, photos and posts, and want the editor under their own domain. A small, defined set of content, such as reviews and FAQs.
Where we run it Partner pages on houston-nannies.com, and the page copy, photos and blog for a counselling practice. Testimonials and FAQs for a childcare agency.

Everything in this table is running on client sites today. Reviewed .

The guardrails matter more than the editor

Any of these editors can change a page. What decides whether a client can safely use one is what happens after they press save. These are the rules we build around every editor we hand over.

  • Saving is publishing.

    Every save is a commit. The build runs and the change is live a few minutes later, so there is no separate publish step to forget.

  • The build checks every save.

    Content is validated against a schema, and the type checker and tests run before anything deploys. A bad save fails the build, and the live site stays on the last good version.

  • A failed publish tells someone.

    When a save does not make it live, the deploy opens a GitHub issue with a link to what failed. Nothing fails silently.

  • Editors can only change content.

    A save from anyone but us may only touch the content folder. Anything else is refused before it deploys, and the editor's sign-in cannot change that rule.

  • Facts stay in code.

    Prices that come from a booking system, an address that must match the Google Business Profile, a licence or registration number: fields like these are not editable, because another system is the source of truth.

  • Sign-in stays off the public site.

    The editor can live on its own subdomain with no analytics scripts, so a sign-in token never shares a page with third party code.

  • Rules a person would forget are enforced.

    On Houston Nannies, a partner page shorter than the minimum, or a logo path with no file behind it, fails the build instead of going live.

Still deciding whether the site should be static at all? Read Astro vs WordPress, with numbers from a live client rebuild. New to the words? Start with static site, version control and Markdown.

Want an editor on your Astro site?

Tell us who edits and what they change. We will set up the right editor, with the guardrails, in your own accounts.

Book a call Small business websites

Common questions

What is the best CMS for Astro?
It depends on who edits and how often. For a business site that changes a few times a month, a Git-based CMS such as Sveltia CMS or Pages CMS keeps the site static and every change tracked. For a team publishing every day with drafts and roles, a headless CMS such as Sanity or Storyblok is worth the extra service.
Is Sveltia CMS a good Decap CMS alternative?
Yes. Sveltia describes itself as a drop-in replacement for Decap CMS, which was previously Netlify CMS, so existing collections usually carry over. It is the one we choose for new sites.
Can I use Decap or Sveltia CMS without Netlify?
Yes. Both sign in with GitHub through an OAuth service, and the default service runs on Netlify. We run our own on the site's Cloudflare Worker instead, backed by a GitHub OAuth app we own, with its secret stored only in the Worker.
Do my editors need a GitHub account?
Yes, with these setups. It is free. We ask each editor to turn on two-step login, then add them to that one repository only. Removing their access later takes one click and stops their sign-in straight away.
Can someone break the live site from the CMS?
Not the live site. Every save goes through the same build as a code change. If a save fails the checks, it does not deploy, and the site keeps serving the last version that passed.
When is a Git-based CMS the wrong choice?
When a content team publishes every day and needs drafts, scheduled posts and roles. Every editor also needs a GitHub account, and a save takes minutes to go live, not seconds. That kind of team is better served by a headless CMS or WordPress.