| Feature | vagejs | Astro |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Templates | TypeScript functions with an escaping html tag |
.astro components, plus React, Vue, Svelte and others as "islands" |
| JavaScript sent to visitors | None by default | None by default; components opt in with client:* |
| Output | Static files | Static by default; on-demand pages with a server adapter |
| Content | Markdown with frontmatter, lists via collection() |
Content collections: Markdown, MDX, Markdoc, YAML, TOML, JSON |
| Sitemap | Built in | Official @astrojs/sitemap integration |
| robots.txt | Built in, with AI crawler settings | Written by you, or generated with an endpoint |
| llms.txt | Built in | Community integrations |
| Checks before publishing | vage check: links, SEO, structured data, accessibility, spam |
Not built in |
| Spam-injection protection | Link lock, hidden-link checks, vage verify |
Not built in |
| AI coding assistants | AGENTS.md in every project, vage info --json, JSON check results |
Official MCP server for the Astro docs |
Where Astro is stronger
- Interactive components. If parts of your site need React, Vue or Svelte, Astro's islands handle that well. vagejs has no client-side component model.
- Ecosystem. A large catalogue of integrations and themes, and a big community. vagejs is new and small.
- On-demand rendering. With an adapter, Astro can render pages per request. vagejs is static only.
- Rich content formats. MDX and Markdoc let you put components inside content.
Where vagejs is stronger
- Correct by default. Sitemaps, robots.txt, llms.txt and structured data come from the pages that really exist, and
vage checkstops the build when something's missing or broken. - Built for AI assistants. Every project explains itself to coding agents, and every command answers in JSON with the file to fix.
- Protection against injected spam. Links to unapproved websites and hidden links fail the check, and
vage verifycompares the live site with your files. - Safe publishing. Deploys show a plan, refuse to commit secrets and never force-push.
Which to choose
Choose Astro for sites with interactive parts, teams that want a mature ecosystem, or projects that may need server rendering later. Choose vagejs for content sites where you want guardrails, especially if an AI assistant writes much of the site.
Sources: Astro docs, Astro islands, content collections, sitemap integration, building with AI. Checked October 2026.