Choosing between Astro and Next.js blog templates
Choose around your publishing workflow and application requirements. The framework name alone does not tell you how a particular template stores content or renders pages.
- Trace an article from editing to publication. Inspect whether the template uses local Markdown, MDX or a CMS, how drafts and images are handled, and whether a non-developer can maintain it.
- For a content-first site, inspect the static build path and the JavaScript shipped to readers. For an account-based application, inspect the actual session and data-fetching implementation. Both frameworks support multiple approaches, so verify the repository rather than inferring capabilities from its label.
- Build a representative article with code blocks, large images and a long title. Check navigation, feeds, metadata and redirects when a slug changes. Compare the required hosting adapter and services before committing to a deployment platform.
Follow an article through publication
| Task | Where to look | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Write and preview | Content directory, schema or CMS integration | A draft can be previewed without appearing in the published archive. |
| Render the article | Build output and server adapter | The title, body and navigation are present in the delivered page; required services are documented. |
| Maintain links | Slug rules, feed and redirect configuration | Renaming an article preserves a useful route from its previous address. |
| Move the site | Images, content export and deployment settings | You can identify which data and services must move with the code. |
Run a small adoption trial
Create one unpublished article and one public article with a long heading, a code block and a large image. Build using the repository instructions and inspect the resulting HTML. Compare the authoring steps and hosting requirements, rather than declaring a framework faster from its name.
Keep a note of the repository commit, environment, steps and result. Use three outcomes: demonstrated, not included, or unresolved. Estimate the work needed to close each gap before choosing. A missing check is not a pass, and this guide does not report that we performed these tests on every catalog entry.
Primary documentation
How catalog records and evidence are prepared →These are selection criteria, not claims that every listed template has these capabilities. Verify the linked repository and demo before adopting a project.
Prepared with AI assistance as a selection checklist. No named human review or hands-on project test is recorded for this guide.
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