Octopus.do
Octopus.do integrates with Claude and ChatGPT via MCP, turning sitemaps into live AI-editable workspace.
Comparison · Design
Astra vs Relume
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Astra and Relume — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Astra vs Relume: at a glance
What is Astra?
Astra 4.13.11 ships two security fixes and block editor speed improvements for long pages.
Astra is in a high-cadence patch cycle across both its free and Pro tiers, issuing security fixes, WooCommerce compatibility patches, and editor performance improvements multiple times per month. The September releases closed markup injection vulnerabilities reported via Patchstack, added WordPress 7.1 test confirmation, and improved block editor performance on long pages.
What is Relume?
Relume stops handing sites off and starts hosting them itself
Relume built its position on generating sitemaps, wireframes and a 1000+ component library that other tools consumed — Figma, Webflow, and since July an MCP server that AI editors query directly. Publish, now in Beta, is the first time Relume takes a project all the way live and keeps it editable after launch. The component library and design-system export continue in parallel, so the two strategies now run side by side.
Astra vs Relume: editorial side-by-side
Astra
5.0DESIGN
Astra 4.13.11 ships two security fixes and block editor speed improvements for long pages.
◆ Current state
Astra is in a high-cadence patch cycle across both its free and Pro tiers, issuing security fixes, WooCommerce compatibility patches, and editor performance improvements multiple times per month. The September releases closed markup injection vulnerabilities reported via Patchstack, added WordPress 7.1 test confirmation, and improved block editor performance on long pages.
◆ Where it's heading
Astra's recent trajectory is maintenance-dominant: security hardening, WP version compatibility, and third-party plugin fixes (WooCommerce, WPML, Elementor, Stripe) rather than new design capabilities. This is characteristic of a mature theme holding its position rather than expanding it.
◆ Prediction
The cadence suggests the team is working through a backlog of reported issues; once cleared, expect a feature-oriented release focused on block editor or Site Builder workflow improvements.
Relume
3.8DESIGN
Relume stops handing sites off and starts hosting them itself
◆ Current state
Relume built its position on generating sitemaps, wireframes and a 1000+ component library that other tools consumed — Figma, Webflow, and since July an MCP server that AI editors query directly. Publish, now in Beta, is the first time Relume takes a project all the way live and keeps it editable after launch. The component library and design-system export continue in parallel, so the two strategies now run side by side.
◆ Where it's heading
For a year Relume's answer to 'where does the site actually go' was somebody else's product. Publish reverses that, and it lands right after the MCP release made Relume an ingredient inside AI editors — the company is now simultaneously selling itself as a component supply chain and as a destination. The monthly component-and-canvas releases that filled 2025 have thinned out; the releases that ship now are structural.
◆ Prediction
Expect the Beta to fill in the parts a live site needs before it can replace a host — custom domains, CMS-backed content, form handling — and watch whether Publish or the MCP library gets the next release cycle, since the two pull in opposite directions.
Alternatives to Astra and Relume
Other Design products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Astra or Relume.
Spectra
Spectra Blocks adds White Label support and ships WordPress 7.1 compatibility in its early 1.x cycle
Recraft
Recraft bets on brand consistency and an agentic studio as AI image generation commoditizes.
Penpot
Penpot launches Enterprise tier while shipping MCP integration and background blur—monetization without closing the source.
Frame.io
Frame.io launches 'Open in Firefly Video Editor' as the first in a planned series of Adobe suite integration links.
Aseprite
Aseprite v1.3.18 ships extension save formats and faster undo; patch cadence maintains stability
See all Astra alternatives → · See all Relume alternatives →
Recent activity from Astra and Relume
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 8d agoAstraAstra Pro v4.13.9 – A security patch worth updating
- 8d agoAstraAstra v4.13.11 – Two security fixes and a much faster block editor
- 23d agoRelumeRelume Publish has landed in Beta ⚡
- 28d agoAstraAstra Pro v4.13.8 – Ready for WordPress 7.1
- 28d agoAstraAstra v4.13.10 – Ready for WordPress 7.1
- 1mo agoAstraAstra Pro v4.13.7 – A round of fixes
- 1mo agoAstraAstra v4.13.9 – A faster mobile header and a round of fixes
- 2mo agoRelumeThe Relume Library MCP, Now Live in Your AI Editor ⚡
- 4mo agoRelumeYour Design System, Native in Claude Design
- 10mo agoRelumeImage Editing, Component Shuffling, New Components & More
- 11mo agoRelumeAdvanced Search Comes to Site Builder, Plus New Components
- 1y agoRelumeSmarter Wireframes & Copywriting, Plus New Pricing Components
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Astra and Relume?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Astra is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 3.8), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Astra better than Relume?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Astra is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 3.8), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Design products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Astra?
Top Astra alternatives in Design are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Astra alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/astra for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Relume?
Top Relume alternatives in Design are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Relume alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/relume for the full list with editorial commentary on each.