9 Best Headless CMS (Filtered Based on Your Needs)

There are a lot of headless CMS on the market these days. Choosing the right one can be overwhelming.

For instance, if you are looking for a headless CMS with great eCommerce features, then you would want to choose a different CMS than if you were looking for the one that is great for blogging.

You have to consider your needs, budget, and what is available in the market. In this blog post, we will review 9 of the best headless CMS in the market.

We will categorize them based on your needs so that you can choose the right one for you.

So, whether you’re looking for a powerful content management system or an easy-to-use platform, we’ve got you covered!

What Is a Headless CMS?

A headless CMS is a type of content management system that stores, and manages, data in a central location but does not render it to end users.

Instead, the front-end presentation layer is handled by a separate application. Simply put, a headless CMS is the back-end content management system that delivers the data via an API (Application Programming Interface) and solely focuses on the content part and not the design.

The advantage of this approach is that it allows for greater flexibility in how content is presented. For example, a headless CMS can be used to power a website, a mobile app, or even a voice-based assistant such as Amazon Alexa.

In addition, because the backend and frontend are decoupled, changes to one side do not necessarily require changes to the other.

This makes for a more efficient development process and reduces the risk of breaking existing features.

Despite these advantages, headless CMS can be more complex to set up and manage than traditional systems. They also tend to require more technical expertise on the part of end users.

As a result, they are not always the best choice for small businesses or organizations with limited resources.

Benefits of a Headless CMS

A headless CMS uses APIs to deliver content to a variety of devices and platforms.

This approach has many benefits. First, it allows developers to decouple the back-end and front-end of a website, making it easier to manage and update content.

Second, it makes it possible to deliver content to multiple devices and platforms using a single back-end.

Third, it makes it easier to update the front end of a website without affecting the back end.

Fourth, it can improve website performance because the back-end is not responsible for rendering pages.

Finally, a headless CMS is often more scalable than a traditional CMS because it can handle large amounts of traffic without requiring additional resources.

As a result, headless CMSs are becoming increasingly popular among developers and site owners who need to manage large amounts of content.

Difference Between Headless CMS and Traditional CMS

With that said, let’s take a look at some of the best headless CMS in the market.

1. Strapi

Strapi is an open-source headless content management system (CMS) that enables you to easily create and manage your website’s content.

Strapi provides a flexible and extensible Admin Panel that makes it easy to manage your content, users, and settings.

In addition, Strapi comes with a wide range of features, including a built-in SEO tool, social media integration, and support for multiple languages.

Building projects in Strapi have to be one of the fastest experiences you could have as a developer.

And with omnichannel experience capabilities, it provides you with the ability to scale your projects as they grow.

Notable Features

• Open-source
• Flexible and extensible Admin panel
• Built-in SEO tool
• Omnichannel experience capabilities

Pros

• Fast and easy to use
• Flexible and scalable
• Good community support

Cons

• The free version lacks some features
• The learning curve can be steep for beginners

Ratings

• G2: 4.6/5
• Capterra: 4.7/5

Pricing

The self-hosted plan of Strapi is free to use, unlocking almost every CMS feature you would need. They are still yet to launch their Cloud plan.

2. ButterCMS

ButterCMS is a content management system (CMS) that helps you create, manage, and publish content with ease.

ButterCMS also provides an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to keep your content up-to-date.

In addition, ButterCMS integrates with popular web frameworks such as Laravel, Ruby on Rails, and Express.js. As a result, you can use ButterCMS to power your website or blog without having to learn a new CMS.

Its flexible content modeling feature also enables you to easily create custom content types.

Their built-in SEO function ensures that your content is optimized for search engines. They also have a WYSIWYG Editor that makes it easy to format your content without having to learn HTML.

The multi-site and environment capability allows you to manage all of your different content at one central location.

Notable Features

• Flexible content modeling
• Built-in SEO functionality
• Integrates with popular web frameworks

Pros

• Easy to use
• Flexible and customizable
• Multi-site and environment capability

Cons

• Documentation could be more thorough

Ratings

• G2: 4.8/5
• Capterra: 4.5/5

Pricing

ButterCMS has a free developer plan. The Micro plan costs $99/month, the Startup plan costs $199/month, and lastly Small Business costs $399/month.

3. Contentful

Contentful is one of the leading headless CMS, and it offers a wide range of features and capabilities.

For starters, it’s extremely easy to use, even for non-technical users. It also integrates well with a wide range of tools, making it easy to publish content anywhere you need it.

And its app framework makes it easy to build custom applications that need access to your content.

Contentful is cloud-native and therefore makes sure that your content gets delivered across all digital channels.

Also, to get full control over your content, you can use its powerful Content Management API with compact JSON payloads.

Further, its customizable interface allows you to give your content team the freedom they need while still maintaining control over your brand.

Best of all?

If you want regional autonomy, they have got you covered. You can, for instance, publish your content in multiple languages syncing relevant time zones.

Lastly, creating custom mobile-friendly content types is a breeze with Contentful.

Notable Features

• Intuitive interface
• Powerful API
• Customizable
• Regional autonomy
• Mobile-friendly

Pros

• Easy to use
• Great for multi-language sites
• Flexible and scalable

Cons

• Lack of resources for entry-level coders
• Integration with Grammarly can be improved

Ratings

• G2: 4.3/5
• TrustRadius: 8.3/10
• Capterra: 4.4/5

Pricing

Contentful’s community is completely free to use with a single space for up to 5 members. The Team plan starts at $489/month.

4. Sanity

Sanity.io is a content management platform that enables you to build digital experiences at any scale.

It is a fully-customizable, headless CMS that provides the flexibility and power you need to manage your content.

Sanity.io is built on an open-source foundation and comes with a wide range of features, including a rich text editor, media management, and real-time collaboration.

Some of the key features and functionalities of Sanity are structured content, content lake, and developer experience.

The Sanity Studio provides a flexible editing experience that lets you work faster and collab effortlessly.

The Content Lake is your go-to real-time database wherein all your content will be stored.

Lastly, the Developer Experience is a top-notch front-end tools provider as it provides you with everything you need to get started quickly and efficiently.

Notable Features

• Open-source
• Flexible editing experience
• Content Lake (easy database management)
• Developer Experience (CMS with modern frameworks)

Pros

• Powerful and flexible
• Great for real-time collaboration
• Easy to use

Cons

• The learning curve can be steep
• The free version lacks some features

Ratings

• G2: 4.7/5
• Capterra: 5/5

Pricing

Sanity has a forever free plan that allows a generated usage quote (Around 10GB bandwidth/month).

5. Storyblok

Storyblok is a cloud-based headless CMS that offers developers a powerful set of tools for building websites and applications.

With Storyblok, you can manage your content in a single platform and then publish it to any number of websites or devices.

It also provides a wide range of features, including a drag-and-drop page builder, real-time previews, and revision history.

In addition, it offers an extensive API that enables you to integrate your content with other applications and services.

With Storyblok, for example, you can easily create a blog or e-commerce site using a headless CMS.

Its central content hub helps you find and manage all your content in one place. You can also preview your changes in real time and track every single edit with its revision history feature.

Notable Features

• Headless CMS
• Drag-and-drop page builder
• Real-time previews
• Extensive API

Pros

• Easy to use
• Flexible and customizable
• Central content hub
• Omnichannel publishing
• Blazing fast performance

Cons

• The free plan has limited features and additional user seat costs money
• Can handle limited traffic per month

Ratings

• G2: 4.6/5
• Capterra: 3.8/5

Pricing

Storyblok has a Community plan that is free to use. The Entry plan costs $99/month, the Teams plan costs $449/month and the Enterprise plan costs $2999/month.

6. Directus

Directus is a headless CMS that offers a unified experience for managing content across all your digital channels.

It’s a simple yet powerful way to manage your content, with a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy to get started.

Directus provides all the features you need to manage your content, including a drag-and-drop editor, real-time preview, revision history, and more.

And because it’s headless, you can use Directus with any front-end framework or platform.

With Directus, you can either start with a new or even an existing database with the help of any SQL vendor and then Directus will take care of the later part.

Its no-code app assists your team effortlessly and safely in making changes to the schema without having to write any SQL and helps you and your team browser and visualize data easily.

Notable Features

• Open Source
• Decoupled
• Flexible
• Customizable
• API-First

Pros

• Best suited for developers as it provides complete control over the data and codebase.
• The headless CMS is not bound to any specific platform and can work with any front-end framework.

Cons

• As it is an open-source headless content management system, it might not be as reliable as the other paid options.
• It is also a developer-focused tool and might not be the best option for non-technical users.

Ratings

• G2: 5/5
• Capterra: 4.5/5

Pricing

The Community Cloud plan offered by Directus is free to use with unlimited users. But it automatically gets paused after 3 days of inactivity. The Standard Cloud plan costs $25/month.

7. dotCMS

DotCMS is a powerful Content Management System (CMS) that helps you manage your website content easily and efficiently.

It is written in Java and offers a wide range of features to help you create, manage, and publish your content.

With dotCMS, you can create custom content types, workflows, and permissions to control who can see and edit your content.

You can also use dotCMS to manage your website’s menus, navigation, and design. Additionally, dotCMS comes with a built-in search engine that makes it easy to find the content you’re looking for.

Overall, dotCMS is a versatile and user-friendly CMS that can help you manage your website content effectively.

Notable Features

• Built-in search engine
• Flexible and customizable
• Multi-site management
• User-friendly interface

Pros

• Easy to use
• Flexible and customizable
• The built-in search engine makes it easy to find content
• Multi-site management is handy

Cons

• The interface can be overwhelming for some users
• The learning curve is steep, at least for new content editors

Ratings

• G2: 4/5
• Capterra: 4.2/5
• TrustRadius: 9/10

Pricing

dotCMS offers a 30-day free trial and then you can get a quote to know more about their enterprise pricing based on your needs.

8. Magnolia

Magnolia is a headless content management system that provides the flexibility and scalability needed to manage large amounts of content, while also giving developers the freedom to easily build custom applications on top of Magnolia’s APIs.

As a result, Magnolia is an ideal platform for building sophisticated digital experiences.

Magnolia’s headless architecture allows for seamless integration with third-party systems and applications.

Its APIs make it easy to connect Magnolia with external services and data sources.

And its modular design makes it easy to customize and extend the platform to meet the specific needs of your project.

With its optimization features like A/B testing, personalization, analytics & insights, SEO features, and more, it is known as a high-performing headless CMS.

Notable Features

• A/B Testing
• Personalization
• Analytics & Insights
• SEO features
• Modular design

Pros

• Best for large projects
• Best for developers
• Best for digital experiences

Cons

• Steep learning curve

Ratings

• G2: 4.2/5
• Capterra: 4.7/5
• TrustRadius: 8.9/10

Pricing

Magnolia is an open-source CMS and therefore, it is free to use.

9. WordPress

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that can be used to power everything from small personal blogs to large corporate websites.

Recently, WordPress has been increasingly used as a headless CMS, meaning that the backend of WordPress is used to store and manage content, but the front end is built using a separate framework or platform.

This approach offers several advantages, including greater flexibility and easier integration with other systems.

One of the benefits of using WordPress as a headless CMS is that it allows for greater flexibility in terms of the front-end design.

With a traditional WordPress site, the front-end design is limited by the theme that is selected. However, when using WordPress as a headless CMS, the front can be completely customized since it is not tied to any particular theme.

This means that developers can create unique and engaging user experiences without having to worry about compatibility issues.

Another advantage of using WordPress as a headless CMS is that it makes integration with other systems simpler. For example, if you want to add an e-commerce component to your website, you can easily do so by using one of the many available plugins.

With a traditional WordPress site, you would need to develop a custom solution or use a third-party service such as WooCommerce.

However, since WordPress as a headless CMS decouples the frontend and backend, it is much easier to integrate with existing systems.

Notable Features

• Open source and free to use
• Decoupled frontend and backend
• Large plugin ecosystem
• Good documentation

Pros

• Greater flexibility in terms of front-end design
• Easier integration with other systems

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for some users
• Security risks if not properly configured

Ratings

TrustRadius: 8.6/10

Pricing

WordPress.org is completely free to use. However, you will need to find your own hosting and domain name.

How to Choose the Right Headless CMS for Your Needs?  

Now that you know about some of the best headless CMS options available, it’s time to determine which one is right for your needs.

To help you make the right decision, here are some factors to consider:

1. Define Your Goals
2. Consider Your Technical Skill Level
3. Evaluate Your Budget
4. Consider Your Frequency of Updates
5. Think About Third-Party Integrations

These are just a few of the factors you should consider when choosing a headless CMS.

By taking the time to evaluate your needs, you can be sure to choose the right platform for your project.

Wrap Up

Now that you know all about the best headless CMS on the market, it’s time for you to make a decision.

All of these platforms have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so you need to choose one that will fit your specific needs.

With the right headless CMS in place, you can rest assured knowing that your website is in good hands. We recommend starting with Contentful or Strapi. Both are versatile and  you’re more likely to find them to suit your needs.

Thanks for reading!