DEV Community

Hardeep singh
Hardeep singh

Posted on

How to Choose the Right Open-Source Headless CMS for Your Project

There’s a growing number of open-source headless CMS options—like Strapi, Directus, Payload CMS, Keystone, and Decap CMS—and picking the right one can feel overwhelming.

Key Criteria to Consider


  • Developer control: Need full customization and plugin support? Strapi excels here.
  • SQL flexibility: Want a database-first approach? Directus lets you layer content over your existing SQL tables.
  • Minimal setup: Prefer something lightweight and Git-based? Decap CMS is great for Markdown/JSON workflows and static sites.
  • Developer experience: Frameworks like Payload CMS and Strapi offer strong support for TypeScript, plugins, and modern APIs.
  • Community support: Strapi and Directus have active communities, which means help, frequent updates, and ecosystem tools.

When to Use Open Source vs SaaS


  • Open Source advantages: Full control, no vendor lock-in, and highly extensible.
  • Trade-offs: You manage hosting, updates, security, and backups yourself.
  • SaaS options: Offer enterprise-level features like SLAs, governance, and auto-updates at a recurring cost.

Quick Decision Flow


  1. Need to self-host and customize? → Strapi or Payload CMS.
  2. Have an existing SQL structure you want to reuse? → Directus.
  3. Building a static site with versioned content? → Decap CMS.
  4. Need strong editor tools and collaboration features? → Sanity or Storyblok.

Final Thought

The best headless CMS fits your team's workflow and goals—not the other way around. Try one or two with a real-world sample before diving in.

If you’d like a custom recommendation based on your stack and project goals, RW Infotech helps startups and dev teams choose and implement the right headless CMS.

Top comments (0)