Executive Summary
In my hunt for an SEO-friendly, headless CMS and modern Jamstack alternative to WordPress, I found Astro. It’s a modern web framework built around pre-rendered HTML, partial hydration, and an islands-based architecture that keeps JavaScript to an absolute minimum, while still supporting React, Vue, Svelte and other popular UI frameworks where needed.
The part of Astro’s tagline that always caught me off guard was the “content-driven websites” claim. Coming from a PHP and WordPress background, that phrase immediately suggests a built-in CMS, something Astro clearly is not, at least not on its own.
Finding a CMS for Astro
This report provides an in-depth analysis of 13 major CMS platforms that integrate with Astro, evaluated across 20 critical feature areas. The analysis uses a standardised 0–5 scoring methodology to help developers and content teams select the most appropriate CMS for their specific project requirements.
Broken down, these fall into three categories:
- 10 x Headless CMS
- 2 x Git-Based CMS
- 1 x Hybrid CMS
What is "Headless CMS"?
Put simply, a Headless CMS separates content management from presentation, giving you complete flexibility in how and where you deliver your content. Rather than being tied to a specific frontend, channel or theme, a headless CMS acts as a content repository that serves your content through APIs.
This architecture has become the industry standard for modern web development because it enables teams to build faster, scale more efficiently, and adapt to changing requirements without being locked into a single presentation layer.
Key benefits:
- Separates content management from presentation
- Provides content via APIs (REST, GraphQL, etc.)
- No built-in frontend/theme system
- Frontend is completely decoupled
- Can deliver to any channel (web, mobile, IoT, etc.)
What is "Git-Based CMS"?
A Git-Based CMS takes a fundamentally different approach by storing content directly in your Git repository as files (Markdown, JSON, or YAML) rather than in a traditional database. This approach appeals to developers who prefer version control-based workflows and want content to live alongside their code.
What is "Hybrid CMS"?
A Hybrid CMS combines elements of traditional CMS architecture with headless capabilities, offering both a built-in frontend/theme system and API access for decoupled deployments. These platforms give you options—you can use their default frontend if you prefer, or build your own using their APIs.
Comparison Summary
| Aspect | Headless CMS | Git-Based CMS | Hybrid CMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | API-first, decoupled | File-based, Git-native | Both built-in & API |
| Best For | Modern web apps, Astro | Static sites, docs | Flexible deployments |
| Learning Curve | Medium | Low for developers | Medium |
| Non-technical Users | Good support | Poor support | Good support |
| Scalability | Excellent | Limited | Good |
| Cost | Variable (SaaS/self-hosted) | Low | Variable |
| Flexibility | Maximum | Medium | High |
Why a Headless CMS is a Great Choice?
Headless CMS platforms offer unmatched flexibility and control. You can use any frontend framework (React, Vue, Astro, etc.), deploy to any hosting provider, and easily adapt to new technologies without replacing your entire CMS.
This approach eliminates vendor lock-in, enables faster development cycles, and provides better performance. For teams building modern web applications, especially with static site generators like Astro, a headless CMS is the natural choice.
Choosing the Best Astro CMS
Whether you're building a blog, documentation site, or complex content platform, this comparison report will help you choose the right Jamstack CMS for your Astro project.
Based on comprehensive feature evaluation, Contentful emerges as the highest-scoring platform (90/100) with enterprise-grade capabilities, followed by DatoCMS (86/100) and Payload CMS (81/100). However, the best choice depends on your specific needs: Strapi excels for open-source deployments, Storyblok for visual editing experiences, Decap CMS for Git-based workflows, and StudioCMS for Astro-native solutions.
Scoring Methodology
Each Astro CMS is evaluated on a 0–5 scale across 20 feature areas:
- 0 = Not realistically possible
- 1 = Possible but painful/fragile
- 2 = Doable with heavy custom work
- 3 = Solid via plugins/apps
- 4 = Strong out-of-the-box
- 5 = Excellent + mature + editor-friendly
WordPress Alternative Score
Each CMS is also scored on how well it serves as a Jamstack alternative to WordPress, considering:
- Admin panel usability and familiarity for non-developers
- Content management workflows (similar to WordPress editor)
- Plugin/extensibility ecosystem
- Built-in features (media, SEO, users, roles)
- Learning curve for WordPress users
- Overall feature parity with WordPress
Astro CMS Features Compared
| Feature | Strapi | Storyblok | Decap CMS | DatoCMS | StudioCMS | TinaCMS | Ghost | Contentful | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content Modelling | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Relational Data | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Front-end Editing (Visual) | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Live Preview | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Workflow & Approvals | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Versioning & Rollback | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Roles & Permissions | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Multilingual Support | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Media / DAM Capability | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| SEO Controls | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| API & Delivery Options | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Extensibility | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| TOTAL SCORE | 78 | 79 | 52 | 86 | 64 | 57 | 64 | 90 | 81 |
1. Strapi - Best Open-Source CMS
Repository: strapi/strapi
Stars: 71,000+
Type: Open-source Headless CMS
Overall Score: 78/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 7.5/10
Strapi is the leading open-source headless CMS built entirely in JavaScript/TypeScript. It provides a fully customizable admin panel and powerful REST/GraphQL APIs, making it ideal for developers who need complete control over their content infrastructure.
Key Strengths:
- Exceptional content modelling and relational data support (5/5)
- Granular roles and permissions system (5/5)
- Excellent API and delivery options with both REST and GraphQL (5/5)
- Highly extensible plugin system (5/5)
- Strong open-source community with active development
Limitations:
- Limited visual/front-end editing capabilities (2/5)
- Requires more setup and configuration than SaaS alternatives
- Steeper learning curve for non-technical editors
Best For:
Developers seeking complete control, complex content models, and open-source solutions with enterprise-grade features. Teams transitioning from WordPress who want more developer control.
Screenshots:
2. Storyblok - Best Visual Editing Experience
Repository: storyblok/storyblok-js
Stars: 40+
Weekly Downloads: 26,000 (via @storyblok/astro)
Type: Headless CMS with Visual Editor
Overall Score: 79/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 8/10
Storyblok is a headless CMS renowned for its exceptional visual editing experience. It allows content creators to edit directly on the website with live preview, making it ideal for teams that prioritise user experience and visual content management.
Key Strengths:
- Outstanding visual editing and live preview (5/5 each)
- Excellent multilingual support (5/5)
- Strong API and delivery options (5/5)
- Intuitive interface for non-technical content editors
- Real-time collaboration features
- Most WordPress-like editing experience in headless CMS space
Limitations:
- SaaS-only model with subscription costs
- Less control over infrastructure and customisation
- Versioning capabilities slightly behind competitors (4/5)
Best For:
Teams prioritising editor experience, visual content management, and real-time collaboration. Ideal for marketing-driven organisations and WordPress users seeking a modern alternative.
Screenshots:
3. Decap CMS - Best for Git-Based Workflows
Repository: decaporg/decap-cms
Stars: 18,800+
Type: Git-based CMS
Overall Score: 52/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 3/10
Decap CMS (formerly Netlify CMS) is a lightweight, Git-based CMS that stores content directly in your repository. It's ideal for static site generators and developers who prefer version control-based workflows.
Key Strengths:
- Exceptional versioning and rollback capabilities (5/5) - leverages Git
- Strong performance and caching (4/5)
- Free and open-source
- Simple deployment model
- Perfect for static site workflows
Limitations:
- Limited content modelling flexibility (3/5)
- Weak relational data support (2/5)
- No visual editing (1/5)
- Not suitable for non-technical users
Best For:
Static site generators, documentation sites, and teams comfortable with Git-based workflows. Best for smaller projects with simpler content structures and developer-focused teams.
Screenshots:
4. DatoCMS - Best for Enterprise Workflows
Repository: datocms
Stars: 166+ (react-datocms)
Weekly Downloads: 1,900 (via @datocms/astro)
Type: API-based Headless CMS
Overall Score: 86/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 7/10
DatoCMS is a premium API-based headless CMS that excels in content modelling, editor experience, and team collaboration. It offers a modern interface with powerful content structuring capabilities.
Key Strengths:
- Exceptional content modelling and relational data (5/5 each)
- Outstanding workflow and approval systems (5/5)
- Excellent versioning and rollback (5/5)
- Granular roles and permissions (5/5)
- Strong multilingual support (5/5)
- Enterprise-grade environments and deployment (5/5)
Limitations:
- SaaS-only with premium pricing
- Limited visual editing capabilities (3/5)
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Strapi
Best For:
Enterprise teams, complex content structures, and organisations requiring sophisticated approval workflows and collaboration features. Teams moving from WordPress who need more powerful content modelling.
Screenshots:
5. StudioCMS - Best Astro-Native Solution
Repository: withstudiocms/studiocms
Stars: 685+
Weekly Downloads: 1,200 (via studiocms)
Type: Astro-native Headless CMS
Overall Score: 64/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 6/10
StudioCMS is a dedicated CMS built specifically for the Astro ecosystem. It's designed from the ground up by the Astro community, offering seamless integration with Astro projects and Astro DB.
Key Strengths:
- Native Astro integration with zero friction
- Built on Astro's architecture and conventions
- Growing community support within Astro ecosystem
- Good content modelling capabilities (4/5)
- Solid live preview and performance (4/4)
- Simpler setup than Strapi for Astro projects
Limitations:
- Younger project with smaller feature set
- Limited visual editing (3/5)
- Weaker workflow/approval systems (2/5)
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations (3/5)
Best For:
Astro-first projects, teams already invested in the Astro ecosystem, and projects that prioritise framework-native solutions. Good for teams wanting a simpler alternative to heavyweight CMS platforms.
Screenshots:
6. TinaCMS - Best for Visual Git-Based Editing
Repository: tinacms/tinacms
Weekly Downloads: 48 (via astro-tina)
Type: Git-based Headless CMS with Visual Editing
Overall Score: 57/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 5/10
TinaCMS is an open-source headless CMS that combines Git-based content storage with visual editing capabilities. It's designed for developers who want Git version control with a better editor experience.
Key Strengths:
- Excellent visual editing and live preview (5/5 each)
- Strong Git-based versioning (5/5)
- Open-source and free
- Developer-friendly with TypeScript support
- Markdown-first approach
Limitations:
- Limited content modelling compared to enterprise solutions (3/5)
- Weak relational data support (2/5)
- Limited workflow/approval features (2/5)
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations (2/5)
Best For:
Developers seeking visual editing with Git workflows, Markdown-based content, and projects that need developer control with editor-friendly interfaces.
Screenshots:
7. Ghost - Best for Publishers
Repository: TryGhost/Ghost
Type: Blogging Platform & Membership CMS
Overall Score: 64/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 6.5/10
Ghost is a modern blogging platform and membership CMS focused on content creators and publishers. It excels at content publishing, membership management, and newsletter features.
Key Strengths:
- Outstanding SEO controls (5/5) - built for publishers
- Strong versioning and rollback (4/5)
- Excellent URL and routing control (4/4)
- Built-in membership and subscription management
- Modern, clean interface
- Better for publishers than WordPress
Limitations:
- Limited content modeling (2/5)
- Weak relational data support (2/5)
- No visual editing (2/5)
- Primarily designed for blogs/newsletters, not complex content structures
Best For:
Publishers, bloggers, newsletter platforms, and membership-based content sites. Ideal for teams transitioning from WordPress who want a more modern, focused platform.
Screenshots:
8. Contentful - Best Enterprise CMS
Repository: contentful
Type: Enterprise Headless CMS
Overall Score: 90/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 6/10
Contentful is an enterprise-grade headless CMS that provides the most comprehensive feature set among all evaluated platforms. It's designed for large organisations with complex content needs.
Key Strengths:
- Exceptional content modelling and relational data (5/5 each)
- Outstanding workflow and approval systems (5/5)
- Excellent versioning and rollback (5/5)
- Granular roles and permissions (5/5)
- Superior multilingual support (5/5)
- Enterprise-grade environments and deployment (5/5)
- Powerful search capabilities (4/5)
- Exceptional multi-site/multi-tenancy (5/5)
- Best-in-class DAM capabilities (5/5)
Limitations:
- Premium pricing (enterprise-focused)
- Steeper learning curve
- Overkill for smaller projects
- Limited visual editing (3/5)
Best For:
Enterprise organisations, large-scale projects, complex content structures, and teams requiring sophisticated governance and multi-site management. Not recommended for WordPress users seeking a simple alternative.
Screenshots:
9. Payload CMS - Best Customizable Open-Source
Repository: payloadcms/payload
Weekly Downloads: 15 (via astro-payload-local-loader)
Type: Open-source Headless CMS
Overall Score: 81/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 7.5/10
Payload is a modern, open-source headless CMS built with Node.js that provides excellent content modelling, extensibility, and developer experience. It offers both REST and GraphQL APIs with a customizable admin interface.
Key Strengths:
- Exceptional content modelling and relational data (5/5 each)
- Custom schemas and migrations (5/5)
- Excellent extensibility and plugin system (5/5)
- Outstanding custom apps and admin UI extension (5/5)
- Strong API and delivery options (5/5)
- Highly customizable admin interface
- Active development and growing community
Limitations:
- No visual editing (2/5)
- Limited workflow/approval features (3/5)
- Smaller ecosystem than Strapi
- Requires more setup than SaaS alternatives
Best For:
Developers seeking powerful open-source solutions with excellent extensibility, custom admin interfaces, and full control over infrastructure. Teams wanting to build custom admin experiences.
Screenshots:
10. Sveltia CMS - Modern Git-Based Alternative
Repository: sveltia/sveltia-cms
Weekly Downloads: 20 (via astro-sveltia-cms)
Type: Git-based Headless CMS
Overall Score: 58/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 3/10
Sveltia CMS is a modern, lightweight Git-based CMS that serves as a successor to Netlify CMS (Decap CMS). It maintains compatibility while offering improved performance and modern features.
Key Strengths:
- Git-based versioning and rollback
- Lightweight and fast
- Modern, clean interface
- Open-source and free
- Good performance optimisation
- Better than Decap CMS in many areas
Limitations:
- Limited content modelling
- Weak relational data support
- No visual editing
- Smaller ecosystem
- Not suitable for non-technical users
Best For:
Static site generators, teams familiar with Decap CMS, and projects seeking a modern Git-based alternative for developer-focused teams.
Screenshots:
11. Kontent.ai - Enterprise Collaboration CMS
Repository: kontent-ai
Weekly Downloads: 14 (via @simply007org/kontent-ai-astro)
Type: API-based Headless CMS
Overall Score: 72/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 6/10
Kontent.ai is an enterprise headless CMS focused on content teams and developers. It emphasises real-time collaboration and structured content management.
Key Strengths:
- Strong content modelling capabilities
- Real-time collaboration features
- Good multilingual support
- Comprehensive API options
- Strong team collaboration tools
Limitations:
- SaaS-only with premium pricing
- Limited visual editing
- Smaller ecosystem
Best For:
Enterprise teams, collaborative content environments, and organisations needing strong team features and structured content management.
12. Flotiq
Repository: flotiq/flotiq-astro-sdk
Weekly Downloads: 9 (via @flotiq/flotiq-astro-sdk)
Type: Headless CMS
Overall Score: 60/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 4/10
Overview: Flotiq is a lightweight headless CMS designed for developers who need simplicity and ease of integration.
WordPress Comparison: Flotiq is simpler than WordPress but lacks many of WordPress's features and ecosystem. It's better suited for developers than for non-technical users.
Key Strengths:
- Simple setup and integration
- Good API support
- Developer-friendly
- Lightweight
Limitations:
- Smaller feature set
- Limited visual editing
- Smaller ecosystem
- Not suitable for complex workflows
Best For: Small to medium projects, developers seeking simplicity, and teams with straightforward content needs.
13. Spearly
Repository: spearly
Weekly Downloads: 83 (via astro-spearly)
Type: Headless CMS
Overall Score: 61/100
WordPress Alternative Score: 4/10
Overview: Spearly is a Japanese headless CMS platform with growing international adoption.
WordPress Comparison: Spearly is not positioned as a WordPress alternative. It's a specialised headless CMS with limited feature overlap with WordPress.
Key Strengths:
- Good content modelling
- API-first approach
- Growing ecosystem
- Japanese language support
Limitations:
- Smaller international community
- Limited documentation in English
- Smaller feature set
- Not suitable for WordPress migrations
Best For: Projects with specific Spearly requirements, Japanese-language content, and teams already using Spearly.
WordPress Alternative Comparison
| CMS | WordPress Alternative Score | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Storyblok | 8/10 | Visual editing, non-technical editors |
| Strapi | 7.5/10 | Developers, complex content, open-source |
| Payload CMS | 7.5/10 | Developers, custom admin interfaces |
| DatoCMS | 7/10 | Enterprise teams, workflows |
| Ghost | 6.5/10 | Publishers, bloggers, membership |
| StudioCMS | 6/10 | Astro projects, simpler alternative |
| Contentful | 6/10 | Enterprise, large-scale |
| Kontent.ai | 6/10 | Enterprise teams, collaboration |
| TinaCMS | 5/10 | Developers, Git workflows |
| Decap CMS | 3/10 | Static sites, developers |
| Sveltia CMS | 3/10 | Static sites, developers |
Highest Overall Scores
- Contentful (90/100) - Enterprise-grade with comprehensive features
- DatoCMS (86/100) - Strong workflows and collaboration
- Payload CMS (81/100) - Open-source powerhouse
Recommendation by Use Case
Large Scale & Enterprise CMS
- Contentful (90/100) - Most comprehensive feature set
- DatoCMS (86/100) - Excellent workflows and collaboration
- Payload CMS (81/100) - Powerful open-source alternative
Open-Source CMS
- Strapi (78/100) - Most mature and feature-rich
- Payload CMS (81/100) - Modern alternative with excellent extensibility
- TinaCMS (57/100) - Git-based with visual editing
Visual Editing CMS
- Storyblok (79/100) - Best-in-class visual editor
- TinaCMS (57/100) - Git-based with visual editing
- Contentful (90/100) - Enterprise with visual capabilities
Git-Based Workflows
- Decap CMS (52/100) - Lightweight and simple
- TinaCMS (57/100) - Visual editing + Git
- Sveltia CMS - Modern Decap alternative
Native Astro CMS
- StudioCMS (64/100) - Built for Astro ecosystem
- Strapi (78/100) - Strong Astro integration
- Storyblok (79/100) - Excellent Astro support
Developer Experience
- Payload CMS (81/100) - Extensible and customizable
- Strapi (78/100) - Mature ecosystem
- TinaCMS (57/100) - Git-friendly for developers
WordPress Users Seeking Alternative
- Storyblok (8/10) - Most familiar visual editing experience
- Strapi (7.5/10) - Similar admin interface, more control
- Payload CMS (7.5/10) - Customizable, developer-friendly
Publishers & Content Creators
- Ghost (6.5/10) - Purpose-built for publishers
- Storyblok (8/10) - Visual editing, easy to use
- DatoCMS (7/10) - Powerful workflows
Versioning & Rollback Support
- Decap CMS (5/5) - Git-based
- TinaCMS (5/5) - Git-based
- Contentful, DatoCMS, Strapi (4-5/5) - Mature systems
Conclusion
Choosing the right headless CMS will always depend on the nature of the project and overall requirements. If content and SEO are important, then Asto is a clear modern web dev and Jamstack winner. For the backend CMS, this report lists 13 amazing platforms to consider, with Contentful, DatoCMS, Payload, Storyblok and Strapi being the highest overall scoring.
Contentful offers the most comprehensive feature set for enterprise needs, while Strapi remains the best open-source choice for teams seeking complete control. Storyblok excels for visual editing workflows and is the closest Jamstack equivalent to WordPress, DatoCMS for team collaboration, and StudioCMS for Astro-native solutions.
For WordPress Users Specifically:
If you're transitioning from WordPress to a Jamstack CMS stack using Astro, consider these factors:
- Editor Experience: Storyblok provides the most familiar visual editing experience, closest to WordPress Gutenberg.
- Admin Interface: Strapi and Payload CMS offer customizable admin interfaces that can replicate WordPress workflows.
- Content Management: DatoCMS and Contentful provide more sophisticated content management than WordPress but with steeper learning curves.
- Simplicity: Ghost is the best WordPress alternative if you primarily need blogging and membership features.
- Developer Control: Strapi and Payload CMS give developers the most control, similar to WordPress with custom themes and plugins.
For most Astro projects, I would recommend evaluating your needs across the following criteria:
- Budget & Licensing: Open-source (Strapi, Payload) vs. SaaS (Contentful, DatoCMS, Storyblok)
- Editor Experience: Visual editing (Storyblok) vs. Traditional forms (Strapi, Contentful)
- Content Complexity: Simple (Decap CMS) vs. Complex (Contentful, Payload)
- Team Size: Solo developers (Decap CMS) vs. Enterprise teams (Contentful)
- Workflow Requirements: Simple publishing vs. Approval workflows (DatoCMS, Contentful)
- WordPress Familiarity: How important is it that the CMS feels like WordPress?
What are your thoughts about the 13 Astro CMS providers listed here? Have I missed any out, or do you have experience that would perhaps change the scoring? Please add a comment below. It would be great to get a discussion going to help developers understand what's available and make an informed decision.
About me: Agency owner since 2008 with hands-on experience maintaining over 200 WordPress sites. I now specialise in modern web architecture and helping teams migrate to headless CMS platforms like Astro. Check out my profile on dev.to for more articles, or if you want to stay in touch, drop me a message 👇🏻
Disclaimer
This report represents my research and understanding of these CMS platforms as of January 2026. However, CMS platforms are actively developed and features, pricing, and capabilities change frequently. Feature availability varies by pricing tier and license type—what's available in a free tier may differ significantly from enterprise plans. Always verify current information with each platform's official documentation and try free trials before deciding.
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