Headless CMS has become a cornerstone of modern web architecture. Whether it's a marketing site, SaaS documentation, or the content layer for an AI app, a flexible CMS is indispensable.
But with so many choices, developers often ask: Which CMS should I pick?
This guide covers six popular Headless CMS — Contentful, Strapi, Sanity, Ghost (API mode), Payload, Wix (Headless Mode) — with:
- Best‑fit scenarios
- Pros & cons
- Reference starter templates
1. Contentful
Best for
- Enterprise‑level content management (multi‑team, multilingual, multi‑environment)
- Marketing websites, product documentation
- Multi‑channel content distribution (Web / App / IoT)
Pros
- Reliable SaaS with strong uptime SLAs
- Rich SDKs and GraphQL support
- Flexible content modeling, multilingual support
- Powerful roles and workflow management
Cons
- Limited free tier
- Advanced features require paid plans
- Less backend customization (SaaS constraints)
Reference Template
2. Strapi
Best for
- Self‑hosted CMS projects
- Highly customized APIs with business logic
- Teams with backend expertise
Pros
- Open source and data‑controlled
- REST & GraphQL APIs
- Plugin system for extensibility
- Strong role and permission management
Cons
- Requires server & database maintenance
- Cold start performance depends on hosting environment
- More complex setup than SaaS CMS
Reference Template
3. Sanity
Best for
- Real‑time collaborative content editing
- Structured content (e.g., product specs, datasets)
- E‑commerce, media sites
Pros
- Real‑time collaboration & sync
- GROQ query language for flexible data fetching
- Strong content modeling & version control
- Excellent developer experience
Cons
- GROQ has a learning curve
- Advanced features require paid tiers
- Slightly more complex initial setup
Reference Template
4. Ghost (API Mode)
Best for
- Blogs and publishing sites
- Mixed Markdown and rich text workflows
- Minimalist content management needs
Pros
- Excellent writing and publishing experience
- Built‑in SEO and subscription features
- Works with any frontend via API
Cons
- Limited data modeling for complex structures
- Advanced membership features require Ghost Pro
- Self‑hosting still requires ops work
5. Payload
Best for
- Highly customized CMS projects
- Tight integration with complex business logic
- Full‑stack TypeScript development
Pros
- Node.js + TypeScript native, unified dev experience
- Fully customizable content models & API logic
- Open source, self‑hostable
Cons
- Higher deployment complexity
- Cold start performance tuning required
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Strapi
Reference Template
6. Wix (Headless Mode)
Best for
- Small to medium businesses wanting both CMS and website builder in one
- Teams that prefer visual design tools but still need API access to content
- Quick MVPs or marketing sites with minimal backend work
Pros
- All‑in‑one platform for content, hosting, and design
- Visual editor for non‑developers
- Offers Headless APIs (Wix Headless, Content API) for custom frontends
- Built‑in SEO, forms, and e‑commerce features
Cons
- Less backend flexibility compared to open‑source CMS
- API customization is more limited than Strapi/Payload
- Content and hosting are tied to Wix infrastructure
Reference Template
Summary & Recommendations
- For rapid MVPs or marketing sites → Consider Wix Headless for its all‑in‑one approach, or Contentful if budget allows and you need enterprise‑grade reliability.
- For enterprise‑level, multi‑team collaboration → Contentful offers robust workflows, multilingual support, and strong role management.
- For full control over data and APIs → Strapi or Payload are excellent self‑hosted, highly customizable options.
- For real‑time collaboration and structured content → Sanity excels with its collaborative editing and flexible data modeling.
- For blogs or publishing‑focused projects → Ghost (API Mode) delivers a streamlined writing and publishing experience.
- For complex business logic with a full‑stack TypeScript workflow → Payload provides deep customization and a unified developer experience.
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