10 Best Headless CMS Tools in 2026

Contentful is a composable content platform that enables enterprises to create, manage, and deliver digital content across websites, apps, and devices via APIs.

Sanity is a headless CMS known for its real-time collaboration, flexible content modeling, and developer-friendly approach. Unlike traditional CMSs, Sanity treats content as structured data that can be used anywhere. The open-source Sanity Studio provides a customizable editing experience, while the hosted content lake handles storage and delivery. Sanity is popular among developers building modern web applications and agencies serving multiple clients with different content needs.

Storyblok is a headless CMS that combines API-first architecture with a visual editor for content creators. The visual editor shows a real-time preview of content on the actual website, bridging the gap between headless flexibility and WYSIWYG simplicity. Storyblok is popular for marketing websites, landing pages, and content-heavy applications where non-technical users need to see their changes immediately. The platform supports components, localization, and powerful content scheduling.

Strapi is the leading open-source headless CMS, enabling developers to build content APIs quickly using a customizable admin panel. Self-hosted by default, Strapi gives teams full control over their content infrastructure. The platform supports REST and GraphQL APIs, custom content types, role-based access control, and a plugin ecosystem. Strapi is popular among developers who want CMS flexibility without vendor lock-in, and it's often used for blogs, e-commerce, and enterprise content applications.

Directus is an open-source data platform that wraps any database with APIs and an admin interface. Connect to existing tables, get instant REST and GraphQL APIs, and manage content through a customizable interface. Self-hosting keeps you in control. The database stays yours. Extensions customize everything. Teams wanting to expose databases through APIs without custom development choose Directus for instant, flexible data access.

Payload provides headless CMS that's code-first. TypeScript CMS where developers define content—headless that fits development workflows. The code-first approach suits developers. The TypeScript integration is native. The self-hosting works. Developers wanting code-first CMS choose Payload for TypeScript headless content.

DatoCMS is a headless CMS built for the modern web, known for excellent developer experience and strong image handling. The platform offers structured content, powerful image transformations via Imgix, and multi-environment support for safe content staging. DatoCMS is popular in the Jamstack community and integrates well with static site generators and modern frameworks. The modular content approach and real-time previews make it suitable for marketing teams managing complex content.

Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS) is a headless CMS that pioneered GraphQL-first content APIs. The platform focuses on content federation - connecting and unifying content from multiple sources. Hygraph is known for its powerful GraphQL API, content localization, and flexible content modeling. The platform is popular among teams building complex content architectures that need to combine content from different systems into a unified API.

Prismic is a headless CMS that focuses on giving marketers independence while keeping developers happy. The platform offers Slice Machine, a component-based approach where developers build reusable content components (slices) that marketers can assemble into pages. This balance makes Prismic popular for marketing sites and corporate websites. Prismic offers strong preview capabilities, scheduling, and a generous free tier for small projects.

KeystoneJS builds Node.js backends with an auto-generated admin UI. Define your schema, get APIs and a content management interface—backend development accelerated. The admin UI is automatic. The API is GraphQL. The customization is full. Node.js developers wanting rapid backend development choose KeystoneJS for schema-driven development.