Let’s talk about content management systems. As Web Developers, we’ve all felt the impacts of the headless CMS movement in recent years. According to Google Trends, Search volume for the term “Headless CMS” has increased by 284.62% in last 5 years This new approach provides more flexibility for front-end development while streamlining processes for content teams.
With WordPress being the top CMS it became the obvious choice for decoupled front end. Businesses could have fully custom front end with some minor tweaks in existing WordPress CMS. But WordPress is not ideal for every scenario, So there are other CMS with each having its own quirks and features. But with plethora of options available, which one is ideal for you? Lets take a look.
The Rise of Headless CMS Platforms
In the early days, CMS platforms tightly coupled content authoring with templating and frontend display. While this worked for simpler sites, it created limitations as projects grew in complexity.
Researchers and practitioners began experimenting with a “headless” approach that separated these functions. By implementing standardized APIs, content could be managed centrally yet rendered flexibly across different delivery channels. This opened up many new possibilities.
The advantages were quickly apparent. Development teams gained independence to choose their preferred tech stacks without constraint. Content teams kept their familiar authoring workflows despite increasing diversity in products and experiences.
As a result, we saw a wave of startups entering this new headless space. Major established players also responded by releasing or enhancing their own headless offerings. Today, the ecosystem comprises all shapes and sizes – from simple open-source projects to robust digital experience platforms.
Key Headless CMS Platforms
Here are some of the most recognized Headless CMS platforms.
Strapi
Strapi is an open-source, customizable headless CMS built with JavaScript. It offers a robust admin panel that simplifies API development, making it a favorite for customizable projects. Used by major brands like Apple and Mercedes-Benz.
Ghost
Ghost focuses on professional publishing. Its headless Node.js REST API is both powerful and easy to use. Publishers like Apple and NASA use Ghost for its simplicity and performance. Ideal for content creators needing a sleek, efficient blogging platform.
Directus
More than a CMS, Directus wraps a neat API around your database for flexibility without proprietary lock-in. Directus is highly valued for transparency and scalability, making it suitable for businesses needing an adaptable CMS solution.
WordPress
In headless mode, WordPress combines content management flexibility with the power of its REST API for rich frontend experiences. Its vast plugin ecosystem and community support make it a versatile choice for content-rich sites and applications.
Decap
Decap integrates directly into development environments as a Git-based CMS crafted for static site generators. It offers a seamless way to manage content in modern web applications, appealing to developers seeking a straightforward, code-centric CMS.
Wagtail
Built on Django, Wagtail supports both traditional and headless management through REST and GraphQL APIs. Its Python foundation appeals to developers seeking a CMS combining ease of use with Django’s robustness for powerful web application backends.
Payload
Payload emphasizes developer experience with speed, flexibility, and features like a beautiful admin UI. Designed to fit seamlessly into modern development workflows.
Tina
Tina blends Git-based and API-driven content management with inline editing for interactive sites. It fits perfectly into workflows valuing real-time editing and developer flexibility.
Keystone
Keystone serves as the backbone for developers building custom CMS solutions. Its API-driven nature and programmable backend allow for customized projects with a powerful, flexible platform.
Webiny
Webiny offers a serverless, highly customizable CMS hosted on your AWS account for scalability and security. Ideal for enterprises needing control over infrastructure.
Builder.io
Builder.io simplifies headless CMS with visual, drag-and-drop page creation using your own components to bridge the gap between developers and content creators.
Publii
Publii simplifies creating static websites with a user-friendly desktop app and ability to work offline. Perfect for bloggers and small businesses seeking an easy website solution.
Ponzu
Ponzu combines headless efficiency with automatic JSON API generation for speed, simplicity, and push capabilities using Go.
Cockpit
Cockpit is a self-hosted, lightweight, easy to use, and fully customizable API-driven CMS ideal for customizable projects needing a simple yet powerful platform.
Prose
Prose offers straightforward, Git-based content authoring designed for CMS-free websites. Often combined with static site generators like Jekyll.
Sanity
Sanity allows fully customizable structured content and real-time infrastructure, supporting a wide array of projects from e-commerce to content hubs.
ApostropheCMS
Apostrophe offers intuitive in-context editing and JavaScript CMS capabilities, blending headless benefits with traditional CMS strengths for a rich editing experience.
Umbraco Heartcore
Umbraco Heartcore provides a cloud-based headless CMS with rich editing capabilities, managed APIs, and CDN support making it scalable and secure without compromising on management.
WordPress Vs Other Headless CMS
| CMS Name | Type | GitHub Stars | Forks | Pricing | Supported Site Generators |
| WordPress | API Driven | 17,989 | 11,946 | Free, Paid Plans starting at $45/month | All |
| Umbraco Heartcore | API Driven | 4,005 | 2,476 | Starts at €55
per month |
All |
| Sanity | API Driven | 4,581 | 363 | Free for Open Source, Paid Plans starting at $15/month | All |
| Strapi | API Driven | 56,194 | 6,779 | Free for Open Source, Custom Plans For Enterprise | All |
| Ghost | API Driven | 44,048 | 9,233 | Free for Open Source, Paid Plans starting at $10/month | All |
| Directus | API Driven | 23,225 | 3,050 | Free for Open Source, Custom Paid Plans Available | All |
| Decap CMS | Git-based | 16,968 | 2,891 | Free for Open Source | All |
| Wagtail | API Driven | 15,647 | 3,266 | Free for Open Source, Paid Support Available | All |
| Payload CMS | API Driven | 12,211 | 661 | Free for Open Source, Paid Plans starting at $35/month | All |
| Tina | Git + API | 9,309 | 473 | Free for Open Source, Paid Plans starting at $29/month | All |
| Keystone | API Driven | 8,323 | 1,044 | Free for Open Source | All |
| Webiny | API Driven | 6,829 | 538 | Free for Open Source, Paid Plans starting at $9/month | All |
| Builder.io | API Driven | 5,648 | 707 | Freemium, Pricing starts at $19 | All |
| Publii | Git-based | 5,605 | 367 | Freemium, Pricing Upon Request | Built In |
| Ponzu | API Driven | 5,594 | 381 | Free for Open Source | All |
| Cockpit | API Driven | 5,376 | 517 | Freemium, $68 per month | All |
| Prose | Git-based | 4,650 | 699 | Freemium, Pricing Upon Request | Jekyll |
| ApostropheCMS | API Driven | 4,133 | 556 | Freemium, Pricing Upon Request | All |
Scalability
Headless CMS platforms need to scale as website traffic and business needs grow over time. Important factors when evaluating scalability include user account limits, multi-language support, API request limits, proven performance with large websites, and flexibility to add functionality.
- WordPress offers robust scalability in headless mode. There are no limits on user accounts, sites can easily support multiple languages, and its REST API handles heavy request loads.
- Strapi places no user limits and can manage multi-language sites. Performance testing shows Strapi can handle over 1,000 requests per second to its API with optimization. It scales from small to complex sites.
- Directus scales with cluster deployment options suited for projects from small teams to global enterprises. Benchmarks reveal it can serve 3,500 API requests per second out-of-the-box with capacity for more. Real-world examples include large media websites.
- Sanity delivers enterprise-level scalability. It supports multi-project deployments with unlimited user seats and internationalization. Benchmarks show response times under 50ms on average for common queries at scale, proven across large global websites.
Overall, modern headless CMS platforms scale efficiently thanks to their API-based architecture. Leaders in the space show vast capability to grow from early stage websites to massive enterprises supporting millions of users. Performance ultimately comes down to implementation, but inherently flexible platforms remove barriers to expansion down the line.
Also Read: Duda Vs WordPress
Platform Maturity and Technology Stack
- As one of the most established CMS platforms, WordPress offers unparalleled maturity in headless mode. Its REST API plugin ecosystem benefits from years of development, suited for integration with any modern tech stack. SDKs for frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue are widely available.
- Umbraco Heartcore, released in 2018, leverages Umbraco’s 20+ years of CMS experience as an industry leader. Its headless architecture fits seamlessly into common application stacks using its .NET Core SDKs and RESTful API support for leading development languages.
- Sanity entered the market in 2017 and rapidly emerged as a major enterprise-ready headless CMS thanks to its fully distributed data infrastructure model and GROQ query language powering its flexible APIs. It provides SDKs for today’s popular stacks.
- Strapi built its fully open-source, JavaScript-based foundation in 2015 to operate as a customizable headless REST API and dashboard from the ground up. This specialized focus on headless technology ensures easy integration.
- Ghost entered the market earlier focusing on API-based content delivery, with their Node.js architecture powering sites like Apple since 2014 demonstrating real-world reliability and broad JavaScript ecosystem compatibility.
- Directus, first released in 2009, offers strong maturity as one of the original API-centric CMS platforms. Its extensive REST API and SQL database asset storage model connects with any development stack.
- As a newer offering, Decap demonstrates impressive capability leveraging modern Git-based platforms. Its lightweight CMS layer on top of static site generators fits developer workflows.
- Wagtail, first launched in 2013, combines maturity with its robust Django-based framework and option for fully API-driven headless architecture accessible from today’s most popular technology stacks.
Also Read: WordPress Vs ShowIt
Content Architecture Customization
- WordPress offers unmatched content flexibility in headless mode thanks to its mature plugin ecosystem for REST API. Developers can leverage tools like Advanced Custom Fields to create customized content models, templates, and validation rules. The only limits are imagination and development resources.
- Strapi delivers extensive custom content architecture capabilities as well. Its open-source, JavaScript-based foundation with customizable APIs and database relationships allow defining specific content structures tailored to project needs.
- Directus enables fully bespoke content models using its schema builder for precise control, editable interfaces, and layout tools. Real-time database updates empower intricate architectures. But complexity can introduce scaling challenges.
- Sanity shines for structured content flexibility. Its fully distributed data model facilitates handling complex data of any shape with customizable validations. Groq queries enable complex displays. Larger schemas impact performance.
- Umbraco Heartcore leverages Umbraco’s history managing complex sites by enabling full control over content structures using the built-in developer tools and APIs. Customization scales efficiently.
- Ghost offers simpler content architecture centered around its publishing workflow. While extensible for blogs, substantial custom models depend on community extensions at the API level requiring development work.
Headless CMS leaders like WordPress and Strapi set no real limits on content structure customization, while specialized platforms like Directus and Sanity enable precise field-level control. The tradeoff comes in performance optimization and scalability for maximal flexibility.
Also Read: WordPress Vs ClickFunnels
Pros and Cons of Headless WordPress
Pros
- Massive open source community with thousands of plugins and decades of CMS experience to leverage
- Mature plugin ecosystem specifically for headless use cases like WPGraphQL
- Enterprise-grade scalability, security, performance proven at scale
- Granular customization for any content architecture needs
- Broad hosting platform and technology stack compatibility
Cons
- Headless features require configuration for best results
- Deployment complexity relative to other decoupled options
- Scaling fully customized architectures demands expertise
Pros and Cons of Other CMS Platforms
Strapi
+ Fully headless and JavaScript-based foundation
+ Developer-centric and customizable APIs
– Limited community support resources
Directus
+ Intuitive UI and transparent data access
+ Customizable content models
– Scaling complexity with increased flexibility
Sanity
+ Leading structured content capabilities
+ Blazing performance built-in
– Query complexity proportional to flexibility
Ghost
+ Optimized for publishers and bloggers
+ Great docs and community
– Custom models require developer efforts
Decap
+ Perfect for static site generator workflows
+ Lean and lightweight by design
– Fewer out-of-box features
The maturity of WordPress makes it incredibly capable but demands expertise, while more modern specialty platforms offer great features albeit with narrower support. The ideal choice depends on specific project needs.
Also Read: WordPress Vs SubStack
Making the Right Choice for Your Project
Selecting a headless CMS platform is an important decision that lays the foundation for current and future needs. The ideal option balances capabilities with complexity based on requirements and resources.
When evaluating solutions, useful questions to consider include:
- What content models, custom fields, and structures are required?
- Will multi-language support or advanced editorial workflows be necessary?
- How quickly is the site expected to scale and grow over time?
- Does our team require instant support resources and documentation?
- What is our budget for licenses, hosting, and development?
WordPress brings unrivaled maturity and capabilities which makes it the go-to choice for many, though fully leveraging its extensive features demands significant expertise.
Newer specialty platforms like Strapi, Directus, and Sanity excel for their specific focuses on custom APIs, structured content, and developer experience respectively, though community support remains developing.
As a WordPress Development Agency, We specialize in Headless WordPress design, development, and implementation leveraging years of experience building powerful, future-proof digital solutions optimized exactly for your needs.
We offer flexible partnership models including augmenting in-house teams By letting you Hire WordPress Developers on demand. Let’s connect for a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how Hybrid can provide an ideal content management foundation now and into the future through Headless WordPress or alternative platforms tailored for your project.
Our Final Analysis
At the end of the day, the best solution is the one that fits your unique goals, supports your workflows and allows you to flexibly build experiences without constraint. Don’t feel locked into any single platform – these systems are modular, so you can easily change or combine them as requirements change.
