25 Decap CMS Alternatives for Developers & Agencies

The alternatives

25 Decap CMS alternatives worth considering.

Each entry opens with its own homepage, captured September 2026. The whole Git-based category, ranked with prices and cons, is on bestgitbasedcms.com.

1. 
   1

   CMS Brew

   • Chat editing
   • Client handoff
   • Review included
   • Hosted
   • Framework-neutral

   cmsbrew.com

   Best for agencies handing finished sites to non-technical clients

   CMS Brew drops the admin panel instead of replacing it. You connect the site's GitHub or GitLab repository, and it maps the editable text and images automatically: no config.yml, no schema, no OAuth app to wire. The client describes the change in chat, watches it in a live preview, and every publish is one plain Git commit your host rebuilds from, with one-click revert.

   The part Decap never had: guardrails. Per-field guard levels decide what publishes freely and what waits for your review, and out-of-scope requests, like a new page or a layout change, are refused in the editor and escalated to you with the client's original words. Sign-in is built in: Google or an emailed 6-digit code.

   Pros

   • +Nothing for the client to learn, which is exactly what rare editors need
   • +Review-before-publish and per-field guards included
   • +No admin page shipped with your site, nothing to update or secure
   • +Zero setup per site: no config file, no auth wiring, content mapped automatically

   Cons

   • −Paid, while most Git-based panels are free
   • −Deliberately does not let clients create new pages or touch layout; those become escalations to you
   • −Hosted service, not self-hostable

   Pricing $39/mo for 5 sites, unlimited editors, 7-day free trial.

   Read the full CMS Brew vs Decap CMS comparison

2. 
   2

   Sveltia CMS

   • Git-based panel
   • Free
   • Open source
   • Framework-neutral
   • Beta

   sveltiacms.app

   Best drop-in replacement for an existing Decap setup

   Sveltia CMS is the community's modern successor to Netlify/Decap CMS: a from-scratch rewrite built to work with an existing Decap configuration, with migration guides for moving over. It is free, MIT-licensed, and fast-moving, and it fixes a long tail of old Netlify/Decap issues along the way: a modern UI, first-class i18n, real asset management, mobile support, and dark mode. It even has an editorial workflow, a branch and pull request per draft on the GitHub and GitLab backends.

   It is still the same model, though: a single-page admin app you ship with the site, a config you maintain, and an OAuth-based sign-in you set up yourself, since Sveltia supports neither Git Gateway nor the Netlify Identity widget. It is also a 0.x beta from a single maintainer, with 1.0 planned for late 2026. If your only complaints about Decap are the aging UI and the auth story, this is the lowest-effort exit on the list.

   Pros

   • +Designed as a drop-in Decap replacement, so migration is small
   • +Free, open source, and actively maintained
   • +Much better editor UX than Decap: i18n, asset library, mobile, dark mode

   Cons

   • −You still write and maintain the content-model config per site
   • −Sign-in is still your problem: you wire an OAuth flow for editors
   • −Still a 0.x beta from one maintainer; 1.0 due late 2026

   Pricing Free and open source (MIT).

3. 
   3

   Pages CMS

   • Git-based panel
   • Free
   • Open source
   • Hosted
   • GitHub only

   pagescms.org

   Best free hosted panel, no admin page in your repo

   Pages CMS is a free, MIT-licensed CMS for GitHub repositories with a twist that matters here: there is a hosted version, so unlike Decap you do not have to ship and maintain an /admin page with the site. You describe your content types in a single config file, and editors join by email invite rather than needing accounts wired through OAuth.

   It is a young project: some team features like granular permissions and content scheduling are still on the roadmap, and it is GitHub-only. But for a small client site where Decap's auth story was the whole problem, it is a very direct fix at the same price: free.

   Pros

   • +Free, open source, with a hosted option, so no admin page to ship
   • +Editors join by email invite, no OAuth app to wire
   • +Clean, mobile-friendly editing UI

   Cons

   • −Still a config file describing your content model, maintained per site
   • −GitHub-only
   • −Granular permissions and scheduling are roadmap items, not features yet

   Pricing Free and open source (MIT); hosted version free, or self-deploy.

4. 
   4

   Sitepins

   • Git-based panel
   • Free tier
   • Open source
   • Hosted
   • Agency orgs

   sitepins.com

   Best free hosted panel built for agency handoffs

   Sitepins is the closest thing to a direct rival on this list: a Git-based panel aimed at handing Astro, Next.js, Hugo, and other framework sites to non-technical teammates and clients. It auto-detects fields from existing Markdown and front matter, invites editors by email so nobody needs a GitHub account, and organizes sites into per-client organizations. Open-sourced under AGPL in July 2026, with a free hosted Hobby tier.

   It is a form-based admin, not chat: editing a post means a Frontmatter tab of fields and a Content tab with a rich-text toolbar. Review is a branch-and-pull-request workflow on the Pro plan, coarser than a per-field policy, and the free tier is one user and three sites.

   Pros

   • +Free hosted tier, cheap paid tiers, unlimited AGPL self-hosting
   • +Editors join by email, sites grouped in per-client organizations
   • +Fields auto-detected from Markdown and front matter

   Cons

   • −Form-based panel a rare editor must relearn
   • −Review is a Pro-plan branch and PR flow, not per edit
   • −GitLab only from the $29 Team plan; one user on the free tier

   Pricing Hobby free (3 sites, 1 user); Pro $12/mo, Team $29/mo, Agency $49/mo, less on annual billing; lifetime licenses from $249; self-hosting free under AGPL.

5. 
   5

   CloudCannon

   • Visual editor
   • Visual editing
   • Hosted
   • Per-seat
   • GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket

   cloudcannon.com

   Best visual editing on top of a Git repo

   CloudCannon is the established commercial Git-based CMS: editors edit pages visually, in context, and changes sync to GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. For agencies it is the most polished editors-click-on-the-page experience in the Git-based world, with the operational upside that the CMS is hosted and supported rather than shipped inside your site.

   The trade-offs are price and setup. Plans start at $55 per month for 3 users with extra users at $10 each, which adds up when every client is a user, and workflow features like branching and advanced scheduling live on the much larger Team tier. You also do the work of marking up what is editable per site.

   Pros

   • +True visual, in-context editing on Git-backed sites
   • +Hosted and supported, works with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket
   • +Mature product with agency-oriented features

   Cons

   • −Per-user pricing grows with every client editor you add
   • −Branching workflows and advanced scheduling sit on the $300+/mo Team tier
   • −Editable regions still have to be configured per site

   Pricing From $55/mo (3 users, unlimited sites), extra users $10/mo; 21-day trial.

6. 
   6

   TinaCMS

   • Visual editor
   • Visual editing
   • Open source core
   • React-first
   • Paid review tier

   tina.io

   Best for React sites with a daily-editing content team

   TinaCMS keeps content in your repo like Decap, but swaps the form admin for visual editing on the page, strongest on React sites. Editors see the site while they edit it, which daily content teams genuinely prefer.

   Coming from Decap you trade config.yml for a Tina schema, so the modeling work does not go away, and the client-safety story is similar: the editorial workflow that makes edits reviewable starts at TinaCloud's $49 per month Team Plus tier. Tina's client, data layer, and GraphQL API also become part of the site, which is the opposite direction from lighter.

   Pros

   • +Visual, in-place editing that daily editors like
   • +Open-source core, content stays in your repo
   • +Active project with a hosted backend (TinaCloud) when you want one

   Cons

   • −You define and maintain a schema per site, same job as config.yml
   • −Visual editing is React-first; other frameworks get less
   • −Review-before-publish starts at the $49/mo TinaCloud tier

   Pricing Open-source core (Apache-2.0); TinaCloud free for 2 users, Team $29/mo, editorial workflow from Team Plus at $49/mo.

   Read the full CMS Brew vs TinaCMS comparison

7. 
   7

   Keystatic

   • Git-based panel
   • Free
   • Open source
   • Next.js
   • Astro

   keystatic.com

   Best for developer-adjacent editors who value clean files

   Keystatic, from Thinkmill, is the developer's Git-based CMS: content stays as Markdown, JSON, and YAML clean enough to edit by hand, with a pleasant admin UI over a schema you define in keystatic.config. If your editors are technical, it is one of the nicest options in this list.

   For client handoffs it inherits Decap's problems and adds one: in GitHub mode every editor needs a GitHub account with write access to the repo, the way around that is the separately priced Keystatic Cloud, and an editor's publish goes straight to the repository with no review step.

   Pros

   • +Free and open source, backed by an established consultancy
   • +Two-way editing keeps files clean enough to edit by hand
   • +Good fit for Next.js, Astro, and Remix projects

   Cons

   • −Editors need GitHub accounts with repo write access, or Keystatic Cloud seats
   • −Schema written and maintained per site
   • −No review step: write access is publish access

   Pricing Free and open source (MIT); Keystatic Cloud free for 3 users, Pro from $10/mo plus $5 per extra user.

   Read the full CMS Brew vs Keystatic comparison

8. 
   8

   GitCMS

   • Git-based panel
   • One-time price
   • Markdown
   • Review workflow
   • GitHub only

   gitcms.dev

   Best one-time price for a Markdown content layer

   GitCMS is a hosted, Notion-like editor for the Markdown and MDX in a GitHub repository: slash commands, a kanban content board, front-matter forms, and MCP access so ChatGPT or Claude can draft into it. It supports a long list of generators, from Astro and Hugo to Docusaurus and Zola.

   Review before publish is built in and on by default, with Owner, Admin, Editor, Reviewer, and Viewer roles, and collaborators sign in with Google or GitHub. It stops at the Markdown layer: copy hardcoded in components is out of scope, and it is GitHub-only and proprietary. The price is the unusual part, a one-time license per site.

   Pros

   • +One-time $49 per site during launch, no subscription
   • +Review-before-publish on by default, with reviewer roles
   • +Block editor plus MCP access for AI drafting

   Cons

   • −Markdown and MDX only; component copy is out of reach
   • −GitHub only, no self-hosting
   • −One seat included, extra seats cost extra

   Pricing $49 one-time per site during launch ($79 regular), 1 seat included, extra seats $9 each; free preview mode, no self-serve free plan.

9. 
   9

   Outstatic

   • Git-based panel
   • Free self-hosted
   • Next.js
   • Markdown
   • Source-available

   outstatic.com

   Best free dashboard for Markdown in a Next.js app

   Outstatic is a Git-based dashboard for Markdown and MDX that installs inside a Next.js app, or runs as a hosted PRO dashboard over any GitHub repository. Collections, custom fields, singletons, and a metadata index cover most content sites, and the free self-hosted version is unlimited.

   It is source-available under the Functional Source License rather than open source, GitHub-only, and its statuses stop at draft or published: there is no approval step, and team roles are a PRO feature. Free-tier editors sign in with GitHub; PRO adds email magic links and Google.

   Pros

   • +Free self-hosted version with the full feature set
   • +Hosted PRO dashboard with email and Google sign-in
   • +Actively maintained, frequent releases

   Cons

   • −Self-hosted install is Next.js only; GitHub only
   • −Draft or published, no review step; roles are PRO-only
   • −Source-available (FSL), not open source

   Pricing Free self-hosted; Outstatic PRO $9.99 per user per month hosted, 14-day trial. Source-available (FSL-1.1).

10. 
    10

    Front Matter CMS

    • Developer tool
    • Free
    • Open source
    • VS Code
    • Local only

    frontmatter.codes

    Best for developers who edit content in VS Code

    Front Matter CMS is a CMS that lives inside VS Code: a dashboard for the Markdown and MDX in your repository, front-matter forms, data files, and media, with no server or hosted service involved. It works with Astro, Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy, Next.js, and most generators, and it is free and MIT-licensed.

    That makes it a developer's tool, not a client handoff. Every editor needs the repository cloned and VS Code installed, changes go out as their own commits with no review step, and the maintainer's 2026 note says feature work now depends on sponsorship.

    Pros

    • +Free and open source, no server to run
    • +Works with almost any static site generator
    • +Front matter, data files, and media in one dashboard

    Cons

    • −Editors need VS Code and a clone of the repository
    • −No review step, no hosted sign-in
    • −Feature development throttled without sponsorship

    Pricing Free and open source (MIT).

11. 
    11

    Spinal

    • Git-based panel
    • Hosted
    • Markdown
    • Scheduling
    • EU-hosted

    spinalcms.com

    Best scheduled publishing for a Markdown marketing blog

    Spinal is a hosted CMS for the Markdown in a GitHub repository, built around written marketing content: a WYSIWYG editor, draft and scheduled statuses, and optional kanban and calendar power-ups. Team members sign up with email and password, and it lists Eleventy, Astro, Hugo, Jekyll, Docusaurus, and a dozen other generators.

    It is one $39 per month plan with a five-member minimum, GitHub-only, and while Authors cannot publish, there is no approval flow beyond that role split. Copy outside Markdown is out of scope.

    Pros

    • +Scheduling and a content calendar for a blog team
    • +Editors sign in with email, no GitHub accounts
    • +Hosted in the EU, no CMS code in your site

    Cons

    • −$39/mo with a 5-member minimum, card required for the trial
    • −Markdown content only, GitHub only
    • −Role split, but no per-edit review

    Pricing Pro $39/mo (5 members minimum, $4 per extra member; 1,000 entries, 10 collections); power-ups $9/mo each; 7-day trial, card required.

12. 
    12

    Siteleaf

    • Git-based panel
    • Hosted
    • Jekyll only
    • GitHub sync
    • Prices unpublished

    siteleaf.com

    Best hosted panel if the site is Jekyll

    Siteleaf is a hosted CMS for Jekyll sites with two-way GitHub sync: editors work in Siteleaf, changes commit to the repository, and publishing goes to GitHub Pages, S3, or FTP. It has run for over a decade, editors are invited by email, and the Team plan's Writer role defaults new content to draft until a Publisher approves it.

    It is Jekyll-only, the blog has been quiet since 2023 while a new version is promised, and the plans page prints no prices. Fine for a Jekyll site that needs a familiar hosted panel; not a destination for anything else.

    Pros

    • +Two-way GitHub sync, editors invited by email
    • +Writer drafts wait for a Publisher on the Team plan
    • +Unlimited users on every plan

    Cons

    • −Jekyll only
    • −Prices not published; billed monthly per site
    • −Quiet since 2023, new version still promised

    Pricing Prices not printed on the plans page; free Developer plan for public repos, 14-day trial on Personal, billed monthly per site.

13. 
    13

    Unfreez

    • Visual editor
    • Click-to-edit
    • Client-billed
    • Component copy
    • GitHub only

    unfreez.app

    Best client-billed click-to-edit layer for component copy

    Unfreez makes a hand-coded Next.js, Astro, Vue, or Svelte site editable without a CMS: it parses the source, pins each human-facing value to a path in the syntax tree, and the client edits on a live copy of the page. Every publish is one signed Git commit with one-tap undo, and, unusually, the bill goes to the client: €90 per site per year through an activation link the developer sends.

    The developer curates which values the client may touch, per site, and everything else stays locked. Its pitch is deterministic, no model in the loop and a refusal to write on any ambiguity. There is no review queue and no escalation path; an out-of-scope request is simply a field that was never unlocked. GitHub is the connected provider, and the product is a few months old.

    Pros

    • +Edits copy inside components, not only Markdown
    • +Client-billed at €90 per site per year, unlimited editors
    • +One atomic commit per publish, one-tap undo

    Cons

    • −Developer unlocks every editable value per site by hand
    • −No review queue or escalation for out-of-scope asks
    • −GitHub only; young product with no public changelog

    Pricing €90 per site per year excl. VAT, billed to the client; unlimited editors; 14-day free trial, no card.

14. 
    14

    CMS Chat

    • Chat editing
    • Client handoff
    • Escalates to PR
    • Private beta
    • GitHub only

    cmschat.ai

    Closest chat-based rival, for teams that can wait out a private beta

    CMS Chat is the other chat-to-edit product on this list: clients change text, images, prices, and links by chatting, and every edit lands as a plain Git commit on a branch you control. Its zone model is a real review story. Editable zones commit straight away, Warn zones ask for confirmation, Escalate zones open a GitHub pull request for your team, and Locked zones refuse.

    It is in private beta behind a waitlist, GitHub-only, and priced for agencies: Starter is €99 per month for one site and Agency €249 for three, billed by invoice with no free tier or trial. Self-hosting is explicitly not offered.

    Pros

    • +Chat editing with a zone-based review model
    • +Edits copy inside TSX and MDX components, not only Markdown
    • +Unlimited client users on every tier

    Cons

    • −Private beta behind a waitlist, no trial and no free tier
    • −From €99/mo for a single site
    • −GitHub only, no self-hosting

    Pricing Starter €99/mo (1 site), Agency €249/mo (3 sites), Studio €499/mo (10 sites); private beta, invoiced, no free tier.

15. 
    15

    Nuxt Studio

    • Visual editor
    • Free
    • Open source
    • Nuxt only
    • GitHub, GitLab

    nuxt.studio

    Best free option if the site is Nuxt

    Nuxt Studio went open source and free in 2026: a Nuxt module that mounts an editor at /_studio on your own production site, edits the Nuxt Content files in the repository with a live preview, and commits to GitHub or GitLab. Editors sign in with GitHub, GitLab, or Google, and there are no seats to buy. The former hosted subscription was cancelled for everyone.

    It is Nuxt with Nuxt Content only, the site has to be deployed with server-side rendering, and publishing commits straight to the configured branch: pull-request generation is still an open roadmap item, so there is no review step yet.

    Pros

    • +Free and MIT, no seats, self-hosted inside your Nuxt site
    • +GitHub and GitLab, with Google sign-in for editors
    • +Live preview of the real site while editing

    Cons

    • −Nuxt with Nuxt Content only, SSR deployment required
    • −No review step; commits go straight to the branch
    • −Young as an open-source module, roadmap still open

    Pricing Free and open source (MIT); the hosted subscription was discontinued.

16. 
    16

    Netlify Visual Editor

    • Visual editor
    • Visual editing
    • Netlify teams
    • Docs only
    • GitHub, Bitbucket

    docs.netlify.com

    Best if the team already lives in Netlify

    Netlify Visual Editor is what Stackbit became: a visual, in-context editing layer over a content source, either the files in your Git repository or a headless CMS like Contentful, Sanity, or DatoCMS, for Next.js, Astro, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Eleventy, Gatsby, and any custom dev server. Editors are Netlify team members, and roles separate Internal Builders, who save work for review, from Publishers.

    It is a quiet corner of Netlify now: the marketing pages are gone and only the docs remain, updated through 2026. It accepts GitHub and Bitbucket repositories, not GitLab, and inviting a client editor needs a Pro team at $20 per month, since Free and Personal plans cannot add members.

    Pros

    • +Visual editing over repo files or a headless CMS
    • +Reviewer and Publisher roles; Git publishes can open a PR
    • +Unlimited team seats on the $20/mo Pro plan

    Cons

    • −No marketing page; the product lives in the docs
    • −GitHub and Bitbucket only, no GitLab
    • −Editors must be Netlify team members on a Pro team

    Pricing Netlify Pro from $20/mo with unlimited team members; which plans include Visual Editor is not stated on the pricing page.

17. 
    17

    Payload

    • Headless platform
    • Open source
    • Self-hosted
    • Next.js
    • Database

    payloadcms.com

    Best when the project is really an application

    Payload is a code-first, open-source CMS that runs inside a Next.js application, with a real database behind it (MongoDB, Postgres, or SQLite) and auth, access control, drafts, versions, and an admin UI generated from your TypeScript config. Owned by Figma since June 2025, and still MIT.

    It solves a different problem than a Git panel does. Content moves out of the repository into a database, you host and operate the whole thing, since Payload Cloud is not taking new projects, and the setup is application-scale. Multi-stage publishing workflows are an Enterprise feature. For a brochure site handed to a client, it is far more machine than the job needs.

    Pros

    • +Full application CMS: database, auth, access control, hooks
    • +MIT-licensed and code-first, deeply customizable
    • +First-class Next.js integration, very active development

    Cons

    • −Content leaves the repo for a database
    • −You build, host, and operate it; Cloud is paused for new projects
    • −Heavy for small content sites; review workflows are Enterprise-only

    Pricing Free and open source (MIT), self-hosted anywhere; Payload Cloud is not accepting new projects; Enterprise plans are custom.

18. 
    18

    Strapi

    • Headless platform
    • Open source
    • Self-hosted
    • Database
    • Cloud option

    strapi.io

    Best self-hosted open-source headless CMS

    Strapi is the established open-source Node.js headless CMS: a self-hosted admin panel over your own SQL database, REST and GraphQL APIs, and a plugin ecosystem, with Strapi Cloud if you would rather not run it. The Community edition is free and MIT-licensed with unlimited usage.

    It is an application to operate, not a layer over your repository: content lives in the database, and the governance features are tiered. Releases and content history start on the $45 per month Growth plan, and multi-stage Review Workflows are Enterprise-only.

    Pros

    • +Free, MIT-licensed Community edition with unlimited usage
    • +Your database, your hosting, REST and GraphQL out of the box
    • +Large plugin ecosystem and active development

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo; you operate a server and a database
    • −Review Workflows are Enterprise-only
    • −Cloud hosting from $35 per project per month

    Pricing Community free (MIT); Growth $45/mo (3 seats, $15 per extra seat); Enterprise custom. Strapi Cloud from $35 per project per month.

19. 
    19

    Directus

    • Headless platform
    • Source-available
    • Self-hosted
    • SQL database
    • Free Core

    directus.com

    Best when the content is really a database

    Directus wraps any SQL database in REST and GraphQL APIs and a no-code Data Studio, so it fits teams whose content is really relational data. Self-hosting is free under its grant for organizations under $5M in revenue with fewer than 50 employees, with content versioning, flows, and role-based access included.

    It is source-available under the Monospace Sustainable Core License, not open source, and the pricing has a cliff: Core is free with a hard limit of 3 seats, and the next tier is Team at $499 per month on an annual commitment. There is no approval gate; publishing a version makes it current.

    Pros

    • +Free Core tier and free self-hosting under the grant
    • +Any SQL database, REST and GraphQL, no-code Data Studio
    • +Content versioning, flows, granular roles

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo; a database to operate
    • −Nothing between 3 free seats and $499/mo
    • −Source-available license, no approval step

    Pricing Core free (3 seats); Team $499/mo billed annually or $599 monthly (10 SSO seats); Enterprise custom. Self-hosting free under the Open Innovation Grant.

20. 
    20

    Sanity

    • Headless platform
    • Hosted
    • Free tier
    • Structured content
    • Per-seat

    sanity.io

    Best when the content outgrew the repo

    The other direction entirely: move content out of the repository into Sanity's hosted Content Lake and have the site fetch it. For thousands of entries, localization pipelines, or content shared across several apps and channels, this is the right call, and no Git-based panel will do it better. The free plan is generous, up to 20 seats.

    For the typical Decap site, a brochure site with dozens of pages, it is a lot of machinery: you model a schema, deploy a Studio, rewrite pages to fetch content, and migrate the content out of the repo. And on the free plan your client is either an Administrator or read-only; the Editor role costs $15 per seat per month, and there is no approval gate out of the box.

    Pros

    • +Free plan with 20 seats; the Studio is open source
    • +Best-in-class structured content and real-time collaboration
    • +First-class SDKs for every major framework

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo for the Content Lake
    • −Two roles on Free; an Editor role costs $15 per seat per month
    • −No approval step out of the box; content releases are Enterprise

    Pricing Free up to 20 seats; Growth $15 per seat per month with pay-as-you-go usage; Enterprise custom. Self-serve plans are monthly only.

    Read the full CMS Brew vs Sanity comparison

21. 
    21

    Contentful

    • Headless platform
    • Hosted
    • Enterprise
    • Free tier
    • Per-seat

    contentful.com

    Best-known enterprise headless CMS

    Contentful is the enterprise standard for hosted headless content, now part of Salesforce: spaces, content types, a mature API, and a large integration ecosystem. The free plan covers 10 users and 100K API calls a month, enough for a small site.

    The step after free is steep. Lite is $300 per month for 20 users, workflows are not available on the Starter space that Free and Lite include, and the product is built for content operations teams, not for a client who changes a phone number twice a year.

    Pros

    • +Mature platform with a deep integration ecosystem
    • +Free plan with 10 users and scheduled publishing
    • +Enterprise-grade governance when you need it

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo
    • −The next tier is $300/mo, and an extra space $850/mo
    • −Workflows unavailable below Enterprise spaces

    Pricing Free (10 users, 100K API calls/mo); Lite $300/mo (20 users); Enterprise custom.

22. 
    22

    Storyblok

    • Headless platform
    • Hosted
    • Visual editor
    • Workflow on free
    • Per-seat

    storyblok.com

    Best hosted headless CMS with visual editing and a workflow on every tier

    Storyblok is a hosted headless CMS with a visual preview editor: editors click on components in a live preview of the site, and content is delivered by API to Next.js, Astro, Nuxt, SvelteKit, and Angular sites. Unusually for this category, its standard workflow (Drafting, Reviewing, Ready to Publish) is on every tier, including the free Starter.

    It is priced per seat beyond the first: the free tier is one seat, Growth is $99 a month for five with $15 per extra seat, and scheduling, releases, and custom workflows sit on higher tiers. The content lives in Storyblok's database, so the migration is real.

    Pros

    • +Visual editor with a live preview of your site
    • +Three-stage review workflow on every tier, free included
    • +Free Starter tier with generous API limits

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo
    • −One seat on Free; $15 per extra seat
    • −Releases and custom workflows on Premium

    Pricing Starter free (1 seat); Growth $99/mo (5 seats, $15 per extra); Growth Plus $349/mo (15 seats); Premium and Elite custom. 45-day Growth Plus trial.

23. 
    23

    DatoCMS

    • Headless platform
    • Hosted
    • EUR pricing
    • GraphQL
    • Scheduling

    datocms.com

    Best structured headless CMS for European teams

    DatoCMS is a hosted headless CMS with a GraphQL delivery API, an image and video pipeline, and structured text, well documented for Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, and Astro. Priced in euros, with content versioning, rollbacks, custom roles, and scheduled publishing on the Professional plan.

    The free plan is small, 300 records and a couple of editors, and Professional is €149 a month billed annually with 10 collaborators and €9 for each extra. Approval workflows, the custom state machine between draft and published, are Enterprise-only.

    Pros

    • +Scheduled publishing, versioning, and custom roles on Professional
    • +Strong media pipeline and structured text
    • +Well-documented framework integrations

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo
    • −Free plan capped at 300 records
    • −Approval workflows are Enterprise-only

    Pricing Free (300 records); Professional €149/mo billed annually or €199 monthly (10 collaborators, €9 per extra); Enterprise custom.

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    Prismic

    • Headless platform
    • Hosted
    • Cheap entry
    • Releases on free
    • Slices

    prismic.io

    Best cheap hosted headless CMS with releases on every tier

    Prismic is a hosted headless CMS built around slices, reusable page sections, with a page builder for editors and Slice Machine for developers on Next.js, Nuxt, and SvelteKit. Releases, scheduling, previews, and unlimited documents are included on every tier, the free one too.

    Users are what you pay for: one on Free, three on the $10 per month Starter, seven on Small at $25, and the custom roles that gate publishing arrive on Medium at $150. Prices are per repository, paid annually, and the content lives in Prismic.

    Pros

    • +Releases and scheduled publishing on every tier
    • +Cheap entry: $10/mo for 3 users
    • +Slice-based page building editors understand

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo
    • −Custom roles only from the $150/mo Medium tier
    • −Per-repository pricing, paid annually

    Pricing Free (1 user); Starter $10/mo (3 users); Small $25/mo (7 users); Medium $150/mo (25 users, custom roles); Platinum $675/mo; per repository, paid annually.

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    Hygraph

    • Headless platform
    • Hosted
    • GraphQL
    • Free tier
    • Federation

    hygraph.com

    Best GraphQL-native headless CMS

    Hygraph is a GraphQL-native headless CMS with content federation, meant for teams that stitch several content sources into one API. It documents integrations for more than forty frameworks and runtimes, from Next.js and Astro to Hugo and Eleventy.

    The free Hobby plan gives three seats and 1,000 entries; Growth starts at $199 a month for 10 seats and 10,000 entries. Draft and published stages come standard, but scheduled publishing and custom workflows are Enterprise-only.

    Pros

    • +GraphQL-first with content federation across sources
    • +Free Hobby plan with 3 seats
    • +Integrations documented for dozens of frameworks

    Cons

    • −Content leaves your repo
    • −Growth is $199/mo for 10,000 entries
    • −Scheduling and workflows are Enterprise-only

    Pricing Hobby free (3 seats, 1,000 entries); Growth from $199/mo (10 seats, 10,000 entries); Enterprise custom. 30-day Enterprise trial.

At a glance

Every Decap CMS alternative, side by side.