Best Headless CMS to Use in 2025
Are you struggling to manage your content across platforms? Traditional CMS platforms limit your creativity and scalability. Headless CMS is the best solution for you. It gives you more flexibility to share and manage content on your website.
But, how does a headless CMS stand out?
Unlike the traditional CMS, headless content management systems use APIs like Rest and GraphQL. Moreover, it works smoothly with modern React, Angular, and Vue.
In this blog, we will share the 15 best headless CMS to use in 2025. With the guide, you can pick the right one, and grow and manage your content simply.
What is a Headless CMS?
A headless CMS is mainly built from the ground up as a content repository where the head is separated or decoupled from the body. The back-end-only content management system is also known as headless software or headless system. You can store the contents in your headless CMS, and then you can send it to display anywhere.
Also, it offers a lot more flexibility as to how it's presented in different places. Moreover, headless CMS makes content accessible via a RESTful API or GraphQL API for display on any device via a front-end site.
Most of the headless CMSes are offered as Software as a Service (SaaS). It means that the editors of your company will have to log into a web application and that the APIs are hosted in a cloud-based backend. Some of the headless CMSs will allow you to host the entire solution on your server and database.
The system separates your content from the tech stack of your website so that you can move it faster.
Why is Headless CMS getting popular?
The popularity of headless CMS is rising day by day. Headless CMS is providing developers with more freedom, omnichannel delivery, and rich front-end frameworks. A developer can work with structured content and all the contents are organized predictably and usually categorized with metadata, XML, and JSON being common formats.
Also, you can broadcast your desired content in different places not just on the classic website.
Best Headless CMS for 2025
Discover the top 15+ headless CMS platforms revolutionizing content management. These solutions offer flexibility, speed, and seamless integration for modern projects.
Sanity
Sanity is one of the best headless CMS for its real-time content collaboration and customizability. With the open-source content management interface it’s easy to use in specific projects. Additionally, Sanity is best suited for dynamic content-driven platforms, enterprises, and e-commerce websites.
Sanity’s Content Lake ensures flexibility, scalability, API storage, real-time access, JSON storage, and centralized content. It supports queries from CDN using GraphQL, webhooks, and real-time updates. You can also generate schema types with Javascript objects.
Netlify CMS (Rebranded as Decap CMS)
NetlifyCMS or Decap CMS is another open-source headless content management system. Netlify CMS has become Decap CMS in February 2023. It is built as a single-page react app. The CMS works with several static site generators like Jekyll. With the tools they provide, you can fly up the process of content creation. Also, it ensures better protection and flexibility. With the easy-to-use CMS, you can make custom-styled previews, UI widgets, and editor plugins. You can add backends as well to help extra Git platform APIs.
Netlify CMS can be successfully used with any static generator for a more pleasant and faster web project. Furthermore, the open-source CMS allows real-time previews. It helps ensure your content is working as you want before being published.
Contentful
Contentful is an API-first and open-source headless CMS. It is a leading content platform for digital builders. The headless CMS allows digital teams to complete content and deliver experiences faster. Also, it combines with a library of platforms like Bynder, Commerce.js, Cloudinary, Gatsby Cloud, and Google Analytics. It is based in Berlin, Germany.
Moreover, the CMS supports server-side languages like NET, Python, Ruby, and PHP. Popular companies like Danone, Atlassain, Shiseido, Equinox, GoodRx, and Staples use the CMS. It comes with a simple UI and a small learning curve. Together, it allows developers with a learning curriculum and certification exam.
Strapi
Strapi is another leading open-source headless CMS for smooth content creation and distribution. Even if you don’t have any scripting knowledge, it will help you to create a website. Also, Strapi is a self-hosted CMS that is 100% JavaScript and easily customizable. The CMS is going to help the developers speed up their projects.
On the other hand, it supports REST, GraphQL, Entity Service, and Query Engine APIs as a full-featured CLI. Strapi also supports programming languages like Vue.js, Angular, React, Next.js, Eleventy, and Svelte. However, famous platforms like SendGrid, Algolia, Redis, Sentry, and Mailgun support the system. Plus, Strapi is used by popular companies like TOYOTA, Walmart, NASA, and IBM.
Tina CMS
Tina is a Git-backed headless content management system for creating content. It allows you to manage content directly on your website with added visuals to your Next.js site. The content management system is also open-source and allows developers and content creators to collaborate simply.
What’s more, developers can build a custom visual editing experience that is perfect for their site. It can easily boost output and view context-sensitive adjustments. Basically, the CMS is created using React and the setup is quick and simple. It provides a Content API and GraphQL API.
Storyblok
Storyblok is the first headless CMS that works for developers, business users, marketers, and content editors. It is a visual editor for content teams. Moreover, it helps you collect anything from corporate websites to helpdesks, mobile apps, and eCommerce stores. Storyblok offers a visual preview to developers and editors that comes with a key weak point for headless platforms.
However, leading brands like Adidas, Panini, Pay One, and Marc O'Polo are using it proudly. The CMS supports Vue.js, Gridsome, Laravel, Nuxt.js, Gatsby.js, React, Svelte, Next.js, Ruby, and Django. The free plan is a great option for developers and small businesses. However, the price starts at 99 Euros each month up for entry-level users to 849,00 Euros per month for Business plans.
WordPress
WordPress is the most popular headless content management system on the web. It is best for everyone from small DIY bloggers to small/mid-sized agencies and complex enterprises. You will get amazing headless experiences while providing content editors and managers with an extensible and familiar publishing interface only using the ready-made REST API.
The system allows you to host it on any shared or cloud server. In addition to that, it is easy to manage and set up. Also, the CMS integrates with modern front-end frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js.
DatoCMS
DatoCMS is an API-based headless content management system, written in GraphQL. The CMS contains a visual content schema builder, webhooks, comfortable image manipulation, multilingual content, and additional tools. It comes with a wide range of other technologies that are easy to use and highly agreeable.
The free plan of this CMS supports GraphQL API and other APIs. So, you can easily add it with site generators such as Gatsby or libraries like Next.js or React. Around 4k businesses use DatoCMS to build their online content at scale from a central hub. Also, it helps to spread the content easily via API to websites and any other digital experience.
Hygraph
Hygraph is a native GraphQL headless CMS that concentrates on Content Federation. It integrates with multiple services and allows you to deliver content everywhere with the simple GraphQL API. Further, it supports React, Vue and Next.js, Gatsby, Nuxt, Apollo, Sapper, and Gridsome. Along with the developer tools and user-friendly features, it has become a great choice for modern web developers.
Some of the popular companies such as Samsung, Dr. Oetker, Philips, Shure, Ashley Furniture, and Telenor use Hygraph. The CMS is perfect for start-ups and small businesses. However, the pricing starts at $299 per month for professionals and $799 for high-scale projects. You can also choose the free option.
Prismic
Prismic is another simple and best headless content management system. It allows you to select the technology, framework, and language. So, you can effortlessly collect and provide the content. It is a Saas-based CMS and supports technologies like Node, React, Next, Gatsby, Vue, Nuxt, etc.
What’s more, many big and popular companies like Google, Netflix, and others use Prismic. Besides this platform is not a fully free open-source CMS, the basic version is free but for all the mighty power you need to pay for that. The headquarters of the platform is in San Francisco, California.
Payload CMS
Payload CMS is a self-hosted headless content management system. The system is a solution to content authoring for your JavaScript application. You can own all your data and distribute content wherever you need through automatically available GraphQL and REST API.
Another with that, Payload will give you a turn-key solution for user authentication, file uploads, localization, input validation, access control, programmatic hooks, and an admin panel. If you are worried about learning this new CMS here is the good news for you. You don't need to learn Payload. All you have to do is just write JavaScript to extend your application.
Directus
Directus is an open-source headless CMS and backend-as-a-service system. It allows you to simply manage content in any database. It offers a user-friendly and easy-to-use interface. Moreover, the platform provides full flexibility for developers and non-tech users. So, you can simply build custom data models and front-ends with powerful APIs.
With support for SQL-based databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL, Directus allows businesses to easily manage complex content structures across various platforms. It’s ideal for teams looking for flexibility, scalability, and ease of use in managing digital experiences.
Craft CMS
Craft is a simple and highly flexible headless CMS. It is best for creating custom digital experiences on the web and beyond. Along with the user-friendly interface, it has a completely customizable backend. For community support, the platform provides plans and SLAs and you can use them whenever you want to.
Moreover, Craft provides a clean-slate approach to content modeling. Also, it has marketing tools like Salesforce, Mailchimp, HubSpot, and countless more. Craft comes with a fast and flexible templating system based on Twig for building traditional websites. You will get a built-in Plugin Store with hundreds of free and commercial plugins.
Magnolia
Magnolia is a powerful and open-source Java-based content management system. The system highly focuses on functionality and developer-friendly features. Along with the open API and other developer tools, it helps developers fully customize the system and improve the user experience.
However, with the API-based architecture, Magnolia provides the best digital experiences to businesses. The platform was first introduced in 1997 to help users to move fast. It has two pricing plans with several amazing features.
Agility CMS
Agility is an API-first headless CMS. It is a great cloud-based solution for developers and businesses. It has a user-friendly interface that helps content creators to manage their posts easily. The API-first approach helps developers work with any front-end framework including React, Angular, Vue.js, and .Net.
Together with that, the CMS integrates smoothly with GraphQl, RESTful APIs, Management, and Open-source SDKs. With encryption, advanced login control, and multi-factor authentication, the CMS increases your admin security.
Final Words
Headless CMS platforms are helping to manage and deliver content easily. They provide flexibility, scalability, and integration with modern frameworks. Moreover, it allows you to share content without being tied up in one front-end design. The content management systems are perfect for businesses and offer a smooth experience.