Best of · 5 tools ranked

The best Headless CMS

Every option ranked — open-source, self-hostable, and commercial — by our transparent Sovereignty Score, with honest trade-offs so you choose what fits you, not us.

Content as an API, with the front end left to you. Priced per record, per seat and per API call — three meters on the same content.

L5Applications — layer 5 of the AI stack

1
Directus
Top pickCommercial
An instant API and admin app over any SQL database you already have.
Free to self-host on the Core tier. Since Directus 12, higher limits and extra features need a licence key (a free key is offered); Directus Cloud and commercial licences are paid. · in our Contentful comparison →
72
sovereignty
What is Directus? →
2
Markdown files in Git
Open source
For developer-owned content, the CMS may be the thing to remove.
Free. There is nothing to host. · in our Contentful comparison →
99
sovereignty
What is Markdown files in Git? →
3
Ghost
Open source
If it is a publication rather than an app, this is probably the answer.
Free and open source to self-host. Ghost(Pro) hosting is paid. · in our Contentful comparison →
95
sovereignty
What is Ghost? →
4
Payload
Open source
A CMS that installs into your Next.js app rather than beside it.
Free and open source. Payload Cloud is an optional paid hosted tier. · in our Contentful comparison →
93
sovereignty
What is Payload? →
5
Strapi
Open source
The established open headless CMS, with the largest community.
Community edition free and self-hostable. Enterprise and Cloud tiers are paid. · in our Contentful comparison →
86
sovereignty
What is Strapi? →

Is it free?

The free tier, its real limits and where you start paying — read from each vendor's own pricing page and dated.

Is Contentful free?

Run these yourself

What each one actually needs — real RAM, honest running cost, and the setup time nobody quotes.

Self-hosting Directus 2 GB for the Directus container, the vendor's recommended minimum, plus room for PostgreSQL and Redis. That fits on a 4 GB VPS

Replacing a specific tool?

Head-to-head comparisons for each popular headless cms product.

Alternatives to Contentful

5 vetted options · top pick Directus

Straight head-to-heads

Two headless cms tools, side by side — verified facts and a plain verdict.

Directus vs Markdown files in Git→Directus vs Ghost→Directus vs Payload→Directus vs Strapi→Markdown files in Git vs Ghost→Markdown files in Git vs Payload→Markdown files in Git vs Strapi→Ghost vs Payload→Ghost vs Strapi→Payload vs Strapi→

Directus

Markdown files in Git

Ghost

Payload

Strapi

Is it free?

Run these yourself

Replacing a specific tool?

Alternatives to Contentful

Straight head-to-heads

New swaps, worth your inbox.