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Ranked list

Best Headless CMS Tools in 2026

Headless content management systems

Key Takeaways
  • Sanity is our overall pick for headless CMS in 2026, and our free pick. Overall and free pick: Free plan; cheapest paid plan Growth, $15/mo. Rated 4.7/5 on G2 (924 ratings, Sep 2026). Watch out: API request overages at $1/25K (non-CDN) can spike with server-side rendering patterns.
  • We evaluated 49 headless CMS tools to create this ranking.
  • 7 of the 10 tools listed here have a free plan.
Publications that cover the tools tracked here
  • TechCrunch
  • Bloomberg
  • Forbes
  • The Verge
  • Business Insider
  • 49 tools evaluated
  • 10 top picks
  • 7 with a free plan

Headless CMS splits between API-first commercial (Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok), open-source (Strapi, Payload, Directus), and Git-based (Decap CMS, TinaCMS, Outstatic). The choice depends on content structure complexity, team authoring needs, and budget.

Top 3 headless CMS tools

  1. Sanity logo

    Sanity

    #1 Top pick

    Structure content as data for any application

    Starting price

    From $15 /mo

    Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of October 2026

    4.7 /5 on G2 · 924 ratings, Sep 2026

    Our take

    Best overall

  2. Umbraco logo

    The flexible open-source .NET CMS for building and scaling digital solutions with speed, simplicity, and scale.

    Pricing

    Contact sales

    4.5 /5 across SourceForge and G2 · 1,031 ratings, Sep 2026

  3. Hygraph logo

    Federated content platform with GraphQL

    Starting price

    From $299 /mo

    Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of October 2026

    4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 745 ratings, Sep 2026

10 top headless CMS tools compared

Headless CMS tools compared on starting price (cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of October 2026), average user rating with each review site's own score, and the hidden cost to watch for.
Sanity logo
Sanity
Price: $15/mo 4.7 out of 5, from 924 ratings on G2 G2 4.7 Watch out: API request overages at $1/25K (non-CDN) can spike with server-side rendering patterns
Umbraco logo
Umbraco
Price: Contact sales 4.5 out of 5, from 1,031 ratings across SourceForge and G2 G2 4.5 · SourceForge 5.0 Watch out: Developer licensing for certain add-ons
Hygraph logo
Hygraph
Price: $299/mo 4.5 out of 5, from 745 ratings across G2 and Capterra G2 4.4 · Capterra 4.7 Watch out: Overage fees for content entries/models
Storyblok logo
Storyblok
Price: $99/mo 4.5 out of 5, from 592 ratings on G2 G2 4.5
Contentful logo
Contentful
Price: $300/mo 4.4 out of 5, from 409 ratings across G2 and Capterra G2 4.3 · Capterra 4.5 Watch out: The Free-to-Lite jump is €0 to €300/month with no intermediate tier. Many startups outgrow Free (25 content types, 2 locales, 2 environments) within months but struggle to justify €3,600/year for a CMS alone.
Kontent.ai logo
Kontent.ai
Price: Not published 4.4 out of 5, from 263 ratings across G2 and Capterra G2 4.3 · Capterra 4.5 Watch out: Potential overage fees for API calls or content items.
Prismic logo
Prismic
Price: $10/mo 4.3 out of 5, from 361 ratings on G2 G2 4.3
Strapi logo
Strapi
Price: $99/mo 4.5 out of 5, from 272 ratings across G2 and Capterra G2 4.5 · Capterra 4.6
ButterCMS logo
ButterCMS
Price: $71/mo 4.6 out of 5, from 209 ratings across G2 and Capterra G2 4.6 · Capterra 4.7 Watch out: Overage fees for exceeding limits
Agility CMS logo
Agility CMS
Price: Contact sales 4.3 out of 5, from 259 ratings across TrustRadius, G2 and Capterra G2 4.4 · Capterra 4.4 Watch out: Enterprise tier starts at $5,998, custom pricing beyond.

Headless CMS pricing compared

Headless CMS pricing, as of October 2026
Sanity Cheapest paid plan: Growth, $15/mo Free plan: Yes Billing: Per user, billed monthly
Umbraco Cheapest paid plan: Not published Free plan: No Billing: Not published
Hygraph Cheapest paid plan: Professional, $299/mo Free plan: Yes (Hobby) Billing: Billed monthly
Storyblok Cheapest paid plan: Entry, $99/mo Free plan: Yes (Community) Billing: Billed monthly
Contentful Cheapest paid plan: Lite, €300/mo Free plan: Yes Billing: Billed monthly
Kontent.ai Cheapest paid plan: Not published Free plan: No Billing: Not published
Prismic Cheapest paid plan: Starter, $10/mo (billed yearly) Free plan: Yes Billing: Billed yearly
Strapi Cheapest paid plan: Strapi Cloud Pro, $99/mo Free plan: Yes (Community (Self-hosted)) Billing: Billed monthly
ButterCMS Cheapest paid plan: Basic, $71/mo Free plan: Yes Billing: Billed monthly
Agility CMS Cheapest paid plan: Not published Free plan: No Billing: Not published

Toolradar pricing data, last verified October 2026. Prices are the cheapest paid plan converted to a monthly figure; "Not published" means the vendor publishes no price for a self-serve paid plan. 7 of 10 tools publish a paid price; median cheapest paid plan $99/mo.

Toolradar data

The headless CMS tools market in numbers

Toolradar data: Toolradar tracks 49 headless CMS tools as of October 19, 2026. 84% of the headless CMS tools on Toolradar are free, freemium or open source. Toolradar re-checked the pricing of 88% of headless CMS tools in the last 90 days. Toolradar aggregates 6,292 public user reviews (G2, Capterra, Trustpilot and other review sites) across 34 rated headless CMS tools. The most cross-shopped headless CMS tool is Contentful, listed as an alternative to 45 other tools on Toolradar. The most compared headless CMS tool on Toolradar over the last 90 days is Strapi, with 253 side-by-side comparisons. Computed from the Toolradar catalog and on-site activity.

  • 49 headless CMS tools tracked
  • 84% are free, freemium or open source
  • 88% of prices re-checked in the last 90 days
  • 6,292 public user reviews aggregated across 34 rated tools
Most cross-shopped headless CMS tools on Toolradar, as of October 2026 Listed as an alternative to the most other tools on Toolradar
Rank Tool Listed as an alternative to
1 Contentful 45 tools
2 Strapi 44 tools
3 Payload 33 tools
Most compared headless CMS tools on Toolradar, last 90 days to October 2026 Side-by-side comparisons by visitors, last 90 days
Rank Tool Comparisons
1 Strapi 253
2 Contentful 233
3 Payload 223

Source and method: live headless CMS tools statistics

Headless CMS leaderboards from Toolradar data

Toolradar ranks Headless CMS tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Oct 2026.

CSV download of these Headless CMS leaderboards, licensed CC BY 4.0

Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit

Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.

Counted among 20 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.

Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit, Headless CMS tools on Toolradar, as of Oct 2026
# Tool Entry plan
1 CloudCannon $10/mo, billed monthly
1 Prismic $10/mo, billed yearly
3 Squidex $20.54/mo, billed monthly
4 Payload $35/mo, billed monthly
5 Flotiq $39/mo, billed monthly

A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 20 of 49 Headless CMS tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Headless CMS leaderboards”, Oct 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Headless CMS statistics.

How the top headless CMS tools compare

7 of the 10 headless CMS tools listed here have a free plan (Sanity, Hygraph, Storyblok, Contentful, Prismic, Strapi, ButterCMS); the other 3 (Umbraco, Kontent.ai, Agility CMS) are paid only. Teams on a budget should start with Sanity, our free pick.

Rankings are computed from G2/Capterra review volume and rating, and media mentions. Editorial policy

Top headless CMS tools

Order: Toolradar ranking score, which is the public review volume times the average rating on G2, Capterra, Trustpilot and other review sites, plus media mentions (recent ones count more). Paid placements are labelled and never change the score. How we rank.

1
Sanity logo

Sanity

Free plan

Structure content as data for any application

4.7 /5 on G2 · 924 ratings, Sep 2026

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.

  • Pro: Excellent developer experience
  • Pro: Real-time collaboration
  • Pro: Highly flexible schema
  • Con: GROQ learning curve
  • Con: Can get expensive at scale
Good value

Sanity Free with 20 seats is the most generous free CMS tier in the market, Contentful and Hygraph cap at 5-10.

Watch out

API request overages at $1/25K (non-CDN) can spike with server-side rendering patterns

2
Umbraco logo

Umbraco

Paid

The flexible open-source .NET CMS for building and scaling digital solutions with speed, simplicity, and scale.

4.5 /5 across SourceForge and G2 · 1,031 ratings, Sep 2026

Umbraco is a highly flexible, open-source content management system (CMS) built on the modern Microsoft .NET stack. It's designed to solve content challenges for enterprises and content teams by providing a secure, cloud-ready, and scalable platform without vendor lock-in. Umbraco empowers marketers and content creators with intuitive tools for content authoring, rich media management, and scheduled publishing, while offering developers unparalleled freedom through its customizable architecture, API-driven flexibility, and support for both traditional and headless CMS approaches. Beyond its core CMS capabilities, Umbraco offers Umbraco Compose, a data orchestration layer that streamlines data from various sources (CMS, PIM, CRM, ERP, DAM) into a single, headless GraphQL API output. This allows for rapid integration and delivery of data, making it ideal for complex tech stacks and AI-readiness. Umbraco aims to provide a robust foundation for digital experiences, enabling businesses to adapt fast, integrate freely, and scale their digital presence effectively.

  • Pro: Highly flexible and customizable for specific project requirements.
  • Pro: User-friendly interface for content editors, requiring minimal training.
  • Pro: Open-source nature provides transparency and avoids vendor lock-in.
  • Con: Pricing for Umbraco Compose can be significant for larger enterprises.
  • Con: Requires .NET development knowledge for full customization.

Watch out

Developer licensing for certain add-ons

3
Hygraph logo

Hygraph

Free plan

Federated content platform with GraphQL

4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 745 ratings, Sep 2026

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.

  • Pro: Best-in-class GraphQL
  • Pro: Content federation unique
  • Pro: Strong localization
  • Con: GraphQL-only (no REST)
  • Con: Smaller ecosystem
Fair value

Hygraph's pricing is on the higher side, especially for the Professional tier at $299/month, which offers limits that many smaller teams might quickly outgrow.

Watch out

Overage fees for content entries/models

4
Storyblok logo

Storyblok

Free plan

Headless CMS with visual editor

4.5 /5 on G2 · 592 ratings, Sep 2026

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.

  • Pro: Best visual editing experience
  • Pro: Real-time preview on site
  • Pro: Great for marketing teams
  • Con: Can be expensive
  • Con: Learning curve for setup
Good value

Storyblok's pricing is fair, offering a generous free tier for personal use.

5
Contentful logo

Contentful

Free plan

Manage and deliver digital content across all channels via APIs

4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 409 ratings, Sep 2026

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

  • Pro: Flexible content model
  • Pro: Great API
  • Pro: Strong ecosystem
  • Con: Can be expensive
  • Con: Learning curve
Fair value

Contentful is the market-leading headless CMS, and its pricing reflects that position.

Watch out

The Free-to-Lite jump is €0 to €300/month with no intermediate tier. Many startups outgrow Free (25 content types, 2 locales, 2 environments) within months but struggle to justify €3,600/year for a CMS alone.

6
Kontent.ai logo

The headless CMS built for speed, control, and the future of content with AI-powered automation.

4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 263 ratings, Sep 2026

Kontent.ai is a headless Content Management System (CMS) designed to accelerate content publishing, provide developers with flexibility, and offer complete control over content at scale. It leverages AI agents for tasks like audits, governance, and localization, freeing up content teams to focus on creativity and strategic work. This approach, termed "Agentic CMS," aims to redefine content operations by automating time-consuming processes. The platform empowers business users with brand control without slowing down, while developers benefit from open APIs and a composable stack. Leaders can optimize performance by consolidating disparate tools into one secure hub. Kontent.ai enables faster launches, experimentation, and instant publishing to various channels, all while maintaining governance and security. It's built for organizations looking to streamline content creation, manage multiple websites, and deliver consistent experiences across all channels and devices, including support for localization and SEO. Kontent.ai is ideal for content teams, developers, and business leaders in organizations that need to manage large volumes of content, publish quickly, and maintain brand consistency across multiple platforms and languages. It's particularly beneficial for companies looking to reduce operational costs through consolidation and automation, and those requiring robust security and compliance standards.

Kontent.ai screenshot
  • Pro: Significantly faster content creation and publishing
  • Pro: Increased web traffic and improved ROI reported by users
  • Pro: Flexibility for developers with open APIs and composable architecture
  • Con: Pricing is not transparently listed and requires a custom quote
  • Con: May have a learning curve for teams transitioning to a headless CMS model
Fair value

However, headless CMS platforms, especially those with AI automation like Kontent.ai, typically cater to enterprise-level clients and can be quite expensive.

Watch out

Potential overage fees for API calls or content items.

7
Prismic logo

Prismic

Free plan

Empower marketers, delight developers with reusable content

4.3 /5 on G2 · 361 ratings, Sep 2026

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.

  • Pro: Good marketer/developer balance
  • Pro: Generous free tier
  • Pro: Slice Machine is innovative
  • Con: Less flexible than Sanity
  • Con: Slice Machine learning curve
Good value

Prismic's pricing is very generous, especially with its robust free tier which is excellent for personal projects and small businesses.

8
Strapi logo

Strapi

Free plan

Build content APIs fast with a customizable, self-hosted headless CMS

4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 272 ratings, Sep 2026

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.

  • Pro: Free and open source
  • Pro: Full data ownership
  • Pro: Highly customizable
  • Con: Self-hosting complexity
  • Con: Requires developer setup
Great value

Strapi's pricing is very generous, offering a full-featured Community (Self-hosted) tier for free.

9
ButterCMS logo

ButterCMS

Free plan

The headless CMS that fuels fast-moving teams, enabling developers to build their way and marketers to publish in...

4.6 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 209 ratings, Sep 2026

ButterCMS is an API-first headless Content Management System designed to help high-growth organizations build, launch, and scale high-performance websites, e-commerce sites, and mobile apps. It separates content management from content display, providing developers with the flexibility to use any tech stack (React, Vue, Next.js, etc.) while empowering marketers to create, update, and optimize content across various channels without developer intervention. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of features for content modeling, creation, and delivery, including modular content blocks, custom page types, a built-in blog engine, and robust SEO tools. It also supports multi-site and multi-language content management, collaborative workflows with role-based access and content approvals, and media asset management. With AI and automation capabilities for content creation, translation, and migration, ButterCMS aims to boost efficiency and accelerate content production for marketing and e-commerce teams.

  • Pro: Empowers marketers to publish and update content independently, reducing dev bottlenecks.
  • Pro: Offers developers flexibility to use any modern tech stack with an API-first approach.
  • Pro: Supports multi-site and multi-language content management for global scalability.
  • Con: No explicit free tier mentioned, only a "Start for Free" button which likely refers to a trial.
  • Con: Requires technical understanding for initial setup and integration due to its headless nature.
Good value

ButterCMS offers a fair pricing structure, especially with its generous Free tier and a clear progression of features.

Watch out

Overage fees for exceeding limits

10
Agility CMS logo

Empower teams to launch digital experiences faster with intuitive tools and flexible integrations.

4.3 /5 across TrustRadius, G2 and Capterra · 259 ratings, Sep 2026

Agility CMS is an enterprise-grade Composable Headless CMS designed to provide total flexibility for building, editing, publishing, and scaling digital experiences. It offers a decoupled architecture, allowing content editors to work independently of developers, accelerating content delivery across various channels. This platform goes beyond traditional headless CMS by integrating robust page management capabilities, enabling users to easily build and manage sitemaps and layouts alongside individual content pieces. It's built for enterprises requiring high security, guaranteed uptime, and personalized support, making it suitable for managing multiple websites, omnichannel experiences, and e-commerce platforms. Agility CMS is ideal for organizations seeking a scalable, secure, and future-proof content management solution that supports complex content structures, Jamstack architectures, and seamless integration with other best-of-breed tools.

Agility CMS screenshot
  • Pro: Decouples content from code, allowing faster launches and independent team work.
  • Pro: Provides comprehensive page management alongside headless content, offering more control than typical headless CMS.
  • Pro: Offers enterprise-grade security, guaranteed uptime, and personalized support.
  • Con: The term "Headless CMS" is used ambiguously, sometimes referring to the product name and sometimes to the general concept, which could be confusing.
Good value

Agility CMS's pricing is on the higher end compared to some market alternatives, especially for smaller teams.

Watch out

Enterprise tier starts at $5,998, custom pricing beyond.

Why other headless CMS tools didn't make our top 10

We evaluated 49 tools in this category and these 20 ranked 11 through 30. They're solid options that fell short on one or two axes (review depth, pricing transparency, feature parity), but worth a look if the leaders don't fit your stack or budget.

Magnolia logo
Magnolia
Composable DXP and Headless CMS for global enterprises to deliver exceptional digital experiences.
Prepr CMS logo
Prepr CMS
The headless CMS for B2B lead-gen websites with built-in personalization and A/B testing.
Optimizely CMS logo
Optimizely CMS
Empower developers and marketers to create, launch, and scale digital experiences with a headless CMS.
Craft CMS logo
Craft CMS
Empower your creative process with a flexible and customizable content management system.
Payload logo
Payload
Headless CMS and application framework
Webiny logo
Webiny
Composable open-source content platform for enterprises, hosted within your AWS account.
Flotiq logo
Flotiq
API-first headless CMS for developers and content editors to create, collaborate, and publish content.
Directus logo
Directus
Open-source headless CMS and data platform
DatoCMS logo
DatoCMS
Headless CMS for modern web projects
CloudCannon logo
CloudCannon
A Git-based CMS built for speed, security, and zero headaches, scaling with your website needs.
Visitor profiles and timeline by Croct logo
Visitor profiles and timeline by Croct
A headless CMS for optimizing user experiences through personalization and A/B testing.
Wagtail logo
Wagtail
The leading open-source Python CMS for content management at enterprise scale.
Enonic logo
Enonic
Headless flexibility and editorial freedom for building secure, scalable, and engaging digital experiences.
Cockpit logo
Cockpit
Build anything, your way, with a self-hosted, API-first headless content platform.
Builder.io logo
Builder.io
Visual headless CMS and page builder
Statamic logo
Statamic
The award-winning CMS built on Laravel, designed for developers and content teams.
Plasmic logo
Plasmic
Visual page building for React components
KeystoneJS logo
KeystoneJS
Headless CMS and GraphQL API framework
Makeswift logo
Makeswift
Empower marketers with visual freedom and developers with full control for modern frontends.
Outstatic logo
Outstatic
A static site CMS for Next.js with AI completion and no database.

Popular headless CMS comparisons

See how the leading headless CMS tools stack up head-to-head.

Compare all 49 headless CMS tools side by side

Pricing breakdowns for headless CMS tools

Real plans and the hidden costs for each tool.

Browse all headless CMS tools

49 tools
Cosmic logo
Cosmic
Headless CMS with AI to build and deploy applications 10x faster.
Free plan · Web
Caisy logo
Caisy
The fastest, enterprise-grade headless content management system for easy, scalable, and powerful content delivery.
Free plan · Web, Android, iOS
Contentrain logo
Contentrain
A headless CMS combining Git and Serverless for optimized content management.
Free plan · Web
React Bricks logo
React Bricks
Visual headless CMS for React, Next.js, and Remix, empowering developers and content editors.
Free plan · Web
TinaCMS logo
TinaCMS
Visual editing for static sites, committed to Git
Free plan · Web
Zesty logo
Zesty
Build and manage digital experiences with a composable, drag-and-drop, AI-assisted headless CMS.
Free plan · Web
Front Matter logo
Front Matter
Manage static site content and Markdown files directly within your code editor.
100% free · Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Forestry logo
Forestry
The Forestry.io team is now focused on TinaCMS, a Git-backed headless CMS for developers.
Free plan · Web
Siteleaf logo
Siteleaf
A friendly CMS for static sites, empowering content creators and developers alike.
Paid · Web
Squidex logo
Squidex
An OpenSource Headless CMS with powerful APIs and flexible content management.
Free plan · Web
Crafter CMS logo
Crafter CMS
Open-source, Java-based headless CMS for high-performance, scalable digital experiences.
100% free · Web
Visual CMS logo
Visual CMS
Visually build and manage content for any digital experience.
Free plan
BaseBuddy logo
BaseBuddy
Transform your Supabase or Postgres database into a WordPress-like content editor.
100% free · Web
Netlify CMS logo
Netlify CMS
Open-source content management for your Git workflow with any static site generator.
Free plan · Web
Strapi MCP logo
Strapi MCP
AI-powered content management for your Strapi project
Free plan
Pages CMS logo
Pages CMS
The no-hassle CMS for static site generators, running straight on top of GitHub.
100% free · Web
Sanity MCP logo
Sanity MCP
Content management for AI agents via chat and coding assistants
Free plan
Decap CMS logo
Decap CMS
Open-source content management for your Git workflow, designed for static sites and Jamstack projects.
Free plan · Web
Uniform logo
Uniform
The composable DXP that unifies content, orchestration, personalization, and AI for exceptional digital experiences.
Paid · Web

Showing the top 19 of 49. Filter to narrow down.

How to choose headless CMS software

  1. Match CMS to content complexity

    Marketing pages, blogs: Sanity, Storyblok, or Decap CMS suffice. Multi-language, complex content models, multi-channel publishing: Contentful, Sanity, Strapi. Code-defined schemas: Payload, Sanity. Each has different opinions on content modeling.

  2. Audit editor experience

    Marketers and content editors must enjoy using the CMS. Sanity Studio and Storyblok's visual editor are strong; some headless CMSes (Strapi) feel more dev-oriented. Demo with a real editor before committing.

  3. Plan for self-hosted vs SaaS

    Self-hosted (Strapi, Payload, Directus): full control, ops burden. SaaS (Contentful, Sanity): zero ops, vendor lock-in, can get expensive at scale. Match to ops capacity.

Honorable mentions

Tools that didn't crack the headline list but deserve a look depending on what you optimize for.

  • WordPress logo
    WordPress Best legacy alternative

    WordPress with WPGraphQL can serve as headless CMS. For teams already on WordPress, the migration cost to a true headless CMS often isn't worth it.

Best Headless CMS for

How we ranked these headless CMS tools

We rank by real-world signal: G2/Capterra review volume and rating, and media mentions (volume and recency). Pricing is re-checked and the ranking refreshed monthly.

Tools evaluated
49
With free plan
84%
Last updated
October 2026

Toolradar Research

The data behind headless CMS tools

First-party analyses built from our full catalog, methodology published.

All Toolradar research

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best headless CMS tool in 2026?

Based on our analysis of 49 headless CMS tools, Sanity is our overall headless CMS pick. The next tools on the list are Umbraco, Hygraph, Storyblok. Rankings use G2/Capterra review volume and rating, and media mentions.

What are the top 3 headless CMS tools?

The top 3 headless CMS tools in 2026, ranked by Toolradar, are: 1) Sanity, Structure content as data for any application. 2) Umbraco, The flexible open-source .NET CMS for building and scaling digital solutions with speed, simplicity, and scale. 3) Hygraph, Federated content platform with GraphQL.

Are there free headless CMS tools?

Yes. Sanity is our free headless CMS pick (free plan alongside paid plans). 7 of the 10 tools on this page have a free plan. Among the 49 headless CMS tools we rank, 41 have a free plan.

How do I choose the right headless CMS tool?

Start by defining your team size, budget, and must-have features. Sanity is our overall headless CMS pick. Compare all 49 options side by side on Toolradar.

Cite this page: Toolradar, "Best Headless CMS Tools in 2026", updated October 2026, https://toolradar.com/best/headless-cms

Headless CMS statistics catalog size, ratings and pricing data, updated monthly

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