Rigid templates, technological limitations, and integration issues with new channels make companies look for more flexible solutions. The answer to these needs is headless CMS – an architecture that separates the content layer from its presentation layer and opens the way to truly scalable, future-proof information management.
What is a headless CMS and how does it work?
In traditional CMSs, such as WordPress or Joomla, the backend (content management) and frontend (website presentation) are tightly linked. This means that every visual element is generated by the same system that stores the content. A headless CMS works differently – it removes the “head,” the part responsible for appearance and rendering, leaving only the content core.
In practice, this means that all data – texts, images, videos, metadata – is stored in one place and made available via API (REST or GraphQL) to any number of applications: websites, e-commerce stores, mobile apps, client portals, and even IoT devices and digital signage screens.
This approach creates an API-first architecture, where the CMS is the central repository, and frontends – so-called “heads” – can be built in any technology: React, Vue, Next.js, Astro, Angular, or Swift. As a result, one system can serve multiple communication channels simultaneously while maintaining consistency and control over the content.
Why companies are moving away from traditional CMSs
Traditional “monolithic” systems were designed with single-site content publishing in mind. Today, however, brands need to publish the same data across multiple locations: the main website, mobile apps, email campaigns, in-store screens, and external partner platforms.
Headless CMS eliminates the constraints of templates and plugins, giving companies full control over the appearance, structure, and performance of a project. Importantly, it allows developers and marketers to work independently without blocking each other. Developers build the frontend in any framework, while editors manage content through the CMS panel.
For companies, this means shorter implementation times for new features, better performance, and reduced risk of errors since each team operates within its domain.
Key advantages of the headless approach
- Technological flexibility – content can be published in multiple environments and technologies simultaneously. Headless allows using a single CMS for the website, mobile app, and marketing materials.
- Scalability and performance – by separating layers, the system can be developed in stages. The frontend can be generated statically (SSG) or server-side (SSR), speeding up load times and improving Core Web Vitals.
- Security – the CMS is not directly connected to the frontend, significantly reducing the risk of attacks. Malicious code cannot access the application server because data is transmitted only via API.
- Team independence – marketing, IT, and product teams can work concurrently. Content changes do not require developer intervention, and developer work does not block editors.
- Content centralization – all data is in one repository, which simplifies management of multiple language versions and maintains brand consistency.
- Future readiness – headless architecture allows easily adding new channels, integrations, and formats.
When is headless CMS the best choice?
Companies typically choose a headless CMS when planning long-term growth and wanting to avoid the limitations of traditional platforms. It is especially beneficial if:
- you are building a multi-channel project where the same content must appear in multiple environments,
- you value technological flexibility – you want to choose which framework will be used for the frontend,
- you plan to scale the project – higher traffic, new languages, integrations, microservices,
- performance and SEO are priorities – you want Lighthouse scores 90+ and reduced TTFB,
- security is important, and you want to minimize the risk of attacks.
In practice, headless works well for both large organizations and small-to-medium businesses aiming to grow without having to change technology every few years.
Headless in numbers and business practice
Research shows that companies using headless CMS reduce the average time to implement new channels by 30–50%, and content publishing time can be cut up to threefold. This is not only a workflow improvement but also a real operational cost saving.
Through APIs, the CMS can connect with any tools: CRM, marketing automation, ERP, or sales platforms. Strategically, this provides full control over the content lifecycle and the ability to react immediately to market changes.
Ranking of popular headless CMS platforms
The headless CMS market is maturing rapidly. Today, it’s not enough to pick “the most popular” tool; the decision must reflect real business needs, team workflow, and digital growth plans. Each platform has a different character: some are fully open source and give complete control over the code, others operate as SaaS and prioritize editor convenience. A well-chosen CMS balances technological flexibility with predictable costs and organizational workflow.
Sanity – the best choice for most companies
Sanity is a headless CMS that combines fast implementation, editor and marketing team convenience, and attractive pricing. For 70% of projects – SMBs, startups, educational institutions, service companies – it is simply the most sensible choice.
It performs well wherever content is a key business element: blogs, articles, landing pages, documentation, guides, knowledge bases. Sanity offers a strong free plan sufficient for most small and medium projects, keeping entry costs minimal. A major advantage is its extensive integration system with CRM, ERP, marketing automation, and more.
For clients with marketing/content teams who want to work quickly, stably, and without infrastructure worries, Sanity is the best starting point.
How it works under the hood:
Sanity is based on Content Lake, a cloud content database with real-time access, versioning, and instant propagation of changes. The Sanity Studio panel works like a React app – it can be hosted on your server and extended freely (custom views, integrations, custom fields).
Developers use GROQ, GraphQL, or classic APIs, making it easy to connect frontends built with Astro.js, Next.js, React, or any technology. Sanity is efficient, flexible, and cost-predictable – that’s why it’s our number one.
Payload CMS – best for companies needing full control, data security, and extensibility
Payload is a CMS for companies requiring full data control, operating in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government, R&D), or needing extreme flexibility. Payload can run on your own server, meaning no licensing fees, full control over data, and no vendor lock-in.
For projects where content, users, integrations, and permissions must be highly customized to company processes, Payload outperforms any other CMS.
How it works under the hood:
Payload is designed as a universal CMS/backend embedded in a Next.js application. This is its unique advantage. It can operate as a cohesive part of the project within a single repository, with shared code for the frontend, admin panel, and backend.
It provides:
- advanced roles and permissions,
- document versioning,
- REST and GraphQL APIs,
- custom component creation in the panel,
- fully configurable data models,
- unlimited extensibility and new function programming.
It’s ideal for custom projects, large systems, and companies wanting a CMS “tailored to measure.”
Strapi – best for teams wanting data control via self-hosting, at the cost of convenience and flexibility
Strapi is one of the most popular headless CMSs, with features similar to Sanity. Its main advantage is the ability to run on your own server, reducing licensing costs and giving full control over data. Sanity, however, has the edge in UX, flexibility, and ease of work. The free Community Edition allows nearly cost-free startup.
How it works under the hood:
Strapi is a Node.js-based headless CMS with graphical data model building. It provides data access via API (REST/GraphQL).
Its panel is simple but less flexible than Sanity or Payload. It can work with any technology.
It’s a good choice for companies needing standard CMS functions (without custom modifications) and full data security, but may be less convenient for intensive marketing/content team work.
Storyblok – best for marketing and e-commerce teams prioritizing visual editors
Storyblok stands out with its live visual editor – a tool where marketers can literally “build a page” in preview and see it as the user would, without involving developers. This feature is increasingly available in other CMSs like Sanity or Payload.
For e-commerce companies, marketing agencies, or brands running intensive content campaigns, it’s a highly convenient feature boosting productivity.
Licensing costs are higher than competing solutions.
How it works under the hood:
Storyblok is content-based on modules (blocks) designed by designers, UX specialists, and developers. Marketing teams assemble landing pages, campaigns, and product pages from these blocks. Efficiency depends heavily on how universal and consistent the components are. The system supports multilingual setups, workflows, and integrations.
Ideal if the priority is managing multiple intensive campaigns directly from the marketing department.
Contentful – best for large organizations, multiple markets, multiple languages
Contentful is an enterprise solution. Strong governance, precise roles, extensive approval processes, and full integration with marketing automation tools. It suits large organizations or global brands managing content across:
- multiple markets,
- multiple languages,
- various channels (web, apps, TV, IoT devices).
The free plan is symbolic – most companies opt for plans costing several thousand to tens of thousands annually.
Technically:
Contentful offers mature REST/GraphQL APIs, high stability, and scalability. It’s well-designed but much more “industrial” than flexible. Good for corporations, not for most small-to-medium businesses.
WordPress as headless – best as a transitional solution
WordPress as headless makes sense in only one scenario: the company already has a large, complex WordPress and cannot migrate immediately.
In that case:
- keep WP as the content source,
- build a new frontend (Astro.js / Next.js),
- improve SEO, Core Web Vitals, and UX,
- gradually phase out dependency on the WordPress ecosystem and plugins.
It is not a final solution but as a transitional stage, it can offer an excellent cost-to-effect ratio.
Technically:
WordPress can operate headless via REST API or WPGraphQL. It keeps the familiar panel while enabling a modern, ultra-fast website. However, it still inherits WP’s problems: security, stability, vulnerability, and dependency on many dubious plugins.
How to choose the right headless CMS for your company?
Choosing a CMS should be based not only on feature comparison but also on business strategy and real organizational needs. That’s why at WebProfessor, we primarily recommend Sanity – a solution combining intuitive use for marketing teams, flexibility for developers, and a very favorable cost model. In most projects, Sanity provides the best balance between ease of use, scalability, and speed of implementation.
For companies needing full data control, operating in regulated industries, or planning highly custom products and requiring a flexible extensible system, the second recommendation is self-hosted Payload CMS.
For clients who need full data control or want to reduce licensing costs with many users but have no custom requirements and only need standard CMS features – we choose Strapi.
Regardless of CMS choice, all suggested solutions integrate with modern technologies (Astro.js, Next.js), providing clients with an ultra-fast, stable, growth-ready platform.
Headless CMS from team and business perspectives
For developers, headless means architectural freedom. They don’t have to adapt to CMS template limits, and each component can be built in any framework.
For editors, it’s a simple panel allowing real-time content editing and automatic publication across multiple channels.
For product managers and business owners – it reduces maintenance costs, increases efficiency, and enables project growth without replacing the entire system. Separating frontend and backend increases security and allows implementing new features without downtime.
Choosing a headless CMS is primarily a strategic decision, not a technical one. The tool you choose affects marketing speed, IT flexibility, scalability, and total maintenance costs in the years ahead. A proper CMS should reflect your business model, growth pace, and how important content is in your business.
Service and B2B companies
For service companies, the most important factors are SEO, content quality, expert image, and marketing team convenience. The team must quickly publish articles, case studies, reports, and updates without involving developers.
In such models, Sanity works best – lightweight, fast, flexible, inexpensive to start, and editor-friendly.
With headless architecture, a service company can distribute content across multiple channels simultaneously: website, app, newsletters, and client portal – without duplicating work.
E-commerce and retail companies
In e-commerce, headless CMS allows combining marketing content with product information and store system data. It enables control over the entire ecosystem: product pages, landing pages, blogs, recommendations, content campaigns, and dynamically generated content (promotions, seasonal, personalization).
Two approaches work well here:
- Sanity – for brands needing fast campaign publishing, a convenient panel, and CRM/marketing automation integrations,
- Strapi – for brands considering future self-hosting.
Contentful is less commonly needed – suitable for brands operating in multiple markets where enterprise-level complexity and budget justify the investment.
Startups and tech companies
Startups need fast MVPs, low costs, and flexibility. They usually choose:
- Sanity – when speed, low-cost implementation, and team convenience matter,
- Payload CMS – when the app requires extensive custom logic, flexibility, and greater data control.
In practice:
- Sanity = best experience + fewest problems
- Strapi = potential future self-hosting
- Payload = full flexibility, integrated in Next.js app reduces costs
With headless, a startup can start with one channel (website) and later add a mobile app, chatbot, payment system, or client portal – without changing the CMS or costly migrations.
Corporate and international brands
In large organizations, the CMS must support:
- multiple markets and languages,
- hundreds of users and roles,
- approval processes and audits,
- integrations with CRM, ERP, marketing automation,
- complex content models and department structures.
Best suited:
- Contentful – fully enterprise, with governance and SLA,
- Sanity Enterprise – flexible, scalable, and high-performance for large teams.
These tools are chosen by organizations managing large content ecosystems and needing long-term infrastructure.
How to match CMS to a company’s growth stage
CMS choice should reflect the business development stage – a startup, a scaling company, and a global brand have different needs. Instead of comparing features alone, consider how CMS will affect work pace, costs, and development possibilities.
Startup / MVP stage
At the start, speed, low cost, and easy changes matter. SaaS is the most rational choice as it allows operating without infrastructure investment.
Recommendations:
- Sanity – best for most small businesses and startups: fast implementation, strong free plan, convenient marketing panel.
- Strapi (SaaS) – alternative for future self-hosting.
Growth / scaling stage
As content and team size grow, the company needs a tool that is convenient, stable, and keeps costs under control.
Recommendations:
- Sanity – best when content publishing, organization, and team efficiency grow.
- Strapi (self-hosted) – suitable for large data volume, many licenses, reducing licensing costs via own infrastructure.
Product development / custom projects stage
If the CMS is part of an app or system with heavy business logic, panel convenience is secondary. Flexibility and control matter most.
Recommendation:
- Payload CMS – best when custom logic, panel features, and full data control are required.
Expansion / enterprise stage
Large organizations need stability, roles, workflows, and enterprise system integration.
Recommendations:
- Contentful – classic choice for global brands, strong governance and SLA.
- Sanity Enterprise – when scalability is needed but Sanity’s flexibility is retained.
