A Headless CMS separates content management (back-office) from display (front-end). You manage your content in a simple interface, and your developer displays it wherever needed — website, mobile app, newsletter, etc. In 2026, several solutions stand out. Here's how to choose.

Why a Headless CMS instead of WordPress?

WordPress is a 'coupled' CMS: the back-office and front-end are tied together. Changing the design means touching PHP templates. A Headless CMS solves this: the front-end (Next.js, React) is completely free, and content is accessible via an API.

It's the ideal solution for Next.js sites where you want maximum performance while letting a non-technical team manage content.

Sanity: the most flexible

✅ Fully customisable content schemas in code (TypeScript).
✅ GROQ — a powerful and intuitive query language.
✅ Sanity Studio (back-office) is infinitely customisable.
✅ Real-time: changes visible instantly.
✅ Generous free tier (3 users, 500k API requests/month).
❌ Learning curve for schema configuration.
❌ Data hosted by Sanity (no self-hosted option on the cloud plan).
💶 Pricing: free → $15/month/user beyond the free plan.

Contentful: the most mature

✅ Battle-tested platform, used by major brands (ITV, Spotify, Nike).
✅ Very accessible editing interface for non-technical teams.
✅ Native REST and GraphQL APIs.
✅ Large integration ecosystem (Shopify, Salesforce, etc.).
❌ Limited free tier (25,000 requests/month, 2 locales).
❌ Pricing escalates quickly: Team plan starts at $300/month.
❌ Less modelling flexibility than Sanity.
💶 Pricing: free (very limited) → $300/month (Team) → Enterprise.

Strapi: the open source self-hosted choice

✅ Open source: host on your own server, your data stays with you.
✅ Admin interface generated automatically.
✅ REST and GraphQL APIs auto-generated from your models.
✅ Ideal for businesses with strict GDPR requirements.
❌ Requires a Node.js server to maintain (VPS, Docker).
❌ Lower performance than Sanity or Contentful at scale.
❌ Strapi Cloud is paid (free for self-hosted).
💶 Pricing: free self-hosted → $29/month on Strapi Cloud.

Honourable mention: Payload CMS

Payload is the rising star in 2026. Open source, native TypeScript, hostable on your own infrastructure. It integrates directly into a Next.js app (same folder). This is my personal choice for custom projects needing a back-office: a single codebase, maximum performance, and total flexibility.

Which CMS for which profile?

Non-technical marketing team, SaaS budget → Contentful (if budget allows) or Sanity.
SME with GDPR constraints, data in Europe → Strapi self-hosted or Payload on an OVH VPS.
Technical startup, custom Next.js project → Payload CMS or Sanity.
E-commerce with product catalogue management → Sanity (flexible schemas).

My approach

I recommend and implement Payload CMS and Sanity for my Next.js projects. These two solutions offer the best balance between technical flexibility, ease of use for business teams, and GDPR compliance.

Have a project that needs content management? Get in touch to discuss the best solution for your team and budget.

Headless CMS: Sanity, Contentful or Strapi — Which to Choose for Your Business in 2026?