Strapi, Payload, Sanity and Storyblok are candidates for a headless CMS: a system that manages content separately from the website or app displaying it. The fit depends on editorial work, technical setup and maintenance. Have editors perform their own tasks in a trial. A feature list doesn’t tell you whether changing a page feels straightforward.
For the wider development decision, read our custom software guide. Also compare WordPress, custom and headless and the terms around code ownership.
What is a headless CMS?
A headless CMS manages content that a separate website or app retrieves through an API. You also build the connection between the content structure and its presentation. That can help when information serves several channels or the website belongs to a larger product.
WordPress can also operate headlessly through its REST API. The choice isn’t simply WordPress versus headless. Establish why you want to separate content and presentation, and what additional work that creates.
How do the candidates differ?
| Candidate | What to investigate in a trial | Question for your team |
|---|---|---|
| Strapi | Content management and chosen hosting setup | Who maintains the installation and extensions? |
| Payload | Content model and application logic in the codebase | Who can change schemas and permissions? |
| Sanity | Content Lake and the Studio configuration | How do content models support editorial work? |
| Storyblok | Visual editing alongside the frontend | Which blocks can editors use independently? |
Product documentation checked on 2026-09-24. These are investigation points, not universal winners for particular businesses. Give each candidate the same difficult task, such as a translated page with a reusable block and a planned change. Ask what’s standard, which plan is required and what needs building.
When should you consider Strapi?
Include Strapi when its content structure and hosting options fit your team. For an installation you manage, budget for updates, backups and recovery. A licence without a purchase fee doesn’t remove the need for maintenance.
Check the version too. The official Strapi security policy says security support for Strapi 4 ended in April 2026. An existing version 4 installation therefore needs a maintenance decision. Support status checked on 2026-09-24.
The version 4 to 5 migration guide is a starting point. Inventory plugins and custom code, run a trial migration and test publishing and content retrieval. Document how to roll back if testing fails.
When should you consider Payload?
Payload describes its architecture as a TypeScript backend on Next.js, with an admin environment, APIs and configurable access control. That makes it a candidate when content and bespoke application logic need to sit close together.
Have the team demonstrate how a content-model change is reviewed and deployed. Then ask an editor to perform an ordinary task. A setup that suits developers may still need work before the admin environment fits the people changing text and images.
When should you consider Sanity?
Sanity separates structured content storage and querying in Content Lake from the configuration of the editorial environment. Assess how that structure supports your documents and reuse. A product description appearing across channels creates different requirements from a standalone campaign page.
Ask which APIs and queries the frontend uses and who maintains them. Check costs at expected usage, along with required roles and management features. Don’t rely on a general claim about a free plan or data region: confirm current terms for the actual setup.
When should you consider Storyblok?
Storyblok provides a Visual Editor combining editing and preview. That’s a reason to test it when editors want to see how their changes affect the page.
The frontend still needs to support the corresponding content blocks. Establish what an editor can do independently and when a new block needs development. Test an existing page after a block changes too: reuse helps only when it’s clear where a change will appear.
What should an editor do during the trial?
Give the editor existing copy, an image and a change request. Ask them to create a draft, check its preview and publish after approval. Observe where explanation is needed.
Include a mistake, such as the wrong image or an unwanted publication. Can the team find and restore the previous version? Create a restricted user account too. Check that it can do exactly the agreed work without unintended additional access.
How do you compare costs?
Compare the complete setup. Alongside subscriptions or hosting, count content modelling, frontend development and migration. Then budget for maintenance, changes and support. Obtain current pricing for the plan you actually need; a free entry plan doesn’t budget for a different setup.
| Cost | Question for the quote |
|---|---|
| Editorial environment | Which roles, workflows and previews will be configured? |
| Frontend | Which components and integrations will be built? |
| Migration | Which content, relationships and files will move? |
| Usage | Which limits and extra charges apply? |
| Maintenance | Who handles updates and what does recovery include? |
Our software cost guide explains project budgeting. Compare the same scope; fewer features for less money is a different offer.
How do you prepare a CMS migration?
Inventory content types, relationships, images and URLs. Exporting text alone is insufficient when the website uses references between documents. Test conversion on a copy before agreeing a completion date.
Check redirects, metadata and links in the new frontend. Agree how changes made during migration are tracked and who approves the content. Duration depends on those tasks; a fixed number of weeks without an assessment isn’t a useful schedule.
How do you actually get started?
Describe editorial tasks and the places content is used. Choose a representative page and have each candidate perform the same work. Compare configuration, maintenance and current terms afterwards.
For custom software development with suitable content management, book a call.
