Best Headless CMS in 2026
Updated
In short: Sanity is ranked #1 of 35 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Prismic and Directus. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Prismic. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Prismic at $10/mo.
When content must serve a site or app without being tied to its presentation, a headless CMS can provide a way to manage and deliver it. Compared on API types, asset transformations, content localization, and content preview, these entries let you weigh publishing needs alongside role permissions and webhooks. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost details to consider. Sanity, Prismic, and Directus are among the options shown, alongside dotCMS and Storyblok. Think about how your team organizes, reviews, and distributes content, then compare the listed capabilities and access controls against that workflow.
35 headless CMS ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
20 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SanityWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $15/mo | 7.9 | |
| 2 | PrismicWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $10/mo | 7.9 | |
| 3 | DirectusWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $499/mo | 7.6 | |
| 4 | dotCMSNo platforms listed | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 7.5 | |
| 5 | StoryblokWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $99/mo | 7.5 | |
| 6 | ButterCMSWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $71/mo | 7.5 | |
| 7 | ContentfulWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $300/mo | 7.4 | |
| 8 | DatoCMSWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | €149,199/mo | 7.4 | |
| 9 | Cloud CMSWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.4 | |
| 10 | WebinyWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $79/mo | 7.1 | |
| 11 | Enonic XPWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.1 | |
| 12 | StrapiSelf-hosted | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | $35/mo | 7.0 |
| 13 | CrafterCMSWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 14 | SquidexWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.8 |
| 15 | CosmicWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $99/mo | 6.8 | |
| 16 | Payload CMSWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.6 |
| 17 | HygraphWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $199/mo | 6.6 | |
| 18 | ContentstackWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $299/mo | 6.5 | |
| 19 | TinaCMSWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $24/mo | 6.5 | |
| 20 | Zesty.ioWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $475/mo | 6.3 | |
| 21 | Umbraco CMSWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | €45/mo | 6.3 | |
| 22 | ContentoWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $40/mo | 6.2 | |
| 23 | Agility CMSWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 24 | CoreMedia CMSWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.9 |
| 25 | Builder.ioWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $24/mo | 5.9 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which headless CMS is ranked first on Freedom251?
Sanity is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 7.9. Prismic is second and Directus third.
How many of these have a free plan?
20 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Prismic has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.