Top 7 Strapi Alternatives – Best Headless CMS Options Compared

Strapi is a popular open‑source headless CMS built with JavaScript that gives developers control over their content API. With both REST and GraphQL support and the freedom to self‑host, it’s easy to see why Strapi appeals to technical teams. Yet many users encounter frustrations: they bump into performance bottlenecks, limited content modeling, and a lack of robust editorial workflows. In a space where agility and scale matter, these shortcomings have inspired teams to explore Strapi alternatives, especially ones that handle complex content relationships without sacrificing speed.

These are the biggest complaints:

• Performance bottlenecks: Strapi users often report performance drops, limited query capabilities, and a lack of built‑in mutations. Inefficient data fetching means you frequently have to manually configure the system, especially in high‑traffic scenarios.

• Inflexible content modeling: While Strapi has decent content modeling, it lacks out‑of‑the‑box support for advanced content relationships and validations. Custom coding and plugins become necessary, turning structured content management into a burden.

• Limited editorial features: Strapi lacks advanced content approval workflows, versioning, batch operations, custom roles, and granular permissions – all essential for larger content teams.

• No integrated CDN and SEO optimization: Teams must rely on external services for performance, global delivery, and SEO. This dependence complicates efforts to optimize website speed and reliability.

A better approach is choosing a headless CMS that addresses these pain points natively. Below are the best Strapi alternatives we’ll be reviewing in this article:

1. Hygraph

2. Sanity

3. Contentful

4. Storyblok

5. Directus

6. Prismic

7. Contentstack

Let’s dive in.

#1. Hygraph

Hygraph is a modern, API‑first headless CMS that makes managing structured content at scale easy. Built entirely on GraphQL, it offers granular querying and an intuitive interface. Hygraph excels at modeling complex relationships between content types, making it ideal for dynamic, data‑rich applications. Unlike Strapi’s more limited architecture, Hygraph’s integrated CDN and real‑time performance features ensure content delivery is fast and reliable without relying on external services.

Pros:

• GraphQL‑native platform: Hygraph is built from the ground up with GraphQL, granting developers precise querying capabilities.

• Highly scalable: Fast and reliable content delivery through globally distributed networks – great for enterprise use.

• Flexible content modeling: A visual schema builder supports complex relationships between content types.

• Multi‑tenancy: Built‑in localization and custom role management make Hygraph a strong choice for global organizations.

• Developer‑friendly: A rich API ecosystem, SDKs, and a CLI tool streamline integration with frameworks like Next.js and Gatsby.

Cons:

• Fewer integrations: Compared to Strapi or Contentful, there are fewer plug‑and‑play extensions.

• No native visual editing: Hygraph focuses on structured content, which may be less suitable for projects needing a WYSIWYG editing workflow.

Hygraph use cases

Hygraph shines in scenarios where Strapi struggles. A few examples:

• Composable websites: AutoWeb, one of the first internet companies in the automotive industry, migrated from an in‑house CMS to Hygraph. The change reduced implementation time for new components from weeks to days and improved organic traffic.

• Data projects: The Oetker Group, a global food leader, chose Hygraph to break down data silos and manage brands across 40 countries. The platform’s unified data layer gives them deeper customer insight.

• Knowledge management and portals: Seeking strict data governance, Statistics Finland adopted Hygraph. Its granular permissions protect sensitive data while ensuring editors have the right access.

• Content federation: Telenor needed a content platform to support a fast‑growing video streaming service. Hygraph’s ability to programmatically ingest content from multiple sources made content management seamless.

Start exploring Strapi’s best alternative by signing up for a free‑forever account.

#2. Sanity

Sanity is a headless CMS known for real‑time collaboration and flexibility. Unlike Strapi’s sequential editing, Sanity lets multiple editors work together with live presence indicators. You can structure content using JavaScript and query it with GROQ or GraphQL. Sanity excels when you need bespoke workflows and real‑time content operations.

Pros:

• Highly customizable Sanity Studio for editing environment and workflows.

• Queryable content lake you can shape to fit complex data models.

• Real‑time collaboration – multiple editors can co‑edit and see each other’s changes.

• Rich integrations with modern stacks like Next.js, Vercel, and Netlify.

• Flexible querying using Sanity’s GROQ language or GraphQL.

Cons:

• No native visual editor.

• GROQ isn’t as widespread as GraphQL or SQL, so the learning curve is steeper.

• Overwhelming for lightweight projects that only need simple publishing workflows.

• Requires JavaScript knowledge to set up custom schemas and workflows.

Sanity use cases

Sanity is ideal for:

• Multi‑platform content delivery: Its headless API drives omnichannel publishing across web, mobile apps, digital signage, and even AR/VR environments.

• Custom digital experiences: When out‑of‑the‑box CMS features fall short, Sanity lets you model content precisely and build tailored editorial workflows.

• Real‑time content ops: Product teams and newsrooms use Sanity to collaborate in real time, keeping everyone in sync.

#3. Contentful

Contentful is a headless CMS tailored to digital‑first businesses. It combines a flexible content model with a visual editor that gives non‑technical users more independence than Strapi offers. With robust localization, roles, and integrations, Contentful is popular with enterprises that need to manage content across multiple channels and languages.

Pros:

• API‑first architecture that cleanly separates content and presentation.

• Editor‑friendly UI with a visual editor and live preview.

• Custom content modeling plus roles, permissions, and localization.

• Easy integration with frameworks like Next.js, Nuxt, and Gatsby.

Cons:

• Limited rich text customization.

• High price point for startups and small teams.

• No modular components like Strapi’s Dynamic Zones.

Contentful use cases

Contentful works well for:

• Multi‑channel content distribution: Power websites, apps, digital displays, and voice assistants with a single backend via APIs.

• Enterprise‑size sites and apps: Large organizations benefit from Contentful’s scalability, localization features, and editing environments.

• Headless projects: Decoupled front‑ends using modern frameworks can fetch data via Contentful’s GraphQL API, ensuring consistent performance.

#4. Storyblok

Storyblok is a cloud‑native headless CMS that’s front‑end agnostic. Unlike Strapi, Storyblok offers a visual editor and built‑in Digital Asset Manager, making it appealing for marketing teams who need to see changes in real time.

Pros:

• Intuitive visual editor that allows editors to drag and drop components and see changes instantly.

• Customizable publishing workflows tailored to your team’s processes.

• Google Docs‑style commenting directly in the CMS.

• Built‑in Digital Asset Manager for uploading, resizing, and serving assets.

Cons:

• Complex setup compared to some other CMSs.

• Outdated documentation can slow adoption.

• Limited CRM integrations.

• Less suited for non‑website content delivery such as mobile or IoT.

Storyblok use cases

Storyblok is a strong choice for:

• Dynamic, content‑heavy websites: Marketers can build and preview pages without developer assistance.

• SMB websites: Storyblok’s ease of use benefits small businesses that don’t need complex integrations.

• Frontend‑focused projects: For visually rich landing pages and storytelling, editors can assemble pre‑designed blocks and see the result instantly.

If you’d like to see how Storyblok compares to other CMSs, we’ve written a dedicated article.

#5. Directus

Directusis an open‑source headless CMS and data platform. Unlike Strapi, which ships with its own database layer, Directus connects to your existing SQL database and does not impose a predefined schema. It’s popular with non‑technical users thanks to a no‑code admin interface, while developers appreciate its flexibility.

Pros:

• Works with any SQL database – no need to migrate your data into a proprietary storage layer.

• Compatible with any tech stack and easily self‑hosted.

• No‑code admin panel for managing structured content.

• Self‑hosted with full ownership of your data.

Cons:

• No native CDN for global delivery.

• Limited localization features.

• Complex workflows require database expertise.

• Smaller support communities compared to Strapi’s.

Directus use cases

Directus is ideal for:

• Integrating existing SQL databases: Modernize legacy systems without rearchitecting your data layer.

• Custom backend applications: Use Directus as a data management layer while building custom front‑ends for internal dashboards or analytics.

#6. Prismic

Prismic is a cloud‑based headless CMS with a visual preview feature called Slices. It’s designed for marketing websites and content‑heavy applications where editors need an easy way to build and manage pages. Unlike Strapi, you don’t manage your own backend; Prismic is fully hosted and offers polished UI and built‑in integrations.

Pros:

• Fully managed CMS – you don’t have to maintain infrastructure.

• Intuitive visual editor with real‑time preview.

• Built‑in versioning, scheduling, and preview capabilities.

• Quick setup with pre‑configured integrations for Next.js, Gatsby, and Nuxt.

Cons:

• No custom roles or workflows.

• Limited UI customization.

• No direct access to the underlying database.

Prismic use cases

Prismic excels at:

• Marketing websites and landing pages: The Slices feature lets editors assemble pages without a developer and preview changes before publishing.

• Editorial sites with high content volume: Schedule and publish articles via GraphQL or REST endpoints; it’s ideal for statically generated sites built on Gatsby or Next.js.

• Campaign‑based content ops: Retailers can build pages using Slices, schedule launches, and adjust content mid‑campaign.

#7. Contentstack

Contentstack is an enterprise‑grade headless CMS that separates content from presentation. Developers can build custom front‑ends while editors enjoy user‑friendly content management. Its modular blocks, workflows, and localization support make it well suited to complex content operations.

Pros:

• Reusable content blocks for building pages quickly.

• Omnichannel delivery via REST and GraphQL.

• Custom roles, approval workflows, versioning, and scheduling – ideal for large teams.

• Enterprise‑ready architecture with SLAs, CDN, and secure APIs.

Cons:

• Expensive – pricing may be prohibitive for startups and small teams.

• Requires technical skills to set up APIs and models.

• Less flexibility for custom workflows compared to Hygraph or Sanity.

Contentstack use cases

Contentstack is a strong choice for:

• Complex content workflows: Large teams managing content across regions benefit from granular permissions and approval flows.

• Mission‑critical applications: Financial institutions, eCommerce platforms, or media companies rely on Contentstack for high availability and security.

#Strapi vs. Hygraph: Why Hygraph Comes Out on Top

Hygraph stands out among Strapi alternatives not only for simple use cases but especially for projects that demand complex content interactions and user‑generated content. Strapi’s GraphQL implementation requires extra setup and imposes query limits, whereas Hygraph’s GraphQL‑native platform allows robust queries and mutations out of the box. Flexible content modeling makes ambitious projects easier to scale, and a visual schema editor simplifies building complex relationships. Hygraph also provides bulk operations and custom roles, giving editors the tools they need to collaborate efficiently. Unlike Strapi’s reliance on external services for global distribution, Hygraph’s integrated CDN and SEO features deliver content quickly and reliably. For a more detailed breakdown, see Strapi vs. Hygraph.

Hygraph’s enterprise readiness, ease of development, and integrated performance features make it an obvious choice when speed and scalability matter. If you want a CMS that grows with your business, offers advanced GraphQL capabilities, and doesn’t force you to choose between flexibility and reliability, Hygraph is the best alternative to Strapi.

Compare Strapi vs. Hygraph in detail to learn more.