Visual and Headless CMS
A content management system stores, edits and publishes content, and the platforms here range from classic all-in-one systems that render pages to headless ones that deliver content over an API to any front end. Developers pick them for structured content models, while editors care about the writing interface. The coupled versus headless choice comes first, deciding whether the CMS owns the website or only feeds it. Editing experience is second, between visual, in-context editing on the live page and forms over fields, which decides how much editors depend on developers for routine changes. Hosting is third, running from open-source systems on a team's own server to SaaS priced by seats, locales and API calls. Ghost, Storyblok, Strapi and Drupal show four distinct answers to the same set of questions.
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Open-source CMS and site builder at wordpress.org, with a block editor, themes and a plugin directory that adds stores, page builders, course sites and mobile apps.
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Sanity is a developer-first content platform that stores structured JSON content, edits it in a customizable Studio, and adds AI agents and automation for content operations teams.
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MIT-licensed open source headless CMS that turns a no-code content model into REST and GraphQL APIs, with free Community use, a 45 dollar Growth plan and Strapi Cloud.
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API-based headless content platform with a Visual Editor, built-in front-end hosting, asset management, personalization and AI agents, aimed at enterprise marketing and developer teams.
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Headless CMS with a Visual Editor for developers and marketers, plus a native MCP Server and FlowMotion workflows for AI agents, aimed at teams running many sites.
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Ghost is a publishing platform for creators and publishers to build a website, publish by web and email newsletter, and offer paid subscriptions to members.
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Drupal is an open source, API-first CMS offered as Drupal CMS for marketers and site builders and Drupal Core for developers, with Drupal AI and a global partner network.
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HubSpot CMS is a drag-and-drop website and blog builder with free hosting and a custom domain, tied to HubSpot's forms, email, landing pages and chatbots.
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Prismic is a headless CMS where developers define reusable slices in code and marketers assemble landing pages visually, with MCP connections to AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT.
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Open-source TypeScript framework on Next.js that generates an admin panel, REST and GraphQL APIs, auth and live preview from one config, for developers building headless CMS sites and apps.
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Sitecore is an enterprise marketing platform built on SitecoreAI, combining content creation with AI agents, a visual agent builder, Connect workflow automation, Send email and a customer data platform.
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Optimizely is an enterprise marketing platform with a visual CMS, experimentation and personalization, plus a no-code builder for AI agents that run marketing workflows.
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Joomla! is a free GPL content management system run by volunteers, used to publish blogs and websites, with thousands of extensions and 76 languages.
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Hygraph is a GraphQL-native headless CMS for enterprise teams that model relational content once and deliver it by API to websites, apps, portals and AI tools.
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Blogger is Google's blog publishing service, offering templates, blogspot.com or custom domains, built-in analytics, AdSense ads and a developer API for individual bloggers.
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Headless CMS with visual editing, modular content, a GraphQL API, 200+ plugins and AI automation for developers, marketers and enterprise teams.
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Directus is a collaborative backend with a no-code Studio for editors, live preview, dashboards, WebSockets and an MCP server for AI agents, free to self-host.
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Content-first CMS with a GraphQL API, Twig templates, a Commerce add-on for online stores and localization for unlimited sites and languages.
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An open-source .NET CMS from Denmark with a no-code Forms add-on, managed Umbraco Cloud hosting, and webhook and API integrations for marketing stacks.
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A visual development platform where designers, product managers and engineers edit the real app on a Git branch, with an agentic CMS for pages, A/B tests and campaigns.
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Website builder with a design canvas, built-in CMS and AI agents for design, content and code, used for marketing sites, landing pages and portfolios, with a free site to start.
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Open-source CMS built on Python and Django for editorial teams, with a form builder, image tools, an AI package and headless operation.
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Kontent.ai is a headless CMS that the company calls an Agentic CMS, with AI agents for audits, governance and localization and open APIs for developers.
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Acquia is an agentic content platform built on Drupal that joins content, digital asset management and AI agents with governance for enterprise marketing and IT teams.
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An API-first headless CMS with a free plan, built-in blogging, visual editing and an AI Assistant, for developers who build the front end and marketers who publish.
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An open-source headless CMS with built-in Git version control, where editors change Markdown content visually and developers keep control of the code.
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Managed headless CMS for content teams, with AI agents, multi-brand Workspaces and published plan prices starting from a free plan.
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Agility CMS is an API-first headless CMS with built-in visual page management, multi-site support and fixed enterprise pricing for marketing and development teams.
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dotCMS is an enterprise headless CMS with a Universal Visual Editor, REST and GraphQL APIs, approval workflows, audit trails and on-prem, own-cloud or dotCMS-hosted deployment.
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Self-hosted Laravel CMS with a block editor, 40-plus field types, forms and multi-site, with a free Core edition and a per-site Pro license at 349 US dollars.
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Progress Sitefinity is an enterprise web CMS with a WYSIWYG editor, built-in personalization, analytics and governance, multisite management and ASP.NET Core with headless delivery.
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Xperience by Kentico is a .NET content management platform with built-in marketing tools and the AIRA AI assistant, deployable as managed SaaS or on-premise.
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Hashnode is a free blogging platform for developers and engineers with custom domains, Markdown, GitHub mirroring of every post and a GraphQL API for going headless.
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Micro.blog is a blogging platform founded in 2017 that publishes to your own domain, joins the fediverse, and cross-posts to Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and more.
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Amplience is a composable content operations platform for commerce that combines a headless CMS, a DAM with dynamic media and AI agents for enterprise retail teams.
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An agentic digital experience platform with a headless CMS, visual workspace, edge personalization and the Scout AI agent, orchestrating existing stacks for humans and AI agents.
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Hybrid headless CMS headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, with visual editing for any frontend, REST and GraphQL APIs, over 150 pre-built connectors and cloud or on-premises hosting.
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An enterprise content management platform for media and publishing teams, with 100+ pre-configured content types, native multisite management, headless or hybrid delivery and built-in AI tools.
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Arc XP is a publishing platform and CMS for media companies, covering content management, AI editorial workflows, subscriptions and identity, and video for newsrooms and broadcasters.
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MIT-licensed open source CMS for Git workflows, free and self-hosted, with real-time preview, editorial workflows and an optional hosted Turbo extension.
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Open source, Git-based headless CMS with visual editing, REST and GraphQL APIs, Spring AI and OpenSearch, offered self-hosted or as SaaS.
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ApostropheCMS is an MIT-licensed open source headless CMS for JavaScript teams, pairing in-context visual editing with Astro integration and self-hosted or managed deployment.
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Open-source serverless CMS with a headless CMS, drag-and-drop website builder and file manager, a free MIT edition, and paid plans from $79 a month.
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Open source headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs, built-in workflows and versioning, Docker or Kubernetes hosting, and cloud plans priced by API calls and asset storage.
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Keystatic is a database-free CMS from Thinkmill that makes Markdown, JSON and YAML content in your codebase editable, with a free cloud plan for up to 3 users.
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A Git-based CMS for static sites that gives editors a visual editor, component-based page building and live previews while code and content stay in your own repository.
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October CMS is a self-hosted, Laravel-based CMS with Twig templates, a Tailor content engine and a plugin marketplace, licensed from a free one-year license or $39 per license.
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Free and open source content management system for teams, with on-page WYSIWYG editing, a website builder, granular permissions and hosting plans from $4.99 a month.
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django CMS is a free, open source Python CMS with a drag-and-drop page builder, live preview, versioning, multilingual content and granular user permissions for editors and developers.
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DNN is an open source .NET CMS with on-page editing, page and module permissions, multiple sites per install and a packaged extension model, run by a community association.
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Jahia is a French CMS and digital experience platform for multisite, multilingual publishing and authenticated portals, with governed AI agents, GraphQL headless delivery and no-code editing.
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Composable headless CMS with the Content Studio editor, AI features and interactive previews, used by organizations such as NAV and the Norwegian Directorate of Health.
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Shorthand is a code-optional publishing platform for visual stories, reports and digital magazines, with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 claims, AI Creative Companion and flexible hosting.
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Foleon is a content operations platform where marketing teams build interactive brochures, eBooks and microsites in a drag-and-drop editor, with brand governance and AI built in.
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RebelMouse is an agentic CMS and website builder for content teams, publishers and brands, with migration blueprints, built-in AI, performance tools and an optional expert agency.
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React Bricks is a visual headless CMS where developers turn React components into content blocks and editors compose pages inline, with AI page generation and ISO 27001 certification.
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Zesty.io
NewHybrid and headless SaaS CMS with drag-and-drop content modeling, visual editing for marketers, an Instant Content API delivering JSON, and WebEngine page rendering.
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API-first headless CMS with auto-generated REST APIs, a free-forever tier, paid plans from $39 a month, TypeScript type sync and Next.js starters.
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Digital experience platform that combines headless CMS, composable commerce and workflow orchestration, with custom entities that business teams configure in an admin interface.
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Visual page builder and CMS for B2B commerce storefronts, where developers register approved components and merchandisers bind them to live product and pricing data.
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Hannon Hill sells Cascade CMS and the Clive personalization layer to universities, healthcare and finance institutions that need governed web content across many sites.
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Plate is a visual CMS built and hosted in Europe, with drag-and-drop editing, multi-site management and a content layer for organizations running many websites.
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Roadiz is a Symfony-based headless and classic CMS for designers and developers, with polymorphic content types, a REST API, Twig templates and Docker-oriented deployment.
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Backdrop CMS is a free, open source content management system in PHP, built on Drupal 7 and aimed at website architects who want flexible content modeling without a developer team.
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A free, MIT-licensed flat-file CMS for small websites that stores content as JSON and text files instead of a database, with inline editing for the person running the site.
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Publii is a free, open-source desktop CMS that builds static blogs, portfolios and documentation sites on your computer and publishes them to GitHub Pages, Netlify, Amazon S3 or FTP.
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Hosted blog platform for companies that want organic search traffic, with a markdown editor, automatic technical SEO, 90+ Lighthouse scores and a 7-day free trial.
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Hyvor Blogs is a hosted, ad-free blogging platform from a bootstrapped Paris company, with custom domains, editable themes, auto translation, an AI writing assistant and a headless Data API.
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Blog platform that publishes plain, readable pages for people and AI assistants, with unlimited blog sites, a custom domain per site and pricing based on page views.
- 70
An open source visual website builder and CMS that you can self-host for $0 a month or run on Ycode Cloud, with bring-your-own-AI design and CMS tools.
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Versoly is a no-code builder for landing pages and CMS-driven websites with 300+ blocks, a built-in code editor, a blog engine and one-click analytics, hosted on AWS.
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SiteManager is a no-code collaborative web design platform for agencies, with a built-in CMS, a browser-based code editor, multilingual sites, memberships and Web3 features.
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deco pairs an open source agentic CMS and Studio, self-hosted or operated by deco, with engineers and AI agents that run commerce sites and apps for results.
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Sitepins is an open source, Git-based headless CMS with a visual editor for Astro, Next.js, Hugo and other static sites, as a hosted cloud service or self-hosted via Docker Compose.
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A hosted headless CMS where clients edit and publish structured content in the browser while developers keep the front end in their own repo.
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Adapto CMS is a managed headless CMS with flat plans that bundle the content API, media CDN, image optimization, webhooks and localization, aimed at dev teams and agencies.
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md0 is a GitHub-based CMS for visually editing markdown files in your repo, free for public repos, plus 21 free browser-based markdown tools.
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Model-driven content services platform that generates open source content applications with AI classification, policy-based access and a bring-your-own-cloud option.
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NovaDB is a headless, API-first content and product data platform from Noxum with a visual editor, Excel import, AI-assisted translation and omnichannel publishing, sold through demos.
- 80
PagibleAI CMS is an MIT-licensed Laravel and Vue.js CMS with visual WYSIWYG editing, built-in AI tools, 35+ language translation and JSON REST and GraphQL APIs.
- 81
A self-hosted Laravel CMS with a shadcn/ui and React 19 admin panel, a REST API, signed webhooks and one-time pricing instead of a monthly bill.
- 82
Self-hosted headless CMS on Laravel and PHP, currently $74 one-time, with unlimited projects per install, frontend authentication and bring-your-own-key AI tools.
- 83
Open-source PHP CMS with a drag-and-drop page builder, built-in ecommerce, GraphQL and REST APIs, and 3 supported database engines, free to download.
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SeoToaster is a free, open source CMS and ecommerce website builder from SeoSamba with themes, a plug-in marketplace, built-in SEO, cloud hosting and a Stripe-ready point of sale.
- 85
BlogBowl is a hosted blog, changelog and help-docs platform with a built-in newsletter, analytics and daily AI posts, on an open source core, from a $0 Starter plan.
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A drag-and-drop blog builder for Shopify stores with live SEO and UX scoring, ready-made blog templates, product embeds and a Klaviyo connection, from 25 dollars a month.
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HelpKit turns Notion pages into a branded help center, knowledge base or docs site with AI answers, analytics and an embeddable widget, no coding needed.
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A Notion-based platform that turns Notion pages into docs, blog, changelog, roadmap and help desk sites, with a 20-page free plan and paid plans from $17 a month.
- 89
Flashboard is an instant admin panel and CMS for PostgreSQL, Supabase and Neon databases, with column-level permissions and a Notion-like editor, ready in under 2 minutes.
- 90
BlackOps Center keeps what you know in subject-based brains, lets an AI agent draft and publish from them, and hosts your blog on your own domain.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a headless CMS and a visual CMS?
A headless CMS delivers content via an API to any front end, allowing developers to manage the presentation layer independently. Visual CMS options include features like in-context editing or page management to help editors see changes directly on the site.
Can I find an open source option for my project?
Yes, there are several open source choices available. You can find MIT-licensed platforms for JavaScript teams, PHP-based systems built on Drupal, or platforms that allow you to self-host for free.
Are there platforms specifically designed for enterprise or retail teams?
Yes, some platforms are built specifically for enterprise marketing, IT, or retail teams. These often include advanced features like digital asset management, governance, and AI agents to handle complex content operations.
Do any of these platforms help with blogging and newsletters?
Several options focus on publishing and blogging. Some are simple services for individual bloggers with built-in analytics, while others function as hosted platforms for blogs and help docs that include newsletters and daily AI posts.
Which options are best if I want to keep my front end code in my own repository?
You should look for headless CMS providers. These allow clients to edit structured content in a browser while developers maintain full control over the front end within their own repo.