Best Headless CMS for Next.js

Selecting the wrong CMS for your Next.js project creates ripple effects across your entire development lifecycle—from sluggish build times to content preview nightmares that frustrate both developers and editors. As a technical manager, you need a headless CMS that integrates seamlessly with Next.js 14's App Router, supports React Server Components, and scales without blowing your infrastructure budget.

The Next.js ecosystem has become the dominant force in React development, and headless CMS vendors have responded with increasingly sophisticated integrations. But the quality gap between platforms is significant. Some offer first-class support for Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR), draft mode, and on-demand revalidation. Others leave your team stitching together workarounds.

We evaluated six leading headless CMS platforms specifically for Next.js development teams. This guide examines integration depth, App Router compatibility, build performance, total cost of ownership, and long-term scalability. By the end, you'll have a clear framework for selecting the best headless CMS for Next.js that aligns with your technical requirements and business constraints.

Want to compare platforms immediately? Use our interactive comparison tool to see how each CMS stacks up.

How We Evaluated Each CMS for Next.js

Our evaluation framework focuses on criteria that matter most for Next.js and React projects:

1. Next.js SDK Quality — We assessed official SDK availability, App Router support, React Server Components compatibility, and TypeScript integration. Maintenance frequency and documentation completeness factored heavily into scoring.
2. Rendering Strategy Support — Next.js offers SSG, SSR, ISR, and PPR (Partial Prerendering). We evaluated how well each CMS supports these patterns, including on-demand revalidation and draft/preview mode implementation.
3. Build Performance — For large content libraries, build times matter. We measured how each CMS handles incremental builds, content caching, and webhook-triggered revalidation.
4. Developer Experience (DX) — Content modeling flexibility, admin interface quality, local development workflow, and the learning curve for both developers and content editors were examined.
5. Pricing & TCO — Free tier limitations, bandwidth costs, API call pricing, and scaling expenses were analyzed. We calculated realistic costs for projects at 10K, 100K, and 1M monthly page views.
6. Vercel Integration — Given Next.js and Vercel's close relationship, we evaluated native Vercel integrations, edge function compatibility, and deployment optimization features.

With these criteria established, let's examine each platform's capabilities for Next.js headless CMS integration.

Sanity: The Next.js Power Couple

Overview: Sanity has positioned itself as the premier headless CMS for Next.js, with deep integrations developed in collaboration with Vercel. Its real-time collaboration features, GROQ query language, and native visual editing capabilities make it particularly compelling for teams prioritizing content editor experience alongside developer productivity.

Next.js Integration:

• Official package: Yes (next-sanity)
• App Router support: Full (including Server Components)
• TypeScript: Yes (with Sanity TypeGen)
• Draft mode: Native support with live preview
• ISR/Revalidation: Full support with webhooks
• Integration time estimate: 4-6 hours

Pros for Technical Managers:

• Official Vercel integration with optimized caching
• Real-time visual editing directly in your Next.js frontend
• GROQ queries reduce over-fetching and improve performance
• Generous free tier (3 users, 200K API CDN requests/month)
• Excellent image transformation CDN included

Cons & Limitations:

• GROQ learning curve for teams familiar with REST/GraphQL only
• Studio customization requires React (though aligns with Next.js skills)
• Pricing scales with dataset size and bandwidth at higher tiers
• Content lake pricing model can be complex to forecast

Best Use Case: Content-rich applications where editors need real-time preview and collaboration, and where the development team values tight Next.js integration.

Quick Integration Example:

typescript

// app/posts/[slug]/page.tsx
import { client } from '@/sanity/lib/client'
import { groq } from 'next-sanity'

const query = groq`*[_type == "post" && slug.current == $slug][0]{
title, body, publishedAt, "author": author->name
}`

export default async function PostPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
const post = await client.fetch(query, { slug: params.slug })
return <article>{/* render post */}</article>
}

export async function generateStaticParams() {
const slugs = await client.fetch(groq`*[_type == "post"].slug.current`)
return slugs.map((slug: string) => ({ slug }))
}

Contentful: Enterprise-Grade Content Infrastructure

Overview: Contentful established the headless CMS category and remains the default choice for enterprise organizations. Its mature infrastructure, comprehensive SDK, and extensive app marketplace make it attractive for large teams with complex content operations and compliance requirements.

Next.js Integration:

• Official package: Yes (contentful SDK + @contentful/live-preview)
• App Router support: Full
• TypeScript: Yes (with content type generation)
• Draft mode: Full support with Live Preview SDK
• ISR/Revalidation: Full support with webhooks
• Integration time estimate: 4-6 hours

Pros for Technical Managers:

• Battle-tested infrastructure with 99.95% uptime SLA
• Comprehensive localization (up to 50+ locales)
• Rich App Framework for custom integrations
• Strong enterprise support and compliance certifications (SOC 2, GDPR)
• Extensive third-party integration ecosystem

Cons & Limitations:

• Free tier is restrictive (5 users, 2 locales, limited API calls)
• Pricing jumps significantly at growth tiers ($489/month for Team)
• Content modeling can feel rigid compared to Sanity
• GraphQL API is a separate add-on in some plans

Best Use Case: Enterprise teams requiring proven infrastructure, extensive localization, marketing team autonomy, and compliance certifications.

Quick Integration Example:

typescript

// lib/contentful.ts
import { createClient } from 'contentful'

export const contentfulClient = createClient({
  space: process.env.CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID!,
  accessToken: process.env.CONTENTFUL_ACCESS_TOKEN!,
})

// app/posts/[slug]/page.tsx
export default async function PostPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
  const entries = await contentfulClient.getEntries({
    content_type: 'blogPost',
    'fields.slug': params.slug,
    limit: 1,
  })
  const post = entries.items[0]
  return <article>{/* render post */}</article>
}

Strapi: Self-Hosted Freedom for Next.js Teams

Overview: Strapi leads the open-source headless CMS space with over 60,000 GitHub stars. Its Node.js foundation, customizable admin panel, and unlimited self-hosting make it the go-to choice for teams wanting full control over their CMS infrastructure without per-seat licensing constraints.

Next.js Integration:

• Official package: Community SDK (strapi-sdk-js) + REST/GraphQL
• App Router support: Full (via API)
• TypeScript: Yes (with type generation tools)
• Draft mode: Supported via Draft & Publish feature
• ISR/Revalidation: Full support with webhooks
• Integration time estimate: 4-7 hours

Pros for Technical Managers:

• Unlimited free self-hosting eliminates seat and API costs
• Full REST and GraphQL APIs out of the box
• Highly customizable admin panel and content types
• Active community with extensive plugin ecosystem
• Complete data ownership and infrastructure control

Cons & Limitations:

• Self-hosting requires DevOps expertise for production
• No official Next.js-specific SDK (though integration is straightforward)
• Strapi Cloud pricing scales with usage
• Major version upgrades may require migration effort

Best Use Case: Teams wanting complete ownership of their CMS with predictable costs, comfortable managing Node.js infrastructure.

Quick Integration Example:

typescript

// lib/strapi.ts
const STRAPI_URL = process.env.STRAPI_URL || 'http://localhost:1337'

export async function fetchAPI<T>(path: string, options = {}): Promise<T> {
  const response = await fetch(`${STRAPI_URL}/api${path}`, {
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    ...options,
  })
  return response.json()
}

// app/posts/[slug]/page.tsx
export default async function PostPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
  const { data } = await fetchAPI<{ data: Post[] }>(
    `/posts?filters[slug][$eq]=${params.slug}&populate=*`
  )
  return <article>{/* render data[0] */}</article>
}

Payload CMS: TypeScript-Native Excellence

Overview: Payload CMS has emerged as the TypeScript-first headless CMS, offering end-to-end type safety that other platforms can't match. Built on Node.js with MongoDB and PostgreSQL support, Payload treats your CMS configuration as code—version-controlled, type-checked, and fully integrated with your development workflow.

Next.js Integration:

• Official package: Yes (Payload 3.0 runs inside Next.js)
• App Router support: Full (native integration)
• TypeScript: Yes (native, auto-generated types)
• Draft mode: Full support with Live Preview
• ISR/Revalidation: Full support
• Integration time estimate: 3-5 hours (with Payload 3.0)

Pros for Technical Managers:

• Payload 3.0 runs directly in your Next.js app (single deployment)
• True TypeScript-native development experience
• Self-hosted with no seat or API limits
• Code-based configuration stays in version control
• Built-in authentication, access control, and file uploads

Cons & Limitations:

• Smaller community than Strapi or Contentful
• Payload 3.0 is relatively new (though stable)
• Requires Node.js hosting knowledge for self-hosted deployments
• Admin UI less polished than Sanity or Contentful

Best Use Case: TypeScript-centric teams who want their CMS as code, prefer a unified Next.js deployment, and value end-to-end type safety.

Quick Integration Example:

typescript

// Payload 3.0 runs inside Next.js - collections define your content
// payload.config.ts
import { buildConfig } from 'payload/config'
import { Posts } from './collections/Posts'

export default buildConfig({
  collections: [Posts],
  typescript: { outputFile: './payload-types.ts' },
})

// app/posts/[slug]/page.tsx - types are auto-generated
import { getPayloadClient } from '@/payload/client'
import type { Post } from '@/payload-types'

export default async function PostPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
  const payload = await getPayloadClient()
  const { docs } = await payload.find({
    collection: 'posts',
    where: { slug: { equals: params.slug } },
  })
  const post: Post = docs[0]
  return <article>{/* fully typed */}</article>
}

Directus: Database-First Flexibility

Overview: Directus wraps any SQL database with a real-time API and intuitive admin panel. For teams with existing database schemas or complex relational data requirements, Directus offers flexibility that purpose-built CMS platforms can't match, making it a strong contender in the best headless CMS for Next.js discussion.

Next.js Integration:

• Official package: Yes (@directus/sdk)
• App Router support: Full (via SDK)
• TypeScript: Yes (with schema-based type generation)
• Draft mode: Supported via content versioning
• ISR/Revalidation: Full support with webhooks
• Integration time estimate: 5-8 hours

Pros for Technical Managers:

• Works with existing PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, or SQLite databases
• Unlimited free self-hosting with no artificial limitations
• Granular permissions and approval workflows
• Real-time WebSocket subscriptions for live data
• SQL-level access when needed

Cons & Limitations:

• Steeper learning curve than purpose-built CMS platforms
• Not optimized for content-first workflows
• Cloud pricing can escalate with multiple projects
• Less content-editor focused than Sanity or Contentful

Best Use Case: Teams with existing databases needing a CMS layer, or projects requiring complex relational data structures beyond typical content hierarchies.

Quick Integration Example:

typescript

// lib/directus.ts
import { createDirectus, rest, readItems } from '@directus/sdk'

type Schema = {
  posts: Post[]
  authors: Author[]
}

const directus = createDirectus<Schema>(process.env.DIRECTUS_URL!)
  .with(rest())

// app/posts/[slug]/page.tsx
export default async function PostPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
  const posts = await directus.request(
    readItems('posts', {
      filter: { slug: { _eq: params.slug } },
      fields: ['*', { author: ['name', 'avatar'] }],
    })
  )
  return <article>{/* render posts[0] */}</article>
}

Ghost: Publishing-Focused Simplicity

Overview: Ghost evolved from a blogging platform into a capable headless CMS optimized for content publishing. While less flexible than general-purpose alternatives, Ghost excels for teams primarily managing articles, newsletters, and membership content with its built-in monetization features.

Next.js Integration:

• Official package: Yes (@tryghost/content-api)
• App Router support: Full (via API)
• TypeScript: Community types available
• Draft mode: Supported via Preview API
• ISR/Revalidation: Full support with webhooks
• Integration time estimate: 3-5 hours

Pros for Technical Managers:

• Purpose-built for publishing workflows
• Built-in membership, subscriptions, and newsletter features
• Clean, focused admin interface editors love
• Self-hosted (free) or managed Ghost(Pro) options
• Excellent SEO features out of the box

Cons & Limitations:

• Limited flexibility for non-blog content types
• No custom content type creation
• Membership features may be unnecessary overhead
• Less suitable for complex applications

Best Use Case: Content-driven sites focused on blogs, documentation, or membership publishing where Ghost's built-in features eliminate custom development.

Quick Integration Example:

typescript

// lib/ghost.ts
import GhostContentAPI from '@tryghost/content-api'

export const ghost = new GhostContentAPI({
  url: process.env.GHOST_URL!,
  key: process.env.GHOST_CONTENT_API_KEY!,
  version: 'v5.0',
})

// app/posts/[slug]/page.tsx
export default async function PostPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {
  const post = await ghost.posts.read({ slug: params.slug }, { include: ['authors', 'tags'] })
  return <article>{/* render post */}</article>
}

export async function generateStaticParams() {
  const posts = await ghost.posts.browse({ limit: 'all', fields: ['slug'] })
  return posts.map((post) => ({ slug: post.slug }))
}

Next.js Headless CMS Comparison Table

Which Headless CMS Should You Choose?

Use this decision framework to identify the best headless CMS for your Next.js and React project:

Choose Sanity if:

• Real-time visual editing is a priority for content teams
• You're deploying on Vercel and want native integration
• Content collaboration happens across multiple editors
• You need sophisticated, flexible content modeling

Choose Contentful if:

• You're in an enterprise environment with compliance needs
• Extensive localization (10+ languages) is required
• Marketing teams need autonomy from developers
• You prefer managed infrastructure with SLAs

Choose Strapi if:

• Budget predictability is a primary concern
• Your team is comfortable with Node.js operations
• You want complete data ownership and control
• Custom backend logic and plugins are needed

Choose Payload CMS if:

• TypeScript end-to-end is non-negotiable
• You want CMS and Next.js in a single deployment
• Your team prefers configuration as code
• Built-in auth and access control add value

Choose Directus if:

• You have existing databases to expose via CMS
• Complex relational data structures are required
• SQL-level access and control matters
• You need granular workflow permissions

Choose Ghost if:

• Your primary use case is content publishing
• Built-in memberships and newsletters add value
• You want a focused, opinionated editor experience
• Simplicity outweighs flexibility requirements

Conclusion

For most Next.js projects in 2025, Sanity offers the strongest combination of developer experience, content editor tooling, and platform integration. Its official next-sanity package, real-time visual editing, and native Vercel integration make it the default recommendation for teams prioritizing the best headless CMS for Next.js and React development.

However, your specific context matters. Payload CMS is the compelling choice for TypeScript-centric teams who want their CMS running inside their Next.js application. Strapi remains unbeatable for teams prioritizing self-hosting and cost control. And Contentful continues to serve enterprise organizations needing proven infrastructure and extensive compliance certifications.

The best headless CMS for Next.js ultimately depends on your team's technical preferences, scaling trajectory, and budget constraints. Use our interactive comparison tool to evaluate platforms against your specific requirements, or take our 2-minute quiz for a personalized recommendation. for a personalized recommendation.