Best Free Headless CMS in 2026: Honest Comparison

Short answer: If you need a fully open-source, self-hosted headless CMS with zero licensing cost, Payload CMS (MIT license, Next.js-native) or Strapi (MIT license, mature plugin ecosystem) are the strongest starting points in 2026. If you prefer a managed cloud free tier with no infrastructure to run, Sanity offers the most generous seat count (20 users) and Contentful remains a solid evaluation sandbox. The right pick depends on your hosting model, team size, compliance requirements, and frontend stack.

There is no single "best free headless CMS" without context. This guide breaks down 10 viable options across three categories of "free," scores them against criteria that matter to technical managers, and provides scenario-based recommendations so you can shortlist in hours, not weeks.

What "Free" Actually Means in Headless CMS

The word "free" covers three fundamentally different models. Confusing them leads to budget surprises, compliance issues, or vendor lock-in. Here is what each means in practice — and for a deeper dive, see our headless CMS pricing breakdown.

Open-Source Self-Hosted

The CMS code is released under a permissive license (MIT, Apache 2.0). You download and run it on your own infrastructure.

• License cost: $0.
• Real cost: Server hosting ($5–200+/mo depending on scale), DevOps time, patching, backups, monitoring.
• Examples: Payload CMS (MIT), Strapi (MIT), KeystoneJS (MIT), Ghost (MIT), Decap CMS (MIT), TinaCMS (Apache 2.0 for self-hosted backend).
• Risk: You own uptime, security patches, and scaling. No SLA unless you add one yourself.

Free Cloud Tiers

The vendor hosts everything. You get a capped plan — limited by seats, API calls, bandwidth, content entries, locales, or environments.

• License cost: $0.
• Real cost: $0 until you outgrow the limits. Then the jump to a paid plan can be steep (e.g., Contentful goes from $0 to $300/mo).
• Examples: Sanity Free (20 seats, 10K documents, 200K API requests/mo), Contentful Free (10 users, 25 content models, 50 GB bandwidth), Hygraph Hobby (3 users, 1,000 entries), Strapi Cloud Free.
• Risk: Hard caps can block production traffic mid-month. Vendor can change limits at any time — Contentful tightened its free tier in April 2025.

Source-Available / BSL-Style Licenses

The source code is public, but a license imposes conditions — typically a revenue or funding threshold, or restrictions on competing use.

• License cost: $0 under the threshold; paid license above it.
• Real cost: Same as self-hosted, plus license tracking and legal review.
• Examples: Directus (BSL 1.1 — free for organizations under $5M total annual revenue/funding; paid license required above that threshold).
• Risk: Your legal team needs to track the threshold. If your company's revenue crosses $5M, you must purchase a commercial license retroactively.

Selection Criteria for Technical Managers

When evaluating free headless CMS options, weight these factors based on your organization's priorities. The checklist below reflects what matters most when "free" is on the table.

The Shortlist — Top Free Options Worth Considering in 2026

Below are 10 platforms where "free" is genuinely viable for starting a project — not just a 14-day trial. For each, we note the type of free, key strengths, hidden costs, and best-fit use cases. You can also compare headless CMS platforms side by side on headlesscms.info.

1. Payload CMS

• What it is: An open-source, code-first headless CMS and app framework built on Next.js and TypeScript.
• Type of free: Open-source self-hosted (MIT license). No revenue caps, no feature gates.
• Key strengths: Deep Next.js integration (runs inside your Next.js app), supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and SQLite. Built-in access control, localization, versioning, live preview. Strong DX with TypeScript-first config.
• Hidden costs: Infrastructure hosting. No official managed free tier (Payload Cloud starts at $35/mo). Admin UI is developer-oriented — may need onboarding for non-technical editors.
• Best fit: Teams already on Next.js that want full ownership of their stack.
• When not to choose it: If your team lacks Node.js/DevOps capacity, or you need a zero-ops managed solution.
• Sources: payloadcms.com, GitHub (MIT)

2. Strapi

• What it is: The most widely adopted open-source Node.js headless CMS, with a mature plugin marketplace.
• Type of free: Open-source self-hosted (MIT license) + a free Strapi Cloud plan with limited resources.
• Key strengths: Large community (60K+ GitHub stars), extensive plugin ecosystem, GUI-based content-type builder, REST + GraphQL APIs, i18n built-in. Strapi 5 (current) improved TypeScript support and added SDK.
• Hidden costs: Self-hosted requires Node.js hosting. Cloud free plan has tight API call limits. RBAC with custom roles, review workflows, and audit logs require the Growth CMS license (paid add-on).
• Best fit: Teams wanting a proven, GUI-friendly CMS with a large ecosystem and low learning curve.
• When not to choose it: If you need advanced RBAC or review workflows on the free tier — those are paid features.
• Sources: strapi.io/pricing-cms, GitHub (MIT)

3. Directus

• What it is: A database-first data platform that wraps any SQL database with auto-generated REST + GraphQL APIs and a no-code admin app.
• Type of free: Source-available self-hosted (BSL 1.1). Free for organizations with < $5M total annual revenue/funding. Cloud starts at $15/mo.
• Key strengths: Works with existing SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MariaDB, MS-SQL, CockroachDB) without migration. Powerful RBAC, Flows (automation engine), and a polished Vue.js admin UI. Ideal for data-first teams.
• Hidden costs: BSL license requires legal review. Organizations above $5M need a commercial license. Cloud has no free tier.
• Best fit: Teams with existing SQL databases that want a CMS layer without migrating data.
• When not to choose it: If your org exceeds $5M revenue/funding and you want to avoid license fees, or if BSL is a non-starter for your legal team.
• Sources: directus.io/pricing, BSL FAQ, GitHub

4. Sanity

• What it is: A cloud-hosted structured content platform with a customizable React-based Studio and real-time collaboration.
• Type of free: Free cloud tier (generous for prototyping and small projects).
• Key strengths: 20 user seats on the free plan, unlimited content types and locales, real-time collaboration, GROQ + GraphQL APIs, visual editing, excellent DX. Sanity Studio is open-source.
• Hidden costs: Free plan limited to 10K documents, 200K API requests/mo, 10 GB bandwidth, public datasets only (no private datasets). Custom RBAC roles require Enterprise. Crossing limits blocks public API access.
• Best fit: Teams that want real-time collaboration and structured content without running infrastructure.
• When not to choose it: If you need private datasets, custom roles, or will exceed 10K documents quickly.
• Sources: sanity.io/pricing, Plans & Payments docs

5. Contentful

• What it is: An established enterprise SaaS headless CMS with a strong ecosystem and marketplace.
• Type of free: Free cloud tier (tightened in April 2025).
• Key strengths: Mature platform used by ~30% of Fortune 500. Rich editor tools (live preview, Tasks app, Compose app), 10 users on free plan, comprehensive SDKs, large app marketplace.
• Hidden costs: Free plan capped at 25 content models, 50 GB bandwidth, ~100K API calls/mo. No commercial use allowed on the free tier per ToS. Jump to paid is steep: Lite starts at $300/mo. Free plan limits were reduced in 2025 — this is a trend to watch.
• Best fit: Enterprise teams evaluating a CMS for a POC that will move to a paid plan.
• When not to choose it: If you want a free tier for production use — Contentful's ToS restricts the free plan to learning/testing only.
• Sources: contentful.com/pricing, Free plan FAQ, Usage limits

6. Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS)

• What it is: A GraphQL-native cloud headless CMS with a focus on content federation and developer experience.
• Type of free: Free Hobby plan (permanent, not a trial).
• Key strengths: GraphQL-native API (no REST adapter needed), content federation from remote sources, visual schema builder. Hobby plan includes 3 users and 1,000 content entries.
• Hidden costs: Hobby plan is limited to 3 users and 1,000 entries. Usage is blocked (not billed) when limits are hit. Growth starts at $299/mo — a significant jump. Limited RBAC on free tier.
• Best fit: Small teams building GraphQL-first projects who want a managed, zero-ops CMS.
• When not to choose it: If you need more than 3 users or 1,000 entries without paying $299+/mo.
• Sources: hygraph.com/pricing, FAQ

7. Ghost

• What it is: An open-source publishing platform focused on blogs, newsletters, and membership content.
• Type of free: Open-source self-hosted (MIT license). Ghost(Pro) managed hosting starts at $9/mo.
• Key strengths: Purpose-built for publishing: native newsletters, membership/paywall, SEO tools, and a beautiful Markdown editor. Lightweight, fast, and opinionated. Content API for headless use.
• Hidden costs: Not a general-purpose CMS — limited content modeling (posts, pages, tags). No custom content types, no relations, no components. Self-hosting requires Node.js infrastructure.
• Best fit: Publishing teams, bloggers, and newsletter operators who want a clean, fast platform.
• When not to choose it: If you need flexible content modeling beyond posts and pages.
• Sources: ghost.org, GitHub (MIT)

8. KeystoneJS

• What it is: A code-first, schema-driven headless CMS and app framework for Node.js, backed by the team behind Thinkmill.
• Type of free: Open-source self-hosted (MIT license).
• Key strengths: Schema defined in TypeScript, auto-generated GraphQL API, customizable React admin UI, built-in access control, session management, and database migrations. Supports PostgreSQL and SQLite.
• Hidden costs: Smaller community than Strapi or Payload. No managed cloud offering. Limited plugin ecosystem — you build most extensions yourself.
• Best fit: Developer teams comfortable with code-first approaches who need a flexible app framework with CMS features.
• When not to choose it: If non-technical editors need a polished, low-learning-curve admin UI out of the box.
• Sources: keystonejs.com, GitHub (MIT)

9. TinaCMS

• What it is: A Git-backed headless CMS with inline visual editing for Markdown/MDX content.
• Type of free: Open-source self-hosted backend (Apache 2.0). Tina Cloud (managed) starts at $29/mo per project.
• Key strengths: Visual/inline editing on the live page, Git-backed content (Markdown/MDX), schema-as-code, great for Next.js and Jamstack sites. Self-hosted backend has no usage limits.
• Hidden costs: Self-hosted requires running a Node.js backend. Tina Cloud adds auth, media hosting, and collaboration but is not free. Limited to Markdown/MDX content — not suitable for complex relational content models.
• Best fit: Jamstack marketing sites and documentation projects where editors want visual editing and developers want Git-backed content.
• When not to choose it: If you need complex relational content or a database-backed CMS.
• Sources: tina.io, GitHub (Apache 2.0)

10. Decap CMS (formerly Netlify CMS)

• What it is: A lightweight, Git-backed CMS that provides a browser-based editor UI for static site content.
• Type of free: Open-source (MIT license). No backend server needed — runs entirely in the browser and commits to Git.
• Key strengths: Zero infrastructure — no database, no server. Commits content directly to GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket. Works with any static site generator (Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy, Gatsby). Simple YAML-based config.
• Hidden costs: No built-in RBAC, no API, no preview environments, no content relations. Authentication depends on your Git provider or Netlify Identity. Limited to simple content structures.
• Best fit: Small static sites, documentation, and developer blogs where content lives in Git.
• When not to choose it: If you need an API-driven CMS, complex content models, or multi-user editorial workflows.
• Sources: decapcms.org, GitHub (MIT)

Comparison Table

Recommendations

Startup MVP with Minimal Ops

Pick: Sanity (free tier) or Strapi Cloud (free plan) Sanity's managed free tier gives you 20 seats and real-time collaboration without running infrastructure. Strapi Cloud free works for solo devs. Both let you ship fast without DevOps overhead. To explore which frontend framework pairs best with your CMS, see our framework guide.

Scale-Up Needing Governance + Workflows

Pick: Strapi (self-hosted) or Payload CMS Both are MIT-licensed with built-in RBAC. Payload's field-level access control and versioning shine for teams that need granular governance. Strapi's GUI-based content type builder is better for mixed technical/non-technical teams.

Enterprise POC with a Path to Paid

Pick: Contentful (free tier) or Sanity (free tier) Contentful's free tier is explicitly designed for evaluation. Sanity's free tier is more production-viable but still capped. Both have clear upgrade paths to enterprise plans with SSO, SLAs, and custom roles.

Developer-Platform Team Needing Composability

Pick: Payload CMS or Directus Payload gives you a fully composable backend inside your Next.js app. Directus wraps any SQL database, making it ideal for teams that already have data infrastructure and want to layer a CMS on top.

Jamstack Marketing Site (Git-Based Workflow)

Pick: TinaCMS (self-hosted) or Decap CMS TinaCMS offers visual editing with Git-backed Markdown content — editors see the live page while changes commit to the repo. Decap CMS is even simpler (no backend server at all) but has fewer features.

Data-First Team with Existing SQL Database

Pick: Directus Directus is purpose-built for this. It connects to your existing PostgreSQL, MySQL, or other SQL database and generates APIs + an admin UI without requiring data migration. Be aware of the BSL license threshold if your organization exceeds $5M in revenue/funding.

Implementation Notes (Time-to-Value)

A structured rollout reduces risk. Here is a high-level plan for evaluating and piloting a free headless CMS.

Week 0–1: Evaluation Checklist

• Define 3–5 must-have requirements (e.g., RBAC, i18n, GraphQL, self-hosted)
• Shortlist 2–3 platforms using the comparison table above
• Spin up a sandbox (cloud free tier or local Docker instance)
• Test the content modeling workflow with a real content type from your project
• Verify API performance: response times, query flexibility, pagination

Week 1–2: Pilot Scope

• Model 2–3 core content types (e.g., Page, Article, Author)
• Build a minimal frontend consuming the CMS API
• Invite 1–2 content editors to test the admin UI
• Document friction points and workarounds

Week 2–3: Content Modeling Workshop

• Map your full content architecture: types, relations, components, locales
• Identify reusable components vs. page-specific content
• Plan for content reuse across channels (web, mobile, email)

Security Review Items

• Authentication method (API keys, OAuth, JWT)
• Role-based access: who can publish, who can only draft?
• Data residency: where is content stored? Does it meet GDPR/SOC 2 requirements?
• Audit logging: is there a record of who changed what and when?
• Dependency scanning: for self-hosted, check for known vulnerabilities in the CMS and its dependencies

Migration Strategy

• Export content from the legacy CMS in a structured format (JSON, CSV)
• Map legacy content types to the new CMS schema
• Write import scripts or use the CMS migration API
• Validate content integrity post-migration (field mapping, media assets, links)

Success Metrics

• Time to first API call (developer onboarding speed)
• Content editor satisfaction score (after 2 weeks of use)
• API response time under expected load
• Number of workarounds or custom patches needed