Decap CMS

Open-source Git-based CMS for static site generators

Open SourceStatic Site GeneratorJamstackHeadless CMSContent ManagementEditorial WorkflowReactNetlify CMSGIT-based CMS

Overview

Decap CMS (formerly Netlify CMS) is an open-source, Git-based content management
system designed for static site generators and Jamstack workflows. It provides a
web-based editorial interface with rich-text editing, real-time preview, and
drag-and-drop media uploads — all while storing content directly in your Git
repository. Decap CMS is platform-agnostic and works with most static site
generators. It supports editorial workflows from draft to review to publish,
i18n, and is fully extensible via custom widgets and editor plugins. Installation
requires just two files added to your site.

License

MIT

Best for:

Static sitesBlogsDocumentationJAMstack projects

Features

Git Backend
Editor UI
Media Management
Custom Previews
Editorial Workflow
Widget System

Pricing

Free TierYes
Free LimitUnlimited, fully open source
Self-hostedYes

Compatible Technologies

Technical Features

GraphQL API
REST API
Webhooks
Headless
Visual Editor
Live Preview
Media Library
Image Optimization
CDN Included
i18n
Version History
Drafts
Role-Based Access
Multi-Tenant
Audit Logs
TypeScript
Official SDK
CLI Tool
Plugin Ecosystem
SSO / OAuth
CI/CD Integration
Caching
Edge Deployment
Auto Scaling

Community

18700

GitHub Stars

50k/week

NPM Downloads

10.8k

Discord Members

2026-02-04

Last Update

Enterprise Features

Scalability

Horizontal scaling and high-availability deployments

Security & Compliance

Decap CMS is an open-source, Git-based content management system

that gives editors a visual UI for creating and updating content

stored directly in a Git repository. Originally created as Netlify CMS,

it works with any static site generator and requires no separate database

or server infrastructure.

Key Highlights

- Git-backed content stored alongside source code

- Rich-text editor with real-time preview

- Extensible with custom widgets and editor plugins

Why It Fits Jamstack Workflows

- Commits content changes through GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket APIs, keeping the Git repo as the single source of truth

- Pairs with any static site generator's build pipeline — content updates trigger rebuilds and CDN deploys automatically

Typical Implementations

- Documentation portals

- Marketing and landing pages

- Personal blogs and portfolios

- Open-source project sites

Setup Snapshot

Hosting: "Client-side app added to your existing static site — no separate hosting required"

Content: "Flat files (Markdown, YAML, JSON) defined via collection configs"

Delivery: "Content committed to Git; served through your SSG build and CDN"

Notes

- Requires a Git provider (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket) as its content backend

- Editorial workflow feature depends on pull/merge request support in the chosen Git platform