Give me a list of headless cms for next js?
Here’s a list of Headless CMS options that work well with Next.js:
Strapi - Highly customizable, self-hosted, GraphQL & REST support.
Directus - API-first, open-source, and supports SQL databases.
KeystoneJS - Schema-driven, open-source CMS for Node.js projects.
Payload CMS - Modern CMS focused on performance & flexibility.
Ghost - Ideal for blogs, newsletters, and membership sites.
Contentful - Enterprise-level CMS with excellent API support.
Sanity - Real-time content management with an excellent developer experience.
Prismic - Great for structured content, offers slice-based editing.
Hygraph (GraphCMS) - GraphQL-native headless CMS.
Storyblok - Visual editor with powerful API support.
DatoCMS - API-driven, highly optimized for static sites.
Builder.io - Visual-first CMS with drag & drop for Next.js.
Kontent.ai - AI-powered CMS for structured content.
ButterCMS - Blog-first, API-based CMS.
Medusa.js - Open-source Shopify alternative with API-first architecture.
Saleor - Headless eCommerce CMS with GraphQL support.
Which one are you considering for your Next.js project? 🚀
Here’s a detailed comparison of the pros and cons of each Headless CMS for Next.js:
Pros: ✔ Self-hosted &
open-source (control over data)
✔ REST &
GraphQL API support
✔ Highly customizable with
plugins
✔ Works well with SQL databases
Cons: ✖ Requires self-hosting &
maintenance
✖ UI can feel clunky compared to
SaaS CMS
✖ Learning curve for complex setups
Pros: ✔ Open-source and
self-hosted
✔ Works with existing SQL databases
(MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite)
✔ Powerful API-first
approach
✔ Flexible role-based access control
Cons: ✖ More complex to set up
compared to SaaS alternatives
✖ Performance
depends on database configuration
✖ UI can be
overwhelming for beginners
Pros: ✔ Schema-driven CMS for
structured content
✔ Good TypeScript &
GraphQL support
✔ Highly customizable
✔
Works well for custom backend solutions
Cons: ✖ Requires coding for setup
✖
Fewer pre-built plugins than Strapi
✖ Not as
user-friendly for non-technical users
Pros: ✔ Modern tech stack (React,
Next.js, GraphQL, REST)
✔ Self-hosted for data
control
✔ Secure and performance-optimized
✔
Customizable with JavaScript
Cons: ✖ Requires some technical
setup
✖ No built-in hosting (self-managed)
✖
Fewer third-party integrations
Pros: ✔ Great for blogs,
newsletters, and SEO
✔ Fast performance with
built-in caching
✔ Supports memberships &
monetization
✔ Simple Markdown-based editor
Cons: ✖ Limited flexibility for
structured content
✖ Not ideal for large-scale
applications
✖ Focused on blogging rather than
CMS features
Pros: ✔ Fully managed cloud-based
CMS
✔ Excellent API performance
✔ Scalable
& enterprise-ready
✔ Great documentation
& developer experience
Cons: ✖ Expensive for large-scale
projects
✖ Learning curve for content
modeling
✖ UI can be slow at times
Pros: ✔ Real-time collaboration
& live preview
✔ Fully managed cloud
infrastructure
✔ Highly customizable with
structured content
✔ Great developer tools &
UI
Cons: ✖ Free tier has limited
storage
✖ Learning curve for content schema
design
✖ Paid tiers can be costly
Pros: ✔ Fast setup with pre-built
integrations
✔ Slice-based content editing
(flexibility)
✔ Excellent for static site
generation (Next.js)
✔ Free plan available
Cons: ✖ UI is not as intuitive as
some competitors
✖ GraphQL API is only in
premium plans
✖ Limited control over backend
Pros: ✔ GraphQL-native API for fast
data fetching
✔ Optimized for structured
content
✔ Scalable and cloud-based
✔ Free
plan available
Cons: ✖ More expensive for higher
tiers
✖ Steeper learning curve for GraphQL
beginners
✖ Limited in terms of visual editing
Pros: ✔ Visual Editor for content
management
✔ Highly flexible with APIs
✔
Supports static site generation (great for Next.js)
✔
Easy-to-use UI
Cons: ✖ Can be expensive for large
projects
✖ Some UI elements feel outdated
✖
Limited open-source community support
Pros: ✔ Optimized for performance
(CDN & GraphQL)
✔ Great for static site
generation
✔ Intuitive UI and UX
✔ Free
plan available
Cons: ✖ Paid plans get expensive
quickly
✖ Limited built-in customization
✖
Requires third-party services for extended
functionality
Pros: ✔ Drag-and-drop UI for
non-tech users
✔ Great for dynamic websites with
Next.js
✔ Powerful integration with eCommerce
platforms
✔ Good documentation
Cons: ✖ Expensive for premium
features
✖ Some limitations in backend
customization
✖ Less flexible for structured
content
Pros: ✔ AI-powered content
organization
✔ Great for large teams &
enterprises
✔ Excellent API performance
✔
Strong content workflow tools
Cons: ✖ Expensive for small
businesses
✖ Steep learning curve
✖
Overkill for small projects
Pros: ✔ Simple API-based CMS
✔
Easy setup with Next.js
✔ Good for blogs &
marketing content
✔ Free trial available
Cons: ✖ Limited features compared to
competitors
✖ Paid plans can be costly
✖
No open-source version
Pros: ✔ Open-source alternative to
Shopify
✔ API-first approach for flexibility
✔
Good for eCommerce businesses
✔ Supports custom
plugins
Cons: ✖ Requires self-hosting &
setup
✖ Limited community compared to Shopify
✖
Learning curve for beginners
Pros: ✔ GraphQL-powered eCommerce
CMS
✔ Scalable for online stores
✔
Open-source & customizable
✔ Supports
multi-channel commerce
Cons: ✖ Requires hosting &
backend setup
✖ Not as beginner-friendly as
Shopify
✖ Some features require custom
development
🔹 If you want an
open-source solution →
Strapi, Directus,
KeystoneJS,
Payload CMS
🔹 If you prefer a
cloud-based SaaS CMS →
Contentful, Sanity,
Storyblok, Prismic
🔹 If you need
visual editing →
Storyblok, Builder.io
🔹 If you need
GraphQL-first CMS →
Hygraph, Saleor
🔹 If you’re focused on
eCommerce →
Medusa.js, Saleor
🔹 If you’re running a
blog or newsletter →
Ghost, ButterCMS
Which one are you considering for your Next.js project? 🚀
Here’s a breakdown of free vs paid options among the Headless CMS choices for Next.js:
These CMS options are fully open-source and self-hosted, meaning you don’t have to pay, but you need to set up and maintain your own hosting.
🔹 Pros: 100% free, full control over
data
🔹 Cons: Requires hosting
(e.g., Vercel, AWS, DigitalOcean), setup &
maintenance
These CMS options offer a free tier, but advanced features (like API limits, storage, or GraphQL access) require paid plans.
🔹 Pros: No hosting required, easy to
set up
🔹 Cons: Free plans are
often limited in users, storage, or API usage
These CMS options require a paid subscription (no free tier).
🔹 Pros: Fully managed, no setup
required
🔹 Cons: No free tier
✅
For a 100% free CMS (self-hosted) →
Strapi, Directus, KeystoneJS, Payload CMS
✅
For a free SaaS CMS (managed hosting)
→ Sanity, Contentful, Prismic, Hygraph
✅ For a free eCommerce CMS →
Medusa.js, Saleor
Would you like help choosing the best one for your specific use case? 🚀