Headless CMS Comparison: Which One Is Better?

A traditional CMS is responsible for both back-end business logic and front-end presentation of content. This means that the back-end and front-end are inexorably linked. On the other hand, headless CMS is decoupled from the presentational layer of the website. It only offers a back-end infrastructure, meaning that you can easily make changes in the presentational layer of the website without making complex changes to the back-end infrastructure.

In the decoupled environment, site developers will quickly create incredible user experiences. They attain this by utilizing the latest tech without having to worry about their effects on the back-end logic.

The advantages of headless approaches to content management are many. They include enhanced SEO, faster development times, greater speed to market, and enhanced securities. Headless CMS also supports content sharing on several devices and channels as well as leads to faster website performance. The use of source plugins and APIs helps developers to integrate a wide range of CMS that support headless approaches. For more advantages of headless CMS, read our comprehensive guide on headless CMS comparison with traditional content management systems.

What headless CMS options do you have?

Now that you know the benefits of headless CMS, you may be concerned about the options you have. Today, over 60 CMSes are available in the market. Following are some of the headless CMS options in the market:

Kontent by Kentico
Contentful
ButterCMS
Magnolia
Agility
Contentstack
Bloomreach
Prismic
Strapi
GraphCMS
Directus
Unite CMS
DotCMS
Sanity
Cosmic JS
Comfortable
headly.io
Stastic

A comparison of the top-rated headless CMS

Well, with the list provided above, you will be confused about the best choice for your business. Evaluating each of these headless brands is a daunting task, and it may take you several months before you can make a decision. However, you don’t need to worry because we have done the assignment for you. Following is a headless CMS comparison for the top-rated headless CMS:

1. Kontent by Kentico headless CMS

Kontent is among the highly rated headless CMS that helps create a modern digital experience. Marketers love this headless CMS because it helps them manage all content in a single central hub and supports real-time collaboration to develop better content. Additionally, with Kontent by Kentico headless CMS, marketers are able to update websites without developers. Developers also love this headless CMS because it gives them the freedom to choose their tech stack, easily clean content delivered by APIs, and use this as part of CI/CD pipeline. Kontent by Kentico CMS is the only headless CMS that pays attention to the needs of enterprise users while at the same time allowing site developers to create engaging digital experiences.

2. Contentful

Contentful is another headless CMS that will allow you to enjoy the benefits of great headless technology. The headless CMS was built following the realization that businesses need to keep up with the fast-paced environment. With this headless CMS, developers receive full programmatic contact through RESTful API. The headless CMS also has the ability to show JSON snippets, content modules, including images, calendars and text, and a rich-text editor.

3. Magnolia

This open-source CMS provides content admins with the likelihood for sin-context editing, personalization, and a full preview. It provides developers with a built-in CI/CD and hot deployment. This headless CMS easily incorporates front-end frameworks, such as Angular, Vue, and React.

The Verdict: Which is the best CMS?

Which one is the best choice for a headless CMS? It all depends on the kind of website you are developing, your skillset, the coding language employed on your current tech stack, and of course, your willingness to master a new CMS. Yet still, Kontent CMS will offer you more benefits than any of the listed will.