What is Headless CMS and Why Is It the Future of Web Development? Full Headless CMS Comparison For 2025

The way we consume content has changed considerably over the years, thanks to the advent of various digital platforms. This has also led to a significant change in the way content is stored, produced, and delivered to consumers.

One of these technological innovations that is transforming the way content is delivered to users is the rise of headless CMS. It’s a huge step away from traditional monolithic CMS and is fast becoming the new standard for web development.

This guide explains what a Headless CMS architecture is, its importance, and its potential impact on the future of web development. We will also compare headless CMS to the traditional monolithic CMS architecture.

What Is a Headless CMS?

So, what is a headless CMS system? This term refers to a type of decoupled Content Management System where the presentation layer, or frontend (where the content is displayed), is separated from the backend, where the content is managed. This leaves you with a Content Management System (where you can author, store, and manage content) that is not connected to the layer where the content is presented (the “head”). Hence, the name headless CMS.

In this type of system, the frontend (“head”) can only access content in the CMS via APIs. This differs from the traditional Content Management System, where the content management and content layers are all managed together from the same place.

What Is a Content Management System?

To truly understand what a headless CMS is, you have to understand the basics of a Content Management System. This is software designed for creating, managing, and modifying content to be displayed on a website without writing code and uploading it to a server. With a Content Management System, you simply manage the content from a simple interface and publish it to the frontend when you are ready, allowing for custom frontend development tailored to your specific needs.

Origins of Headless CMS

Contrary to what you might think, the idea of decoupling content from presentation isn’t entirely new, but the formal “headless CMS” architecture is a relatively recent innovation. The first recognizable traditional CMS platforms emerged in the mid-to-late 1990s. Headless CMS, as we know it today, gained prominence in the mid-2010s with the rise of APIs and the need for omnichannel content delivery.

Platforms like Contentful, founded in 2013, were pioneers in this new approach, which gained significant traction as a response to the limitations of traditional, web-centric systems. However, they simply were not as popular as traditional CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Sitecore, which are popular for displaying content elements directly on websites.

Despite being an existing option, headless CMS systems, where the frontend and backend were decoupled, managed to fly under the radar until recently, when they started to gain widespread popularity again.

Headless CMSs gradually began to step out of the shadows to solve some of the problems associated with traditional Content Management Systems, particularly the need to remix and reuse content across various channels.

As technology evolved and new devices (and channels) emerged, the need for a more flexible Content Management System became more apparent. Traditional CMS organizes content into a fixed, web-page-oriented format that would not fit other digital channels built for enterprises, including mobile apps, digital displays, conversational interfaces, and so on.

Since a headless CMS was not coupled to a specific frontend, it made it possible to create and organize content into a format that could fit all of these digital platforms.

How Does a Headless CMS Work?

The main attribute of a headless CMS, and the major factor that separates it from a traditional CMS, is that it can be used to deliver content to other channels beyond just one “website” coupled to it.

This works because, in a headless Content Management System, the content authoring and management system is separated from the software development layer. Editors and publishers get a back-end interface from which they can manage content. The content stored in this headless CMS backend is then accessed via APIs to a presentation layer that can be pretty much anything that the developer wants. A notable case study on creating CMS by CrustLab demonstrates how this separation enables flexible content delivery across multiple platforms, improving scalability and developer productivity.

Headless CMS vs. Traditional Content Management

Traditional Content Management Systems pack all the functionality needed to create and share content to a website or app into a single content infrastructure. The text content, images, and website code (HTML and CSS) are all in one bucket where everything is commingled in a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor. With this unified architecture, the backend, where the content is created, is tightly connected to the frontend (content presentation modal).

This is the main difference between a headless CMS and traditional CMS platforms. With the headless CMS, there is no presentation layer at all. Instead, developers get to build their own frontend and decide how they want to fetch data from the CMS using APIs. For more information on how these two types of Content Management Systems work, read our comprehensive guide on headless CMS vs traditional CMS.

Headless CMS Architecture

A headless Content Management System has a pretty straightforward architecture. All you get is an authoring and Content Management System with a “one-to-many” format for content delivery. This means the CMS backend is completely independent of the frontend and allows developers to build and customize their own presentation layer using any frontend system or application that they want to adopt to deliver end-user experiences.

To deliver content from the CMS to the frontend (which can be any site, device, or any other digital channel), you need APIs such as the GraphQL API and RESTful API. These APIs are the connection points that allow the headless CMS to communicate with the frontend systems in the specific ways that developers want them to. This architecture makes the content stored on a headless CMS reusable across platforms that are in existence today and even channels that may emerge in the future.

Benefits of Headless CMS

A headless content management architecture transforms how we store, manage, and use data. The biggest upside of this type of system is in how it makes it possible to manage content for multiple platforms in one place, introducing significant flexibility and convenience into modern content management and web development. Other benefits of running a headless CMS are highlighted below.

Simpler Publishing Workflow

A headless architecture separates the roles of content creation and presentation more cleanly. Content authors can focus entirely on the content within the CMS, while developers independently build and manage the frontend experience. This can streamline workflows compared to some traditional CMS setups where the line between content, design, and structure can sometimes blur.

A headless architecture separates these roles so content authors get to focus on content on the CMS while developers handle the rendering or publishing side of things.

Simplified Omnichannel Publishing

Unlike a traditional CMS, where the backend is tied to a single presentation layer, a headless CMS is completely independent of the frontend. This makes it possible to deliver and reuse the same content for multiple channels, managing the authoring process for all channels in one place while adapting their structure to suit the format of the respective presentation layer.

Flexibility for Developers

Since headless content is delivered to the frontend through APIs, developers have the freedom to choose any tool they want for the frontend without restrictions. Your choice of frontend tech stack will have no effect on the content management framework since they are not connected or dependent on each other. Additionally, headless CMS platforms often support various API types, such as RESTful APIs and GraphQL APIs, providing developers with versatile options to query and deliver content efficiently.

Improved Collaborative Workflows

Separating the frontend from the backend through a headless CMS architecture allows developers and content editors to work independently of each other. This simplifies workflow management, with content editors or publishers carrying out all their publishing-related tasks on the backend without interfering with the developers. Separating user roles this way also makes it possible to build faster and more efficiently.

Scalability

It is harder to grow across different channels or devices if you need to create and manage content for each platform separately. A headless CMS solves this problem by providing a single content repository for all the content to be used across various digital touchpoints. This allows you to expand your reach and content distribution across different channels while maintaining complete control over your structured data models.

Why Is WordPress Not Always the Best Choice for My Website?

First of all, WordPress is a great Content Management System. As one of the most popular CMS solutions in the world, it is used by businesses of all sizes. The mature ecosystem of this tool also means there are several plugins for solving a wide range of problems that may arise in the content management process, including themes and displays, Search Engine Optimization, and the addition of extra functionalities to your website.

With that said, WordPress is not necessarily suitable for all projects. It is a massive (and possibly complex) CMS for both developers and editors, with so many built-in features that might not even be relevant for your project.

The biggest issue, of course, is the fact that WordPress is a monolith. Like other traditional CMS, the backend and frontend are strictly coupled, which introduces a lot of complexities in many use cases. For instance, say you build an application in React, but you also want to implement a landing page for your app using some of its content.

With WordPress, you need to move all your branding elements and other frontend components to create this landing page. Additionally, every time you change something in the app, you probably need to do the same on the landing page because you want to be consistent across these channels.

There are probably a number of workarounds that help you omit the above problems associated with monolithic systems like this, but it is better if you do not have to use workarounds at all. Using a headless CMS solves all of these problems since you can simply fetch the content you need from the backend using APIs instead of moving resources or creating entirely new systems for each digital channel. This approach also allows your development team to work more efficiently by separating concerns and focusing on their specific tasks.

Disadvantages of Headless CMS

For all its perks, a headless CMS does come with a few downsides or challenges. Some of these potential disadvantages that you might need to navigate are highlighted below:

• Requires technical knowledge: If you want to go in the headless CMS direction, you need a dedicated team that helps you build the frontend part of your app.
• Challenges with content preview: Because the backend is decoupled from the frontend, setting up an intuitive content preview for non-technical users can be more complex than with a traditional CMS.
• Higher costs: At the beginning of the project, decoupling the back-end and front-end parts generates additional costs.

Choosing the Best Headless CMS

With so many great options out there, choosing the most suitable headless CMS product for you can be a little challenging. If you have decided to opt for a headless CMS instead of traditional content management, here are some of the most important factors to consider in making your choice:

• Content Structure or Content Model: Although a headless Content Management System gives you a unified platform for managing your content, the frontend systems you intend to connect to the backend will likely have different structures. You should look for a CMS solution that provides all the flexibility you need to create a content structure that works for your target platforms.
• API Support: The API connects the headless backend with your target frontend. You should determine the type of API supported by the platform and how it works with the frontend you intend to use.
• Developer Experience: You need developers to integrate the frontend with the backend. Therefore, it is essential that you consider the developer experience in selecting a suitable CMS for your project.
• Documentation: Ensure that the CMS has comprehensive and well-maintained documentation. This is crucial for developers to understand how to integrate and use the CMS effectively.
• Ease of Use: Consider the overall ease of use of the Content Management System for authoring, editing, and managing content.
• Scalability: It is always best to choose a CMS system that can grow with you. This means you have to look beyond your immediate needs and consider how well the system will be able to handle increased traffic or changes in content requirements.
• Cloud-based vs. Self-hosted: In selecting a headless CMS platform, you can either build your own self-hosted headless CMS (which provides more flexibility and control) or choose a fully-managed headless web CMS solution providing convenience and easier management.

Best Headless CMS: Full List of Top Solutions

The truth is that there is no solution that qualifies as the absolute “best headless content management” platform. As explained above, the ideal solution depends on the unique needs of your projects. However, some of the most popular headless CMS tools that you can consider adopting for your project include:

Strapi

Strapi is a self-hosted, database-agnostic, open-source headless CMS platform. This CMS supports both SQL and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MongoDB). The admin panel looks like a customized DB client. You can create tables, add relations, and adjust responses to your needs. It’s a great choice if your application requires mostly CRUD operations.

Ghost

Ghost primarily functions as an open-source professional publishing platform built on Node.js technology. It is the right choice for news apps or blogs, and the post entity is the primary data type. Although it has its own default frontend theme layer for publishing content on the internet, Ghost can also work as a headless Content Management System. It can be integrated with a wide range of third-party frontend frameworks using a RESTful JSON API to manage the connection.

You can create drafts, schedule your publications, and even inject custom code into your site’s header and footer directly from the admin panel. The Ghost text editor supports Markdown. There is an option to embed cards from, for example, YouTube or Spotify, but also create custom HTML elements. You can also organize your content using tags.

The platform automatically generates RSS feeds for collections, tags, and authors’ archives. Many SEO aspects have been implemented directly into the core, so there is usually no need to use external plugins. You can add an alt attribute to images and link tags to the RSS feed. Additionally, there is an option to customize metadata separately for every post.

Contentful

Contentful is one of the most popular headless content management platforms, particularly famous among enterprise users. This API-first headless CMS helps businesses distribute and deliver content anywhere from websites to mobile apps, email newsletters, and other platforms.

Contentful supports real-time team collaboration. The text editor has a feature called “Rich Text Commands,” which lets you quickly embed entries using a command panel without leaving the editor context (you just need to type “/”). All your content is served via a JSON API. Contentful supports versioning, so there is a way to revert content to a previous version.

Contento

Contento advertises itself as the only decoupled CMS solution focused entirely on websites. As a headless CMS solution, this platform offers a range of starter kits, a content-type library, and optimization features that allow users to create and reuse content across various website projects.

Sanity

Sanity is a modern headless CMS platform for delivering content across various content applications. This is a fully customizable, all-code platform, meaning it is designed specifically for developers. This developer-first approach provides instant user interfaces for complex use cases while giving developers options to customize further using JavaScript and React.

Top Headless CMS Comparison Chart

Managing Digital Content

The popularity of omnichannel content delivery solutions has changed the way we think about content management. Coupled CMS systems like WordPress are no longer the best choice if you want to use the same backend for both web and native mobile apps.

In the current digital content management landscape, a headless CMS presents the most flexible solution, especially for businesses that need to manage content across multiple channels or devices. This approach to digital content management offers those who adopt it numerous competitive benefits. This includes providing a customized editing environment along with features for advanced authoring and completing publishing workflows with no frontend presentation layer attached.

The structured and decoupled content management architecture of headless CMS platforms also allows the seamless reuse of content across multiple platforms. This is achieved by adapting the content model to different platform requirements, including Jamstack sites, apps, digital ad screens, and even print media.

Use Cases for Headless CMS

Anyone who needs a fully customizable and easy-to-manage Content Management System that is not coupled to a specific website can benefit from adopting a headless CMS framework. It can also be useful for displaying content in instances where you need to make frequent changes to your frontend. Some of the most notable use cases of this type of Content Management System are:

• Websites & web apps
• Product & services platforms
• E-commerce platforms
• Mobile apps
• Digital signage
• Voice assistants and IoT solutions

Conclusion

Carving your path toward a headless digital experience is a complex but potentially beneficial journey. Whether or not this approach is right for you requires an in-depth review of how well this technology aligns with your business priorities. If this review is leading you toward choosing a headless CMS approach for your development needs, then you should seek technical help to get started.

Consider partnering with a reliable software development company like CrustLab to ensure a smooth and successful implementation. For more information or to discuss your project, feel free to contact us.