What Is A Headless CMS: Explained

Do you know what is a headless CMS and why we need it?

The old way of using a traditional content management system for web development was once the norm. However, as businesses and customer needs become more complicated, many are turning to a newer technology called Headless CMS, or Headless Content Management System.  

Headless CMS has become a growing trend and a well-known term in digital content management over the past few years. Many organizations have a vast amount of data, numerous documents, and various online channels, making it difficult to manage everything. And that is where – Headless CMS comes into play! 

This blog explains what is a headless CMS and which are the 5 best headless CMS for 2025.  

And if you're considering to switch to Drupal from your current content management system, then take a look at the migration services provided by OpenSense Labs before you make the move. 

Migrate To Drupal Today! 

Now, let’s jump right in! 

What Is A Headless CMS? 

A headless CMS is a type of content management system that separates the way content is shown from the way it is managed. It lets you control your content from a single location and share it across any digital platform you want. Separating the front end from the back end allows marketers to handle content more easily on their own. 

It also helps developers work faster, automate updates, and manage digital tasks on a larger scale. In a traditional CMS, content is mixed with code and locked in separate areas, which makes it very hard to reuse content and build modern digital experiences. A headless CMS uses APIs to deliver content, allowing it to be easily shown on any website, device, or digital platform. 

This allows content in a headless CMS to be reused endlessly, regardless of the current omnichannel customer experience or any future channels that may develop. This differs from WordPress and other monolithic CMS platforms that link the frontend and backend closely, limiting how content can be shown. 

Which Are The 5 Best Headless CMS In 2025? 

The best headless CMS offers benefits beyond simply reusing content. Here are 5 best headless CMS for 2025 along with additional features and advantages that some of the best headless CMS offer compared to traditional CMSs, which can greatly benefit your business: 

1. Drupal 

Headless Drupal is an exciting trend in web development right now, and there's a good reason for that. The open-source Drupal platform is utilized by millions of people and organizations to create more advanced and engaging digital experiences. Headless Drupal offers greater flexibility and freedom for creating web, mobile, and digital content that engages customers and strengthens brands. 

Decoupled Drupal, also known as headless Drupal, separates the back end that handles content from the front end that shows the content. This setup lets Drupal share content with other front-end systems. It provides advanced personalization features and works smoothly with third-party tools. 

You can easily link this one of the best headless CMS to sales tools and marketing platforms. Producing content fast can improve customer satisfaction. It also provides options for growth and customization, allowing each user to gain the most benefit from Drupal. You can easily link the CMS to different CRM tools and make the most of the customer data.  

Drupal Pricing 

• Free 

2. Sanity 

Sanity is a headless content management system that is open-source, offering developers a level of customization that is hard to find on other platforms. It uses content as data, enabling broad options for data analysis, content creation, and distribution. 

Its easy-to-use software allows your team to work together in real time. This includes marketers who handle content and developers who want to customize and publish it in the right places. Easy integrations make it simple to transfer data into any application you want.  

This is one of the best headless CMS that allows direct linking with static site generators which connect straight to frontends like Jamstack sites, making it easier to manage content modules. The app can also show a preview of any content it stores, allowing for smooth delivery on the front end. 

Sanity Pricing 

• Free 

• Pro: $99/month per project 

• Team: $499/month per project 

• Custom: Contact for pricing 

3. Strapi 

Strapi is one of the best headless CMS platforms known for its easy-to-use interface and complete customization options. This platform, built entirely on JavaScript, allows for content-rich experiences that smoothly move from the presentation layer to the final channels where the content will be displayed. 

It provides user-friendly design throughout, from content creation to the display level. This one of the best headless CMS also provides a developer-focused method that begins with simplicity and becomes more complex based on user roles. Strapi also has a lively community of users and developers that offers continuous and immediate feedback on the tool and is one of the best headless CMS options overall. 

Strapi’s regular updates enhance and boost the capacity to create headless content consistently. It is a completely managed, flexible, and teamwork-friendly content platform. Strapi CMS is a very adaptable and scalable headless CMS platform, perfect for large publishers. 

Strapi Pricing 

• Free self-hosted 

• Enterprise self-hosted: Contact for pricing 

• Cloud Pro: $99/month 

• Cloud Team: $499/month 

• Cloud Custom: Contact for pricing 

4. Contentstack 

Contentstack is designed as a headless CMS platform for large businesses and embraces complexity. It is also flexible, allowing organizations to handle content effectively and adapt to all major digital platforms. This is one of the best headless CMS that provides content scheduling and storage options that enable better management of content. 

You can also do large development of RESTful APIs that make it easier to connect with various graphic user interfaces. Not just this, Contentstack also has a powerful search tool for finding content and code to handle more complex digital settings. It also has the option of a ‘blank slate’ method for creating your headless CMS, allowing complete customization for skilled development teams. 

Contentstack is a headless content management system that focuses on APIs. It is one of the best headless CMS that makes it easier for large publishers to manage their content. This headless CMS platform enables companies to efficiently and swiftly distribute content across various channels, emphasizing scalability and flexibility. 

Contentstack Pricing 

• Start: Contact for pricing 

• Grow: Contact for pricing 

• Scale: Contact for pricing 

5. dotCMS 

dotCMS assists businesses and organizations that want to publish across various platforms in managing and delivering their digital content. Content creators can tailor all kinds of content to their preferences thanks to adaptable workflows and a powerful editor. Its on-premises hosting options provide greater flexibility than a cloud-only CMS. 

Whereas the drag-and-drop tools of the content editor enable complex content design and page arrangements. This is one of the best headless CMS as it also provides a complete onboarding system allowing for the merging and integration of various CMSs. Moreover, content deployment workflows do not require developers or system admins, making the process more efficient. 

dotCMS is a strong and one of the best headless CMS platforms that has many features tailored for large publishers. One of the key features of the platform is its ability to tag content, allowing users to easily organize and handle large amounts of information. The platform also provides strong workflow automation features that simplify content creation and publishing, helping publishers release content more quickly. 

dotCMS Pricing 

• Free 

• Enterprise: Contact for pricing 

What’s The Difference Between A Headless CMS vs Traditional CMS? 

A headless CMS separates the front end of a system from the back end. Traditional CMSs, on the other hand, do not offer this feature. Instead, they are a complete system, which means the content is entered in the backend and is created for a single frontend, usually a standard website. 

Traditional CMSs, or monolithic CMSs, are complete systems that do not divide their front end and back end. This can make setup and operation easier in some situations, but it also has significant limitations. It's hard to expand into new channels if it's possible at all. All your content, code, and assets are contained in a single closed system. 

It means it can't be easily used again, changed, or used for a different purpose. This setup is why traditional CMS is often referred to as ‘monolithic CMS.’ Headless CMS vs traditional CMS can be compared to different kinds of Legos. A traditional CMS is similar to a standard Lego set: you get a limited number of pieces and clear instructions on how to assemble them to achieve a specific final product. 

And headless CMS is similar to visiting a Lego store, where you can choose any bricks to create anything you desire. 

Also Check Out:  

1. The State of Headless Architecture in 2021 

2. When And How To Choose A Headless CMS? 

3. Headless Drupal Commerce: The Future of Commerce 

4. In The Pursuit Of Headless With Contenta 

What Are The Benefits Of A Headless CMS? 

Now that we have explained what is a headless CMS, how it functions, and why it is a better choice for managing content compared to traditional CMS. Now, let's explore the benefits that using one of the best headless CMS can offer to your organization: 

1. Combines all content into one central hub 

A headless CMS allows content to be reused endlessly, removing the need for manual tasks such as copying and pasting. This simplifies editing a lot — modify the text or image in one spot, and that update reflects everywhere the content appears. All content is kept in one central hub, allowing content editors to easily use the COPE principle: Create Once, Publish Everywhere. 

One way to understand this principle is to make one edit and apply it everywhere. 

2. Allows teamwork 

A headless CMS lets content editors and developers work at the same time by separating the front end from the back end and using reusable content models to organize content. Content editors can quickly change content on all platforms without needing help from developers, allowing developers to focus on more important tasks. 

This gives companies an edge if they want to speed up their market entry and optimize their developers' time. 

3. Increases the ability to reuse and expand 

Headless CMS makes it easy to reuse content. Content reusability is essential for maximizing the value of resources used in content creation. When all content is available for use on any digital device, digital teams can reuse it across different platforms and channels. 

It also enables content to expand across various areas, applications, and marketing efforts. Content can be improved for different user experiences by using tools for personalization and localization. This helps make sure the right content gets to the right audience at the right time. 

OpenSense Labs is one of only 100 organizations worldwide that the Drupal Association has recognized as a partner. Before we proceed further, you can check out our services if you're looking to migrate from your current content management system to Drupal.

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What Is Headless CMS SEO? 

Headless CMS SEO involves improving your headless CMS website to boost its performance in organic search results. This makes sure your content is presented in a way that search engines can easily understand and index. A headless CMS controls content from one place and shares it on different platforms and devices. 

This means headless CMS SEO lets you optimize content no matter where or how it appears. Myths claim that headless CMS SEO is harder than traditional systems, but the flexibility and scalability of headless CMS actually frees digital teams.  

A headless CMS improves SEO by allowing centralized content management, speeding up market launch, overcoming the limits of traditional CMS, and providing very fast page loading times. Headless CMS SEO boosts your online presence by helping digital teams deliver content to audiences more efficiently through organic search results and other channels.  

To improve a site's visibility in organic search results and attract more qualified traffic, your technology must keep up with growing demands. It should adapt and scale beyond just targeting the top 10 unpaid links on the first page. You need to compete in an environment filled with knowledge panels, maps, local results, rich media, and an increasing number of paid results. 

Also Check Out: 

1. How Important Is JSON API For A Headless Website? 

2. What Is A Content Management System: Top 10 CMS For 2025 

3. Starshot: Drupal’s New CMS Initiative 

4. Why Is Drupal CMS The First Choice For Government Sites? 

Key Takeaways 

1. A headless CMS is a content management system that keeps content display and content management separate. 

2. Drupal, Sanity, Strapi, Contentstack, and dotCMS are some of the best headless CMS that you can choose from.  

3. Traditional CMSs are complete systems where content is added in the backend and designed for one frontend, typically a standard website. 

4. Some benefits of a headless CMS include content combined in one place and easy teamwork processes.  

5. Headless CMS SEO means enhancing your headless CMS site to improve its ranking in organic search results.