Strapi
Leading open-source headless CMS — content APIs with admin panel.
MIT-licensed alternative to Contentful and Directus. Custom content types, REST/GraphQL APIs, role-based access, and plugin ecosystem.
Payload
Next.js native headless CMS — code-first, type-safe, self-hosted.
MIT-licensed alternative to Sanity and Contentful. TypeScript schema, Admin UI, live preview, REST/GraphQL APIs, and MongoDB/PostgreSQL support.
Directus
Headless CMS and data platform — wrap any SQL database with APIs.
Source-available alternative to Strapi and Contentful. REST and GraphQL APIs, real-time subscriptions, no-code admin, and flow automation.
Compare Contentful alternatives
Contentful is a proprietary, cloud-hosted headless CMS. It's a common pick for content-driven websites and apps, but pricing is based on usage tiers (records, API calls, users), and your content lives entirely inside Contentful's platform.
Open-source headless CMS alternatives let you self-host your content and API layer instead. Strapi and Payload manage their own content schema; Directus instead wraps an existing SQL database with instant APIs, so check which model fits your stack before migrating.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Contentful?
Yes. Strapi, Payload, and Directus are all open source and self-hostable at no software cost.
What's the best open-source alternative to Contentful?
Pick Strapi for the widest adoption and plugin ecosystem. Pick Payload if your project is already built on Next.js, since it's designed to integrate natively with it.
Can I use my existing database with an open-source Contentful alternative?
Yes, with Directus — it wraps an existing SQL database with content APIs rather than requiring you to migrate into a new schema. Strapi and Payload manage their own schema instead.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Contentful?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Contentful above, or explore the full Content & CMS category for more options.