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 Sanity alternatives
Sanity is a popular headless CMS built around structured content and its real-time collaborative Studio editor, but it's closed-source and cloud-hosted — content lives in Sanity's own datastore, and usage-based pricing kicks in as your API requests and bandwidth grow.
Strapi is the closest match to Sanity's developer-first, API-driven headless CMS model, with a large plugin ecosystem and self-hosting built in from the start. Payload is the better pick if your stack is already Next.js, since it's built natively for that framework, while Directus stands out if you want to wrap an existing SQL database with a CMS layer rather than starting from a fresh content store.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Sanity?
Yes. Strapi and Payload are both open source (MIT) and free to self-host. Directus is source-available under BSL 1.1.
What's the best open-source alternative to Sanity?
Strapi is the closest match for a general-purpose, API-first headless CMS. Payload is the better pick specifically for Next.js projects.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Sanity?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Sanity above, or explore the full Content & CMS category for more options.