Best free headless CMS for Next.js in 2026: five tiers compared
Comparing the best free headless CMS options for Next.js in 2026 — Sanity, Payload, Strapi, Contentful, and Storyblok free tier limits and trade-offs.
Tag
Headless CMS
Headless CMS architecture decisions — choosing between Sanity, Contentful, Payload, and other options for Next.js projects.
17 posts
7 min read
Headless CMS pricing comparison 2026: Sanity vs Contentful vs Payload vs Strapi
A straight headless CMS pricing comparison for 2026. Free tiers, paid entry points, upgrade triggers, and self-host costs for Sanity, Contentful, Payload, and Strapi.
Sanity vs Strapi in 2026: an honest side-by-side comparison
Sanity vs Strapi 2026: GROQ content lake vs self-hosted SQL, editor UX, image pipelines, pricing, and lock-in trade-offs compared honestly.
Payload CMS vs Strapi in 2026: an honest head-to-head
Payload CMS vs Strapi compared on hosting, admin UX, API model, TypeScript config, migrations, and total cost for 2026 projects.
Next.js + Sanity CMS for marketing teams: what editors actually get
Wondering if Next.js and Sanity CMS gives marketing teams real editorial control? Here is what the editor experience looks like in practice.
How to evaluate a Sanity CMS development services proposal before you sign
A Sanity CMS development services proposal should show milestones, staging URLs, and scope guardrails. Here is what good looks like.
Sanity CMS Pricing 2026: Free Plan Limits, Growth & Enterprise
Sanity Free plan = 2 datasets, 2 editors, 500k API requests/mo; Growth ~$15/seat. Every limit, the upgrade triggers, and which tier you need in 2026.
Payload CMS vs Sanity for Next.js in 2026: an honest comparison
Payload CMS vs Sanity for Next.js projects in 2026. Hosting, GROQ vs local API, TypeScript DX, pricing, and lock-in compared honestly.
What a real Sanity CMS development services proposal looks like
A breakdown of a real Sanity CMS development services proposal — milestones, payment terms, staging promises, and red flags to watch for.
WordPress to Sanity migration cost: does it actually pay back?
A honest breakdown of WordPress to Sanity migration cost, including plugin savings, hosting, editorial gains, and when the switch simply isn't worth it.
Five questions to ask before hiring a Sanity CMS developer
Before you hire a Sanity CMS developer, ask these five questions. Know what a strong answer sounds like — and which answers should worry you.
Sanity vs WordPress headless CMS: when headless actually beats traditional
Sanity vs WordPress headless CMS compared on editor UX, performance, dev experience, and real migration numbers. Honest about where WordPress still wins.
Sanity vs Strapi vs Payload CMS: an honest comparison for 2026
Comparing Sanity, Strapi, and Payload CMS on pricing, DX, lock-in, schema modelling, and image pipelines. No vendor bias, just real trade-offs.
Sanity CMS website cost in 2026: what founders actually pay
A plain-English breakdown of Sanity CMS website cost in 2026, from small marketing sites to complex multi-locale builds. Real ranges, real drivers.
Signs your WordPress site needs a headless CMS rebuild
Slow pages, locked content, and plugin chaos are warning signs your WordPress site has hit its ceiling. Here's how to know when a headless rebuild makes sense.
Best headless CMS for Next.js in 2026: Sanity vs Contentful vs Payload vs Storyblok
Sanity vs Contentful vs Payload vs Storyblok for Next.js in 2026 — honest trade-offs on GROQ, App Router support, pricing, and editor UX, with a clear pick by team type.
Sanity CMS vs Contentful for Next.js projects: an honest comparison
Sanity CMS or Contentful for your next Next.js build? Honest comparison — pricing, GROQ vs GraphQL, editor DX, lock-in, and which one wins where.