CraftCMS
Content-first CMS crafted for developers and editors
Overview
Craft CMS is a proprietary-licensed PHP CMS known for its flexible field layout system, clean control panel, and developer-friendly Twig templating. It supports multi-site management, robust image transforms, Matrix fields for complex content structures, and a GraphQL API for headless use. A free Solo license is available for single-user sites; Pro and Team licenses are paid. Deploy on PHP with MySQL/PostgreSQL.
Where it falls short of Contentful
- Commercial license required for multi-user and team workflows; cost can exceed SaaS alternatives
- Plugin ecosystem is strong but most premium plugins are paid
- No built-in e-commerce; requires the separate paid Craft Commerce plugin
- Headless GraphQL API is behind a Pro license paywall
We list the gaps honestly so you can decide if the trade-off is worth owning your data.
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