Contentful vs Sanity
Contentful
The content platform to build digital experiences
vs
Sanity
The platform for structured content
Contentful and Sanity compared — feature by feature, with pricing and our honest take on which fits your build.
Feature
Contentful
Sanity
Core Features
API Type
The type of API provided
GraphQL & REST
GraphQL & REST
API Type
The type of API provided
GraphQL & REST
GraphQL & REST
Content Versioning
Track content history
✓
✓
Content Versioning
Track content history
✓
✓
Real-time Collaboration
Multiple users editing simultaneously
✗
✓
Real-time Collaboration
Multiple users editing simultaneously
✗
✓
Live Preview
Preview content changes before publishing
✓
✓
Live Preview
Preview content changes before publishing
✓
✓
Multi-language Support
Built-in localization and internationalization
✓
✓
Multi-language Support
Built-in localization and internationalization
✓
✓
Getting Started
Ease of Use
Skill level required: 1 = DIY friendly, 5 = Developer expertise required
Ease of Use
Skill level required: 1 = DIY friendly, 5 = Developer expertise required
Pricing
Free Tier
Does it offer a free tier?
✓
✓
Free Tier
Does it offer a free tier?
✓
✓
Starting Price
Minimum monthly cost
£239/month
£79/month
Starting Price
Minimum monthly cost
£239/month
£79/month
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
User + content-based
Usage-based (bandwidth, assets)
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
User + content-based
Usage-based (bandwidth, assets)
Content
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Built-in DAM
Built-in DAM
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Built-in DAM
Built-in DAM
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in (Images API)
Built-in (Sanity Image URLs)
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in (Images API)
Built-in (Sanity Image URLs)
Video Streaming
Native video hosting and streaming
No (third-party)
Via Mux integration
Video Streaming
Native video hosting and streaming
No (third-party)
Via Mux integration
Developer Features
Webhooks
Event-based notifications for content changes
✓
✓
Webhooks
Event-based notifications for content changes
✓
✓
GraphQL API
GraphQL query support
✓
✓
GraphQL API
GraphQL query support
✓
✓
REST API
RESTful API support
✓
✓
REST API
RESTful API support
✓
✓
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
JS, Ruby, Python, PHP, Java, .NET
JS, React, Vue, PHP, Python, Go
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
JS, Ruby, Python, PHP, Java, .NET
JS, React, Vue, PHP, Python, Go
Deployment
Open Source
Is the platform open source?
✗
Yes (Sanity Studio)
Open Source
Is the platform open source?
✗
Yes (Sanity Studio)
Self-Hosting Option
Can be self-hosted on your infrastructure
✗
No (cloud-only)
Self-Hosting Option
Can be self-hosted on your infrastructure
✗
No (cloud-only)
Contentful Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Mature platform with proven enterprise scalability
- ✓Intuitive UI for content editors and marketers
- ✓Extensive integration ecosystem (200+ integrations)
- ✓Strong API performance and reliability
- ✓Advanced content workflow capabilities
- ✓Excellent documentation and community
Cons
- ✗Expensive for growing teams and mid-size businesses
- ✗Can feel rigid compared to newer flexible solutions
- ✗Complex pricing model with usage-based costs
- ✗Limited customisation of the content studio UI
Sanity Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Highly flexible content modelling with customisable schemas
- ✓Real-time collaboration like Google Docs
- ✓Excellent developer experience with modern tooling
- ✓Powerful GROQ query language for precise data fetching
- ✓Portable Text for rich content
- ✓Live preview capabilities
Cons
- ✗Steeper learning curve for non-developers
- ✗Can be expensive at scale for high-traffic sites
- ✗Requires more initial setup than plug-and-play solutions
- ✗Smaller ecosystem compared to WordPress
Pricing
Contentful vs Sanity pricing
Contentful
Free tier for 2 users. Team plan starts at £239/month
Sanity
Free tier available. Team plan starts at £79/month
How to choose
How to choose between Contentful and Sanity
Both are strong choices — the right one comes down to what your build needs most. Here is where each one leans.
Lean Contentful if you want
- →Mature platform with proven enterprise scalability
- →Intuitive UI for content editors and marketers
- →Extensive integration ecosystem (200+ integrations)
Lean Sanity if you want
- →Highly flexible content modelling with customisable schemas
- →Real-time collaboration like Google Docs
- →Excellent developer experience with modern tooling
The SmartaStudio take
We build with both Contentful and Sanity, so we have no dog in the fight — the right choice depends on your project, not a leaderboard. See the full Headless CMS lineup on our platforms hub, or tell us about your build and we will give you a reasoned recommendation.
Still weighing it up?
Answer a few questions about your project and get a reasoned recommendation — or talk it through with us directly.