Craft CMS vs Headless WordPress
Craft CMS
A flexible, user-friendly CMS for developers and content creators
vs
Headless WordPress
The world's most popular CMS, now headless
Feature
Craft CMS
Headless WordPress
Core Features
API Type
The type of API provided
REST & GraphQL
REST (built-in), GraphQL (WPGraphQL)
API Type
The type of API provided
REST & GraphQL
REST (built-in), GraphQL (WPGraphQL)
Content Versioning
Track content history
Yes (revisions)
Yes (revisions)
Content Versioning
Track content history
Yes (revisions)
Yes (revisions)
Real-time Collaboration
Multiple users editing simultaneously
✗
Via plugins
Real-time Collaboration
Multiple users editing simultaneously
✗
Via plugins
Live Preview
Preview content changes before publishing
✓
Via plugins
Live Preview
Preview content changes before publishing
✓
Via plugins
Multi-language Support
Built-in localization and internationalization
Yes (built-in)
Via plugins (WPML, Polylang)
Multi-language Support
Built-in localization and internationalization
Yes (built-in)
Via plugins (WPML, Polylang)
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?
Yes (Solo edition)
✓
Free Tier
Does it offer a free tier?
Yes (Solo edition)
✓
Starting Price
Minimum monthly cost
$299 one-time (Pro)
Free (+ hosting $4+/month)
Starting Price
Minimum monthly cost
$299 one-time (Pro)
Free (+ hosting $4+/month)
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
One-time license or cloud subscription
Hosting costs only
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
One-time license or cloud subscription
Hosting costs only
Content
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Powerful built-in system
Basic media library
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Powerful built-in system
Basic media library
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in transforms
Via plugins
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in transforms
Via plugins
Video Streaming
Native video hosting and streaming
No (third-party)
Via plugins or third-party
Video Streaming
Native video hosting and streaming
No (third-party)
Via plugins or third-party
Developer Features
Webhooks
Event-based notifications for content changes
✓
Via plugins
Webhooks
Event-based notifications for content changes
✓
Via plugins
GraphQL API
GraphQL query support
✓
Yes (WPGraphQL plugin)
GraphQL API
GraphQL query support
✓
Yes (WPGraphQL plugin)
REST API
RESTful API support
Yes (Element API)
✓
REST API
RESTful API support
Yes (Element API)
✓
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
PHP, JavaScript
Community plugins for various languages
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
PHP, JavaScript
Community plugins for various languages
Deployment
Open Source
Is the platform open source?
✗
✓
Open Source
Is the platform open source?
✗
✓
Self-Hosting Option
Can be self-hosted on your infrastructure
✓
✓
Self-Hosting Option
Can be self-hosted on your infrastructure
✓
✓
Craft CMS Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓One-time license fee (no recurring costs for self-hosted Pro)
- ✓Extremely flexible and customisable content modelling
- ✓Beautiful, intuitive admin interface
- ✓Built-in multi-site support
- ✓Strong security track record
- ✓Excellent for complex content structures
- ✓GraphQL API available
Cons
- ✗PHP-based (may not fit modern JavaScript workflows)
- ✗Smaller ecosystem than WordPress or major headless platforms
- ✗Self-hosting requires PHP/MySQL knowledge
- ✗Fewer third-party integrations than enterprise options
- ✗Cloud hosting more expensive than some competitors
Headless WordPress Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Massive plugin ecosystem (60,000+ plugins)
- ✓Familiar interface for content editors worldwide
- ✓REST API built-in, GraphQL via WPGraphQL plugin
- ✓Affordable hosting options available everywhere
- ✓Huge community and extensive documentation
- ✓Can leverage existing WordPress expertise
Cons
- ✗Not designed as headless-first (requires plugins)
- ✗Performance and security concerns with many plugins
- ✗Legacy architecture can feel dated
- ✗GraphQL requires additional setup
- ✗Content modeling less structured than purpose-built headless CMS
- ✗Can be bloated for headless-only use cases
Need help deciding?
Our team can help you choose the right platform for your specific needs.
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