Craft CMS vs Prismic
Craft CMS
A flexible, user-friendly CMS for developers and content creators
vs
Prismic
Headless website builder
Craft CMS and Prismic compared — feature by feature, with pricing and our honest take on which fits your build.
Feature
Craft CMS
Prismic
Core Features
API Type
The type of API provided
REST & GraphQL
REST & GraphQL
API Type
The type of API provided
REST & GraphQL
REST & GraphQL
Content Versioning
Track content history
Yes (revisions)
✓
Content Versioning
Track content history
Yes (revisions)
✓
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
Yes (built-in)
✓
Multi-language Support
Built-in localization and internationalization
Yes (built-in)
✓
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)
£6/user/month
Starting Price
Minimum monthly cost
$299 one-time (Pro)
£6/user/month
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
One-time license or cloud subscription
Per user
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
One-time license or cloud subscription
Per user
Content
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Powerful built-in system
Built-in
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Powerful built-in system
Built-in
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in transforms
Built-in (Imgix-powered)
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in transforms
Built-in (Imgix-powered)
Video Streaming
Native video hosting and streaming
No (third-party)
✗
Video Streaming
Native video hosting and streaming
No (third-party)
✗
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
Yes (Element API)
✓
REST API
RESTful API support
Yes (Element API)
✓
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
PHP, JavaScript
JS, React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
PHP, JavaScript
JS, React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt
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
Prismic Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Great for marketing websites and landing pages
- ✓Slice Machine for component-based content editing
- ✓Affordable pricing for small to medium teams
- ✓Good developer experience with modern SDKs
- ✓Built-in image optimisation
- ✓Multi-language support included
Cons
- ✗Less flexible content modeling than Sanity or Contentful
- ✗Smaller community and ecosystem
- ✗Limited advanced features for complex use cases
- ✗Content modeling can feel restrictive
Pricing
Craft CMS vs Prismic pricing
Craft CMS
Free Solo edition. Pro licence £239 one-time fee. Cloud hosting from £23/month
Prismic
Free tier available. Premium starts at £6/user/month
How to choose
How to choose between Craft CMS and Prismic
Both are strong choices — the right one comes down to what your build needs most. Here is where each one leans.
Lean Craft CMS if you want
- →One-time license fee (no recurring costs for self-hosted Pro)
- →Extremely flexible and customisable content modelling
- →Beautiful, intuitive admin interface
Lean Prismic if you want
- →Great for marketing websites and landing pages
- →Slice Machine for component-based content editing
- →Affordable pricing for small to medium teams
The SmartaStudio take
We build with both Craft CMS and Prismic, 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.