vs
Craft CMS
A flexible, user-friendly CMS for developers and content creators
vs
Sanity
The platform for structured content
Feature
Craft CMS
Sanity
Core Features
API Type
The type of API provided
REST & GraphQL
GraphQL & REST
API Type
The type of API provided
REST & GraphQL
GraphQL & REST
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)
£79/month
Starting Price
Minimum monthly cost
$299 one-time (Pro)
£79/month
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
One-time license or cloud subscription
Usage-based (bandwidth, assets)
Pricing Model
How pricing is structured
One-time license or cloud subscription
Usage-based (bandwidth, assets)
Content
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Powerful built-in system
Built-in DAM
Asset Management
Built-in DAM for images and media
Powerful built-in system
Built-in DAM
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in transforms
Built-in (Sanity Image URLs)
Image Processing
Built-in image transformation and optimization
Built-in transforms
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
Yes (Element API)
✓
REST API
RESTful API support
Yes (Element API)
✓
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
PHP, JavaScript
JS, React, Vue, PHP, Python, Go
SDKs Available
Official client libraries and SDKs
PHP, JavaScript
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)
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
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
Need help deciding?
Our team can help you choose the right platform for your specific needs.
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