# Contentful vs Sanity — and how we move you across. > Contentful vs Sanity, honestly compared — editor experience, GROQ, flexibility and cost — plus how we migrate teams from Contentful to Sanity without losing content or rankings. A UK Sanity studio, not a Contentful reseller. URL: https://www.smartastudio.com/services/contentful-to-sanity-migration **Contentful vs Sanity · Migration** We build on Sanity, not Contentful — so this is the honest version: where Sanity wins, where Contentful is fine to stay, and how a migration actually works. If you are choosing a headless CMS, or stuck on Contentful and wondering whether to move, this is a straight answer from a studio that builds on Sanity every day. We will tell you where Sanity is genuinely better — the editing experience, GROQ, real-time collaboration, and cost as you grow — and where Contentful is good enough to leave alone. And if moving is the right call, we run the Contentful → Sanity migration end to end. _Our own Awwwards-listed site runs on Sanity + Next.js — we live in this stack, we do not just recommend it._ - **Sanity** — The CMS we build and run on daily - **Honest** — We tell you when NOT to migrate - **Nantwich, UK** — Where we design and build ## How a Contentful → Sanity move works. A migration is more than exporting entries. We map your model to Sanity, move content and assets faithfully, and rebuild the front end so nothing regresses — content, URLs or rankings. - Compare — an honest Contentful vs Sanity read for your actual setup, migrate or stay - Migrate — model mapping, content and asset migration, redirects, no lost data - Rebuild & run — a fast Sanity + Next.js front end, then support on retainer ## Why teams move from Contentful to Sanity. - **An editing experience you design, not settle for** — Sanity Studio is code you shape to your team — custom inputs, live previews, real-time multiplayer editing. Contentful’s editor is capable but fixed; Studio bends to how your team actually works. - **GROQ: query content, do not fight it** — GROQ pulls exactly the shape each page needs in one query — joins, references and projections included. It is a genuinely nicer developer experience than stitching REST calls or wrangling GraphQL for the same result. - **Structure that flexes as you grow** — Schemas live in version-controlled code, so the content model evolves with the product instead of being clicked together in a UI. Portable Text keeps rich content structured and reusable across channels. - **Cost that scales more kindly** — Contentful’s per-seat and per-space pricing can bite as editors and environments grow. Sanity’s usage-based model usually lands lower for the teams we work with — but we will run your real numbers before claiming it for you. ## What a migration ships. The tangible things you keep from a Contentful → Sanity engagement. - **An honest comparison first** — A short, specific Contentful vs Sanity read for your setup — with a clear recommendation to migrate or stay. We will say so if staying is right. - **A Sanity content model mapped from yours** — Your Contentful content types translated into Sanity schemas — cleaned up where they had drifted, reference structure preserved. - **Content and assets migrated faithfully** — Entries, rich text and media moved across with scripted, repeatable migrations — validated, not hand-copied. Rich text mapped to Portable Text. - **Redirects and rankings protected** — Every URL mapped and redirected so search sees continuity, not a reset. We measure before and after. - **A fast Sanity + Next.js front end** — The house stack: green Core Web Vitals, art-directed design, and a Studio your editors will actually enjoy. - **A clean handover and support** — Documented schemas, typed code and a tidy Studio — plus ongoing build and support on retainer if you want it. ## How we work: Audit, Model, Migrate, Run. A clear path from Contentful to Sanity — and beyond. The same method behind every SmartaStudio build. ### Audit Duration: Week 1 - We review your Contentful setup — content types, entries, assets, environments and how your team edits — and compare it honestly against Sanity for your case. - You get a straight migrate-or-stay recommendation, not a sales pitch. You get: An honest comparison and a migration plan. ### Model Duration: Weeks 1–2 - We map Contentful content types to Sanity schemas — tidying the model where it had sprawled, preserving references and rich text as Portable Text. You get: A clean Sanity schema, mapped from yours. ### Migrate Duration: Weeks 2–6 - Scripted, repeatable migrations move content and assets across, validated against the source. We map and redirect every URL, then rebuild the front end on Sanity + Next.js. You get: Your content in Sanity, front end and redirects live. ### Run Duration: Ongoing - Launch, then support, training and ongoing build on retainer — your team settles into Studio and the site keeps improving. You get: A partner who keeps it fast and current. ## Contentful vs Sanity, and migration, at a glance. - **What this is:** An honest Contentful vs Sanity comparison, plus Contentful → Sanity migration by a UK Sanity studio. - **Best for:** Teams on Contentful weighing a move off it, and teams choosing a headless CMS who want a straight comparison from people who build on Sanity. - **What we honestly are:** A Sanity + Next.js studio. We are not a Contentful reseller and do not claim to build best-in-class on Contentful — which is exactly why the comparison is straight. - **Typical work:** Contentful → Sanity migrations, content-model mapping, asset migration, front-end rebuilds on Next.js, editor training. - **Stack:** Sanity (custom Studio, GROQ, Portable Text) + Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, GSAP. Scripted migrations from the Contentful Management API. - **Engagement:** Fixed-scope migrations (typically 4–8 weeks depending on content volume) or ongoing build & support on retainer. Based in Nantwich, UK; £ GBP. ## Contentful vs Sanity, and migration, answered. ### Should I move? **Should I migrate off Contentful?** Only if it earns its keep. If Contentful is holding your team back on editing experience, developer workflow or cost as you scale, a move to Sanity usually pays off. If it is working fine and stable, we will tell you to stay — we would rather be honest than sell a migration you do not need. **Contentful vs Sanity — what actually differs?** The big ones: Sanity Studio is customisable code with real-time collaboration, where Contentful’s editor is fixed; Sanity uses GROQ to query exactly the shape you need; Sanity schemas live in version control rather than a UI; and Sanity’s usage-based pricing often scales more kindly than Contentful’s per-seat, per-space model. Contentful’s strengths are a mature enterprise feature set and a large app ecosystem — which is why we assess your case rather than declaring a universal winner. **Is Sanity always the right choice?** No. For some enterprise setups Contentful’s ecosystem and governance features are the better fit, and we will say so. This page is an honest comparison from a Sanity studio, not a claim that one CMS wins every time. ### The migration **How hard is a Contentful → Sanity migration?** Less painful than most teams fear, because we script it. We map your Contentful content types to Sanity schemas, then run repeatable migrations against the Contentful Management API to move entries, rich text and assets — validated against the source, not hand-copied. The bigger the content set, the more the scripting pays off. **Will we lose content, assets or search rankings?** No. Content and assets migrate faithfully, rich text maps to Portable Text, and we map and redirect every URL so search sees continuity rather than a reset. We measure speed and indexing before and after. **How long does it take, and what does it cost?** Most migrations run 4–8 weeks depending on content volume, environments and how much the front end is rebuilt at the same time. We scope properly before quoting — no surprises. All prices in £ GBP. ## Weighing up Contentful vs Sanity? Tell us your setup. We will give you a straight comparison for your case — and if a move makes sense, exactly how we would migrate you from Contentful to Sanity.