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Contentful’s listing shows a free plan and paid plans from $300, with capped free usage flagged as a drawback. The exact free-plan limits aren’t published in the published information. If that pricing or your workflow is pushing you to switch, Sanity and Prismic are worth considering for structured, developer-led sites; Storyblok suits teams prioritizing visual editing. We’ve also included options for custom schemas, database-led projects and code-review workflows.
01Why people leave Contentful
Free-tier limits and pricing
The listing puts paid Contentful from $300 and flags capped free usage; the exact free limits are not published here.
Plan for your actual project
A Reddit commenter warns larger-company projects not to assume the free tier will suffice; another says fit depends on requirements and willingness to upgrade.
Ownership and roadmap questions
One Reddit thread discusses Salesforce’s reported Contentful acquisition in connection with Agentforce, raising an ownership question, not proof of product changes.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Custom content workflows
SanitySanitySanity is the clearest switch if you need custom content workflows or structured content across multiple platforms. Its listing starts at $15 and includes a free plan, which may suit projects that fit within its limits. The trade is setup work: the listing flags setup needs and says to check seat costs before committing.
Trade-off: Setup needs and seat costs require checking.
7.8/10from
$15/mofree plan - Developer-led websites
PrismicPrismicPrismic fits developer-led branded sites and teams assembling pages from reusable sections. The listing starts at $10 and includes a free plan, making it a lower listed starting price than Contentful’s $300 paid starting point. Before switching, check the user, API and CDN caps; the source doesn’t publish their exact limits.
Trade-off: User, API and CDN caps need checking.
7.7/10from
$10/mofree plan - Visual content editing
StoryblokStoryblokStoryblok is worth a look if editors need visual content editing or approval workflows matter to the team. Its listing also identifies AI-agent connections as a fit. It starts at $90.75 and has a free plan, but the listing warns that growth costs need close attention, so compare expected usage before moving content.
Trade-off: Growth costs need close attention.
7.3/10from
$90.75/mofree plan - Next.js and self-hosting
PayloadPayloadPayload suits teams with developer support building Next.js projects, content-heavy apps or custom schemas. Its listing starts at $35, includes a free plan and highlights self-hosted control, which may fit teams that want more control over deployment. The listed trade-offs are cloud caps and roadmap uncertainty, so weigh those against the control you need.
Trade-off: Cloud caps and roadmap uncertainty.
8.0/10from
$35/mofree plan - Existing databases
DirectusDirectusDirectus is a better fit when content already lives in a database and developers want generated REST and GraphQL APIs. Its listing starts at $89 with a free plan, and eligible organizations may qualify for free self-hosting. That makes it a narrower choice than a general CMS switch; cloud costs can rise as seats and collections grow.
Trade-off: Cloud costs rise with seats and collections.
8.0/10from
$89/mofree plan - Code-review workflows
Builder.ioBuilder.ioBuilder.io makes sense when marketers need to edit component-based production UI and the team already works through Git reviews. It also fits teams combining content and experimentation. The listing starts at $24 with a free plan, but this is not positioned as a friction-free builder: its value depends on fitting your code-review process.
Trade-off: It depends on an established Git review process.
6.7/10from
$24/mofree plan - File-based content
KirbyKirbyKirby is a fit for teams wanting a customizable website CMS, developers comfortable with file-based content and organizations that prefer one-time license fees. Its listing gives no starting price, but the alternative summary lists a $115 one-time Basic license. Consider it if that pricing model and workflow suit your site; it is not a like-for-like fit for every CMS operation.
Trade-off: File-based content and workflow may not fit every team.
6.8/10from
Custom
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Contentful Contentful (current) | 6.5 | $300/mo | Yes | Teams managing content across channels |
| Sanity Sanity | 7.8 | $15/mo | Yes | Teams building custom content workflows |
| Prismic Prismic | 7.7 | $10/mo | Yes | Developer-led branded websites |
| Storyblok Storyblok | 7.3 | $90.75/mo | Yes | Teams needing visual content editing |
| Payload Payload | 8.0 | $35/mo | Yes | Next.js projects with developer support |
| Directus Directus | 8.0 | $89/mo | Yes | Teams managing content in an existing database |
| Builder.io Builder.io | 6.7 | $24/mo | Yes | Teams with an established Git review process |
| Kirby Kirby | 6.8 | Custom | No | Teams wanting a customizable website CMS |
Questions people ask
Is Contentful free to use?
Yes. The listing includes a Contentful free plan, but it also flags capped free usage. The exact limits are not published on the vendor's site. Paid plans start at $300 in the listing, so check current plan limits and upgrade pricing before moving production content.
What are examples of headless CMS?
Examples in this comparison include Contentful, Sanity, Prismic, Storyblok, Payload, Strapi, Directus and Contentstack. They suit different workflows: for example, the listings position Sanity around structured content and custom workflows, and Directus around content in an existing database.
What is better than Strapi?
There isn’t one best choice for every team. The listings position Sanity for custom workflows, Payload for Next.js projects and self-hosted control, and Directus for existing databases and generated APIs. Strapi is listed for customizable REST or GraphQL APIs and self-hosting; compare hosted costs and editor fit against your needs.