Best CMS for Astro
Choosing the right CMS for your Astro site can make or break your content workflow. This guide compares the best headless CMS options that integrate seamlessly with Astro.
Why Use a Headless CMS with Astro?
Astro works great with headless CMS platforms because it can fetch content at build time, resulting in fast static pages. Benefits include:
- Non-technical editors can update content without touching code
- Structured content with validation and schemas
- Media management with CDN delivery
- Version history and content scheduling
- API-first approach works perfectly with Astro's data fetching
Top CMS Options for Astro
1. Sanity
Best for: Custom content structures, real-time collaboration, developer flexibility
Sanity is a highly customizable headless CMS with a real-time collaborative editor. It's popular in the Astro community for its flexibility and excellent developer experience. The free tier is generous for small projects.
- ✓ Real-time collaboration
- ✓ Highly customizable schemas
- ✓ GROQ query language
- ✓ Great free tier
- ✓ Official Astro integration
Pricing: Free tier available, paid plans from $99/month
2. Contentful
Best for: Enterprise teams, multi-channel content, established workflows
Contentful is one of the most established headless CMS platforms. It's great for larger teams that need robust content modeling, localization, and enterprise-grade features.
- ✓ Mature, battle-tested platform
- ✓ Strong content modeling
- ✓ Built-in localization
- ✓ Rich ecosystem of apps
- ✓ Works well with Astro
Pricing: Free tier available, paid plans from $300/month
3. Strapi
Best for: Self-hosted solutions, full control, budget-conscious projects
Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that you can self-host. It's perfect if you want full control over your data and infrastructure, or if you're on a tight budget.
- ✓ Open-source and free
- ✓ Self-hosted or cloud
- ✓ Full data ownership
- ✓ Customizable admin panel
- ✓ REST and GraphQL APIs
Pricing: Free (self-hosted), cloud plans from $99/month
4. Directus
Best for: Database-first approach, existing databases, technical teams
Directus wraps any SQL database with a real-time GraphQL and REST API. It's ideal if you already have a database or want a more traditional data-first approach.
- ✓ Works with any SQL database
- ✓ Open-source
- ✓ Real-time updates
- ✓ Flexible permissions
- ✓ Self-hosted or cloud
Pricing: Free (self-hosted), cloud plans from $99/month
5. Storyblok
Best for: Visual editing, marketing teams, component-based content
Storyblok offers a visual editor that lets content creators see exactly how their content will look. It's great for marketing teams who want a more intuitive editing experience.
- ✓ Visual editor with live preview
- ✓ Component-based approach
- ✓ Built-in image optimization
- ✓ Official Astro integration
- ✓ Great for marketing sites
Pricing: Free tier available, paid plans from $106/month
6. Keystatic
Best for: Git-based workflows, developers, Markdown content
Keystatic is a new Git-based CMS that stores content in your repository. It's perfect for developers who want a CMS without external dependencies, and it has first-class Astro support.
- ✓ Content lives in your repo
- ✓ No external service needed
- ✓ First-class Astro support
- ✓ Free and open-source
- ✓ Works with GitHub/GitLab
Pricing: Free
Quick Comparison
| CMS | Best For | Hosting | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanity | Custom structures | Cloud | Yes |
| Contentful | Enterprise teams | Cloud | Yes |
| Strapi | Self-hosted | Self/Cloud | Yes |
| Directus | Database-first | Self/Cloud | Yes |
| Storyblok | Visual editing | Cloud | Yes |
| Keystatic | Git-based | Your repo | Yes |
How to Choose
Consider these factors when picking a CMS for your Astro project:
- Team size and technical skill — Solo dev? Keystatic or Strapi. Large team? Contentful or Sanity.
- Budget — Tight budget? Strapi (self-hosted) or Keystatic. Enterprise budget? Contentful.
- Content complexity — Simple blog? Keystatic. Complex structures? Sanity or Contentful.
- Visual editing needs — Marketing team? Storyblok. Developers only? Any option works.
- Data ownership — Need full control? Strapi or Directus (self-hosted).
Related Guides
Need a ready-made Astro template?
Our recommended templates work great with any headless CMS.