Sanity vs. Strapi / Contentful
Sanity vs Strapi vs Contentful · 2026 headless CMS call
All three ship real content. Sanity wins on DX + structured content. Strapi for self-host + open source. Contentful for enterprise procurement.
option ASanityoption BStrapi / ContentfulserviceWebsites, web apps & online shops
→ Verdict
Sanity wins for most new projects · great DX, structured content, real-time collaboration. Strapi for self-hosted / open-source preference. Contentful when enterprise procurement + SLA is the blocker.
Pick a topic
When to pick which
A · Pick this when…
Sanity
- 01Modern team that values structured content
- 02Real-time collab editing
- 03Developers drive content model design
B · Pick that when…
Strapi / Contentful
- 01Strapi: self-host required (data residency / cost)
- 02Strapi: TypeScript / Node.js ecosystem
- 03Contentful: enterprise procurement + SLA
- 04Contentful: on-par with Sanity but larger established presence
Factors to weigh
Factor-by-factor
| Factors to weigh | Sanity | Strapi / Contentful |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted by default | Yes | Strapi no, Contentful yes |
| Self-host option | No (Content Lake managed) | Strapi yes, Contentful no |
| Price at 5 editors | ~$99-399/mo | Strapi free (self), Contentful $300-700 |
| Real-time collab | Native | Strapi partial, Contentful partial |
| Content modelling DX | Best-in-class (Sanity Studio) | Strapi good, Contentful good |
| Image / asset CDN | Built-in + CDN | Strapi DIY, Contentful built-in |
| We recommend | Default for new builds | Strapi self-host, Contentful enterprise |
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