Contentful vs Sanity
A detailed comparison to help you choose the right headless cms solution for your project.
Quick Verdict
Both tools are excellent choices with similar feature sets. Your decision should be based on pricing, ecosystem fit, and specific use case requirements.
Contentful
Enterprise headless CMS
Best for
Sanity
Composable content cloud
Best for
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Contentful | Sanity |
|---|---|---|
| Content modeling | Yes | No |
| Multi-space | Yes | No |
| GraphQL API | Yes | No |
| Image CDN | Yes | No |
| Localization | Yes | No |
| Webhooks | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | No | No |
| Real-time collaboration | No | Yes |
| Custom schemas | No | Yes |
| GROQ query language | No | Yes |
| Image transformations | No | Yes |
| Portable text | No | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
Contentful
Sanity
Contentful Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Enterprise-grade reliability
- +Great editor experience
- +Strong ecosystem
- +Excellent documentation
Cons
- -Expensive
- -Less flexible than Sanity
- -Complex pricing
Sanity Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Extremely flexible schemas
- +Real-time collaboration
- +Great developer experience
- +Powerful GROQ queries
Cons
- -Can be complex for simple sites
- -Pricing gets expensive
- -Learning curve for editors
Contentful Verdict
Contentful is the enterprise standard for headless CMS. Reliable and polished, but expensive for smaller teams.
Sanity Verdict
Sanity is the most flexible headless CMS. Best for teams with complex content needs and developer resources.
More options in Headless CMS
Looking for different tradeoffs? Explore alternatives to each tool.
Frequently Asked Questions: Contentful vs Sanity
Is Contentful or Sanity better?
It depends on your use case. Contentful is best for enterprise teams and large content operations. Sanity is best for complex content models and developer teams. Contentful is the enterprise standard for headless CMS. Reliable and polished, but expensive for smaller teams.
Is Contentful free?
Yes, Contentful offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $300/mo.
Is Sanity free?
Yes, Sanity offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $99/mo.
Can I migrate from Contentful to Sanity?
Yes, you can migrate from Contentful to Sanity, though the complexity depends on how deeply integrated your current solution is. Most developers recommend evaluating both tools in a test environment before committing to a migration.
Which is more popular, Contentful or Sanity?
Both Contentful and Sanity are popular choices in their category. The best choice depends on your specific requirements, team expertise, and budget rather than popularity alone.