How to Choose the Best Headless CMS
Security
Look for a CMS that has robust security features such as encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems.Make sure the CMS has proof of security. This includes GDPR compliance, SSL, SSO, ISO and HTTPS certification.
Roles and Permissions
Author roles and admin permissions should be available to determine how content creation, editing and publications are managed. CMS should also allow you to customize these roles and permissions to fit your specific needs
Content Editing, Previews and Workflows
There should be effective editing features without needing to rely on Google Docs — this includes tagging, media format support, commenting and search features to help editors find content that can be reused, or to view previous content versions.
Editors should also have access to data fields to allow omnichannel modeling of the content and there should be APIs available to view unpublished content in multiple environments. Users should also be able to integrate third-party systems via webhooks or APIs.
APIs
There should be a clear indication of which APIs are used, as well as how they can support one’s business, such as Graph QL APIs that can help developers retrieve content on a deeper level or boost development performance or REST APIs that help with content automation and security.
Pricing and Additional Costs
Consider the CMS’ pricing and if the features included can meet the needs of the business involved. Look at how much content can be created each month, the number of admin users per subscription and the number of API requests.
External developer costs should also be taken into account.
Make sure the headless CMS offers a preview feature and that the subscription plans scale as the business grows.
Support
Consider how accessible the CMS vendor’s support team is should problems arise.
This takes into account how responsive they are if they operate in the same timezone as the business and if there are external developer resources available to help solve problems (YouTube videos, community hubs, starter templates, blog posts, etc.).
SDKs
There should be a clear indication of which SDKs are available, either from the vendor or third-party initiatives. Also look at how tailored these SDKs are to the business and developer’s needs in terms of the technology that will be used, language and platform.
CDN and Scalability
The CMS must have a CDN that will reduce load time and improve the performance of the entity’s website. Look at its limitations towards large amounts of traffic, data caching (also for media files), security and network latency.
Documentation
Documentation towards factors such as APIs, integrations and customizations should be comprehensive and easy to understand, up to date and provide examples with code snippets.
Infrastructure
Consider how the CMS operates in terms of hosting capabilities (through AWS or Azure, for example), which technologies (like .NET or Node.js) and programming languages are used and which operating systems the CMS supports.
One should also take into account how reliable the CMS is, if it uses a proprietary model (built and managed by a single company), a SaaS model or if it’s open-source, as well as how high the possibility of downtime is.
When to Use a Headless CMS
A headless CMS should be used for the following cases:
- For websites and apps that use JavaScript frameworks like Angular, React or Vue.js
- To communicate with an audience across more than one platform, or deliver content across multiple platforms
- When the business wants to scale faster by letting the front and backend development teams work independently
- When the publisher wants more detailed control over how content and sites are structured and presented to the public.
When Not to Use a Headless CMS
Headless CMS solutions are not necessary for the following cases:
- When the organization has a smaller budget and cannot afford additional IT staff or developer resources
- When the current CMS templates are sufficient for the publisher’s marketing strategies
- When the company only wants to distribute content through a single channel
Final Thoughts
When it comes to choosing between a headless or traditional CMS, it all depends on how far a publisher is willing to scale their business.
A headless CMS offers a broader reach and better-personalized user experience, but at the cost of additional developer expenses and potentially the need for more tech experience.
If these constraints aren’t prohibitive, however, then we’d definitely recommend that publishers consider one of the above options to find one that meets their needs. Remember to be patient — transitioning to a headless CMS takes time, but the wait and work are worth the reward.
FAQs
Is a Headless CMS Secure?
Yes. Because a headless CMS is separated from the frontend/publishing platform, there are fewer files and code that can be hacked by a DDoS attack.
Administrators can restrict which IP addresses gain access to the headless CMS through the user interface or APIs and a headless CMS can’t be hacked by SQL injections because it’s not connected to an SQL or it runs on a server without SQL.
Do I Need a Headless CMS?
Digital publishing companies that only produce and distribute content through a single content stream (such as their web and mobile applications) don’t require the backend complexities of a headless CMS.
This is because traditional CMS platforms already offer the necessary capabilities to manage a single content stream with smaller projects faster and more effectively.
Is WordPress a Headless CMS?
Technically, yes. In the past, WordPress was a traditional content management system, but when it added the REST API plugin to its core update (version 4.7) in 2016, it effectively became an open-source headless CMS.
Is a Headless CMS Worth It?
Yes, but only for publishers that require flexibility, scalability and personalized user experiences as they manage content across multiple channels.
Which Headless CMS Is Free?
Several headless CMS options available in the market offer a free plan or a free open-source version. Some popular free headless CMS options include Strapi, Contentful, Hygraph and Sanity.
It’s worth noting that some of these free headless CMS options may have limitations on features, storage or API calls.