CMS
An honest comparison to help you pick the right cms tool in 2026.
| Feature | Sanity | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CMS | CMS |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Paid Plan | $15/user/mo | $29/mo (cloud) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
| Best For | Teams who need a flexible, developer-friendly headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing | Developers who want a self-hosted, open-source CMS with full customization control |
| Feature 1 | Real-time collaboration | Open source |
| Feature 2 | GROQ query language | Auto-generated APIs |
| Feature 3 | Customizable studio | Plugin system |
| Feature 4 | Portable text | Self-hostable |
| Feature 5 | CDN | Role-based access |
| Website | Sanity | Strapi |
Sanity and Strapi are both popular choices in the cms category, but they serve different types of developers. Sanity is composable content platform with real-time collaboration, GROQ query language, and a fully customizable editing studio. Meanwhile, Strapi is open-source headless CMS built with Node.js, featuring auto-generated APIs, a plugin system, and self-hosting support.
Both tools offer free tiers, which means you can try each one before committing. Sanity's paid plan starts at $15/user/mo, while Strapi's starts at $29/mo (cloud).
Sanity stands out with Real-time collaboration and GROQ query language, while Strapi differentiates itself through Open source and Auto-generated APIs. The right choice depends on which capabilities matter most for your workflow. Ultimately, teams who need a flexible, developer-friendly headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing, while Strapi is best for developers who want a self-hosted, open-source CMS with full customization control.
Sanity: Free tier available. Paid plans start at $15/user/mo. Enterprise pricing: Custom.
Strapi: Free tier available. Paid plans start at $29/mo (cloud). Enterprise pricing: Custom.
Choose Sanity if you value real-time collaboration and groq query language. Go with Strapi if developers who want a self-hosted, open-source CMS with full customization control. Both are solid cms options in 2026 — the best pick depends on your team size, budget, and technical requirements. We recommend trying both (especially if they have free tiers) before committing to one.
Not sold on either Sanity or Strapi? Check out these other cms tools:
See all Sanity alternatives or Strapi alternatives.
Read more about cms on our Vibe Coding page.
Get the latest developer tool comparisons, reviews, and recommendations.