I'm on the lookout for a headless CMS with a few specific requirements. It needs to be free and open source, and work with either PHP or Node.js. I'm looking for something mature that has a decent plugin ecosystem and offers two-factor authentication right out of the box. Multi-author and multi-language support are also a must, along with a user-friendly REST API (not the chaotic kind like WordPress). It should work with MySQL or PostgreSQL and make updates and database migrations straightforward.
I want to avoid Strapi since a friend of mine has had a tough time managing upgrades and database migrations with it. He's made it clear that while it can be used to create a CMS, it's not a true CMS itself. I've checked out several options, but many lack 2FA or a good plugin ecosystem.
Please don't suggest Joomla, Drupal, or Ghost—I really dislike those. I also want to steer clear of static site generators and Markdown; I need a traditional headless CMS because I'm building the frontend with React.js. Otherwise, I would just stick to WordPress. I'm just exploring what alternatives there are.
5 Answers
Have a look at Payload. It's an open-source headless CMS that could work for you.
You might want to check out Directus. It's pretty flexible and meets a lot of your needs for a headless CMS.
Sounds interesting; I'll definitely look into it! Thanks!
Some still recommend Strapi, but it sounds like you've already had your fill of that option. Good luck finding the right fit for you!
Have you considered going back to WordPress? I know you’re not a fan of it, but it does tick a lot of your boxes including having the JSON API you're looking for. If you get the structure right, it could work out well!
You're probably right. I just thought about it more, and after handing the project to a client, they can easily find someone to maintain it. Although, I'll also check out Directus!
Statamic is worth considering too, especially since it has fairly reasonable pricing for headless CMS.
There are a few issues though—it's written in Next.js, which I'm not familiar with, and it doesn’t offer 2FA out of the box. Plus, I've heard Next.js version updates can be a hassle, which is a big red flag for me.