Best headless cms for eCommerce 2026

So, what is the best headless CMS for e-commerce on the market?

Before we dive into that, let me share a small confession.

One of my motivations for writing this article is to see if I can rank for a highly competitive search term like “best headless CMS” or “top composable CMS.”

The key strategy? I’m publishing this on Medium, a high-domain authority site, and by getting this article out early (I’m writing this in February 2025), there’s a strong chance of securing a top ranking for 2026 search queries.

Why Are You Searching for the Best Headless CMS for E-commerce?

Most likely, because the market is saturated with choices, making it overwhelming to pick the right one.

Listicles have become a popular way to cut through the noise — allowing someone else to do the research for you. But, as I’m illustrating here, most of these lists aren’t created by impartial experts. Many are biased toward platforms they’re affiliated with or sponsored by.

A smarter way to fast-track your research is by turning to Reddit, developer forums, and online communities where professionals share their real-world experiences.

The most frequently mentioned CMS platforms tend to be the ones backed by large VC funding — which means high awareness but also increasing complexity and costs as they scale.

Inspired by Alan Gleeson’s approach to ranking the best headless CMS, this article follows a similar format, but goes further by incorporating real-world scenarios, pricing considerations, and direct experience.

With these insights, you’ll be able to choose the right headless CMS with confidence.

A Different Approach: Insights from Real Experience

Rather than just listing platforms, we’re offering insights from hands-on experience.

As an agency that has worked with multiple headless CMS and e-commerce solutions, we’ve seen firsthand that there’s no single “best” CMS — only the best CMS for a specific use case.

Our goal isn’t to promote one solution over another but to help you understand the ideal choice based on your:

• Business model (B2C, DTC, B2B)
• Content structure needs (multi-region, multi-language, omnichannel)
• Development resources (Do you have in-house developers?)
• Budget & pricing considerations

Through real-world scenarios, we’ll break down which platforms excel in different areas — helping you make an informed decision.

Let’s dive in.

List of the Best Headless CMS for E-commerce

The following represents a list of composable CMS platforms that are commonly used in e-commerce ecosystems. This selection is based on real-world industry adoption rather than scientific ranking. As with most “best of” lists, the landscape is constantly evolving, and different platforms cater to different business needs.

Directus

• Directus — Best for eCommerce, offering full control over SQL databases with a flexible API-first approach and seamless integration for complex data structures.

Strapi

• Strapi — A highly customizable, developer-friendly CMS supporting REST and GraphQL APIs, ideal for self-hosted deployments and content flexibility.

Sanity

• Sanity — A scalable, real-time CMS designed for structured content management, featuring collaborative editing, version control, and advanced querying.

Contentful

• Contentful — An enterprise-ready CMS with global scalability, multi-region content management, and extensive API integrations for structured workflows.

Storyblok

• Storyblok — A visual editor-based headless CMS enabling content teams to create and manage dynamic digital experiences with minimal developer involvement.

Payload

• Payload CMS— Best for developers seeking a TypeScript-first headless CMS with complete backend flexibility, robust access control, and seamless MongoDB integration for custom workflows and application-level logic.

Builder. io

• Builder.io— Best for marketers and designers, offering a visual drag-and-drop editor with powerful headless capabilities, ideal for creating high-performing storefronts and landing pages without relying on developers.

Each of these headless CMS solutions offers unique advantages depending on business requirements, development resources, and scalability needs. While Directus stands out as the best CMS for e-commerce, other platforms provide specialized capabilities suited for different use cases.

When to Switch to a Headless CMS for E-commerce?

When switching to or planning for a headless CMS for e-commerce, pricing is a crucial factor. It’s essential to consider not just your current costs but also where your brand will be in the next 5 to 10 years.

Choosing a headless CMS means evaluating scalability, API call limits, user roles, and pricing models.

Real-World Scenario: When Does It Make Sense to Switch?

Let’s take an example:

A fast-growing e-commerce brand with

• 5 million monthly visitors
• 50 million API calls per month
• 15+ users & roles managing content

This brand is rapidly scaling and requires a headless CMS that can handle large content volumes, localization, and omnichannel distribution.

What would be the approximate cost for each CMS at this scale? Let’s break it down.

CMS Platform	Approx. Annual Cost (may vary)	Best For
Directus	~$35,000–$40,000	Open-source, SQL database integrations
Strapi Cloud	~$40,000–$45,000	Custom headless CMS with API flexibility
Sanity	~$45,000–$50,000	Real-time content collaboration, e-commerce scaling
Contentful	~$70,000–$80,000	Enterprise-level security, global brands
Storyblok	~$35,000–$40,000	Visual CMS for marketing & content teams
Payload CMS	~$30,000–$45,000	TypeScript-first CMS with API flexibility, built-in auth, and custom backend logic.
Builder. io	~$100,000–$130,000	Visual CMS for marketers with drag-and-drop editor and headless API support.

(Note: The costs presented below are approximations based on our experience and the latest data.)

Key Considerations:

Scalability → The CMS must handle increased API calls & content requests as the brand grows.
Customization → Some businesses require deep API flexibility and custom content workflows.
Cost Efficiency → Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while ensuring high performance.

Each CMS has different strengths. Some prioritize developer flexibility, while others focus on enterprise scalability or marketer-friendly interfaces.

Choosing the Right Headless CMS Based on Business Problems

Directus

Best When Your Store Has Complex Products or Pricing
Great for managing product data like dimensions, compatibility, or pricing rules. Ideal for stores with customizable or technical products.
eCommerce Example: A car parts store uses Directus to manage detailed product specs and dynamic pricing tied directly to their database.
Visual Builder CMS: No

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Sanity

Best for Managing Content Across Countries, Sites, or Languages
Great for global brands creating editorial content, translations, and region-specific campaigns.
eCommerce Example: A fashion retailer publishes seasonal lookbooks and content in multiple languages using Sanity.
Visual Builder CMS: Yes – Sanity Studio provides a structured, customizable editing experience with live preview options.

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Strapi

Best When You Sell Personalized Products or Subscriptions
Good for stores offering tailored plans or services and needing user profiles or subscriptions.
eCommerce Example: A supplement brand offers plans based on customer health data, and uses Strapi to manage profiles and orders.
Visual Builder CMS: No

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Contentful

Best for Large Teams Managing Multiple Storefronts
Helps keep content consistent across many websites, languages, and teams.
eCommerce Example: A global fashion brand manages 15 storefronts with one system to control translations, updates, and launches.
Visual Builder CMS: Limited – not a drag-and-drop builder, but supports visual content previews and structured content workflows.

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Storyblok

Best When Marketing Teams Need to Launch Pages Quickly
Lets marketers build campaign pages on their own, using reusable blocks and live preview.
eCommerce Example: A DTC fashion brand builds new landing pages every week for product launches without waiting on developers.
Visual Builder CMS: Yes – includes a visual editor designed for marketers.

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Payload

Best for Custom Admin Tools or Internal Portals
Great for building internal systems like dashboards, dealer tools, or wholesale portals.
eCommerce Example: A smart home device brand uses Payload to manage orders, device settings, and access levels in one secure tool.
Visual Builder CMS: No

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Builder.io

Best for Teams Who Need to Build and Test Pages Fast
Designed for marketing and design teams to create and test pages without developer help.
eCommerce Example: A beauty brand uses Builder.io to launch TikTok-driven product pages and test designs weekly.
Visual Builder CMS: Yes – full drag-and-drop visual builder for product and landing pages.

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Final Thoughts

Directus → Best for industrial, medical, and backend-heavy e-commerce brands.

Strapi → Best for developer-first teams needing full control & self-hosting.

Sanity → Best for large-scale brands requiring structured content & real-time collaboration.

Contentful → Best for enterprise businesses needing high-security, multi-region capabilities.

Storyblok → Best for DTC brands with marketing-driven content workflows

Payload → Best for dev-heavy e-commerce needing custom logic, security, and full control.

Builder.io → Best for marketing-led e-commerce focused on speed, design, and easy content updates.

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Summary

This article has attempted to illustrate that “best of” lists often lack rigor and should be taken with a grain of salt. Reviewing different headless CMS platforms is a significant task, and most lists are quickly crafted using arbitrary heuristics. This is no different.

We offer some ideas on how to shortlist below (see Appendix 1) and recommend always leaving space for a “wild card” — a newer entrant like Directus or Strapi, which focus on a narrower set of requirements but offer high flexibility and control.

So, while the insights here are valuable, take the rankings with a pinch of salt.

Appendix 1 — How to Shortlist Vendors?

So how can you narrow down the best Headless CMS for E-commerce?

It’s a challenging task — you’ve probably already spent time debating traditional (monolithic) CMS vs. modern (Composable) CMS, and now you need to evaluate different headless options.

Key Factors to Consider:

Market Leaders vs. Niche Solutions

• If you choose a market leader (e.g., Contentful, Sanity), be aware that pricing increases rapidly as API usage scales.
• Smaller entrants like Directus and Strapi offer more flexibility for brands needing custom setups.

Agency Recommendations

• Agencies often push certain CMS solutions because of partner incentives (many receive 10–15% commission from enterprise CMS providers).
• Always double-check if their recommendation truly aligns with your business needs.

G2 and Capterra Reviews

• Customer reviews from G2, Capterra, and Reddit can provide real user feedback on ease of use, scalability, and support.

New Entrants & Open-Source Options

• Platforms like Directus and Strapi are growing rapidly due to their developer-friendly, open-source flexibility.
• If your team wants full control over your CMS backend, these could be better long-term choices.

Best Tech Stack for Headless Commerce

When building a headless commerce solution, selecting the right tech stack is crucial for ensuring scalability, flexibility, and performance. Here’s a detailed look at the best tech stack components

Read this article for insights on the best headless e-commerce platforms.

Tracking and Analytics

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Provides comprehensive tracking and analytics for understanding user behavior and optimizing marketing strategies.
• Segment: A powerful tool for collecting, managing, and routing data to various analytics and marketing platforms.
• Mixpanel: Offers advanced analytics and user behavior tracking, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.

Advanced Analytics

• Metabase: An open-source platform for creating custom dashboards and visualizing data.
• Tableau: A robust analytics platform for in-depth data analysis and visualization.
• Power BI: Microsoft’s business analytics tool for creating interactive dashboards and reports.

Custom Dashboard Solutions

• Snowflake: A cloud-based data warehousing solution that provides scalable and secure data storage and analytics.
• Looker Studio: A tool for creating custom dashboards and visualizing data.
• Metabase: An open-source platform for custom dashboards and data visualization.

User Behavior Tracking

• Hotjar: Provides heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback tools to understand user behavior.
• FullStory: Offers comprehensive session replay and user behavior analysis.
• Amplitude: Focuses on product analytics and user behavior tracking.

Fast Delivery and Caching

• Content Delivery Network (CDN): Services like Cloudflare, Akamai, or AWS CloudFront for fast content delivery.
• Caching Solutions: Tools like Redis or Varnish for improving performance and reducing load times.

A/B Testing and Optimization

• Optimizely: A leading platform for A/B testing and personalization.
• VWO (Visual Website Optimizer): Offers comprehensive A/B testing and optimization tools.
• Google Optimize: An integrated tool for A/B testing and personalization with Google Analytics.

User Search Queries

• Algolia: A powerful search engine that provides fast and relevant search results.
• Elasticsearch: An open-source search engine that offers advanced search capabilities.
• Typesense: A modern, open-source search engine that is easy to set up and use.

Customer Queries and Support

• Zendesk: A comprehensive customer service platform for managing customer queries.
• Intercom: A customer messaging platform that helps businesses engage and support customers.
• Freshdesk: A customer support software that offers robust ticketing and support features.

Payment Processing

• Stripe: A popular payment gateway that offers robust APIs and extensive features.
• PayPal: A widely used payment solution that supports multiple payment methods.
• Braintree: A payment gateway that provides flexible and secure payment processing.

These components form a robust tech stack for building a headless e-commerce solution, ensuring that your platform is scalable, flexible, and optimized for performance.

Our Recommendation: Why Directus ,Payload ,Strapi Are the Best Headless CMS Solutions

Directus and Strapi stand out as the best headless CMS solutions for e-commerce due to their open-source flexibility, scalability, and developer-friendly architecture. Unlike proprietary CMS solutions, these platforms offer full control over data, extensive customization, and seamless integrations with e-commerce ecosystems.

Open-Source Leadership

The world’s most advanced and widely adopted software solutions are open-source, proving that transparency, flexibility, and community-driven innovation drive technological progress.

Here are some examples of leading open-source projects that power global infrastructure:

1. Linux — Runs 96% of web servers, all top 500 supercomputers, and powers major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
2. Docker — The industry standard for containerization, enabling scalable application deployment.
3. Kubernetes — The leading container orchestration platform, used for managing cloud-native applications at scale.
4. PostgreSQL & MySQL — Open-source databases powering enterprise applications for companies like Apple, Netflix, and Spotify.
5. Apache Kafka — The backbone of real-time data streaming, used by LinkedIn, Uber, and Twitter.
6. Git — The world’s most widely used version control system, enabling collaboration on software development.
7. TensorFlow & PyTorch — Open-source AI and machine learning frameworks, adopted by Google, Tesla, and OpenAI.

Just like these industry-defining technologies, Directus and Strapi offer enterprise-grade performance, security, and scalability, ensuring that businesses can own their content infrastructure without vendor lock-in.

Confused between Strapi CMS and Directus?

Read this dedicated article for a detailed comparison.

Future Trends in Headless CMS & Composable E-Commerce

AI-Powered Content Management & Personalization

• AI-driven tools like chatbots, automated tagging, and predictive content recommendations enhance engagement.

Decoupled Frontends & Developer Experience (DX)

• Headless CMS improves developer workflows by offering flexibility in front-end frameworks (Next.js, Nuxt.js, Remix, etc.).

Evolution of API-First Architectures

• Businesses are shifting towards GraphQL APIs for more efficient data fetching, improving CMS efficiency.

Major Companies Using Headless CMS in E-commerce

WALMART

To manage its vast product catalog efficiently, Walmart implemented Directus, a flexible, database-first CMS that optimized API performance and improved content accessibility. This enhanced workflow efficiency, enabling faster data retrieval and a more personalized shopping experience for millions of customers.

TOYOTA

Toyota adopted Strapi to centralize content management across its websites, apps, and IoT devices. With Strapi’s open-source flexibility, Toyota ensured seamless integration, rapid content deployment, and omnichannel consistency, strengthening its digital presence and customer engagement.

PUMA

For PUMA, maintaining brand consistency while enabling real-time collaboration was crucial. By leveraging Sanity, the brand optimized structured content management, improving efficiency across global marketing efforts and enhancing e-commerce performance in the competitive sportswear industry.

KFC

KFC turned to Contentful to power its digital menus, promotional campaigns, and localized content across different regions. With Contentful’s streamlined content management, KFC achieved faster updates, reduced operational costs, and a more engaging digital ordering experience.

STORYBLOK

To provide a seamless, localized experience across its franchises, Pizza Hut integrated Storyblok, enabling easy content creation and updates while maintaining global brand identity. This resulted in faster deployment, improved user experiences, and increased online orders, solidifying its position in the food delivery market.

When Will the Project Start Reaping Benefits?

We have determined the cost of implementing a headless CMS for e-commerce. Based on our experience, the projected payback period for transitioning to a headless CMS ranges from 3 to 5 months.

Consider the Following Scenario:

Step 1: Assumptions

Let’s assume:

• Your e-commerce brand generates $10,000,000 (10 million) in monthly revenue.
• Your net profit margin is 18%, meaning your monthly net profit is $1,800,000 (1.8 million).
• You are currently using a monolithic CMS like Adobe Experience Manager, paying $1,200,000 (1.2 million) annually (~$100,000 per month) in licensing and other fees.
• After migrating to a headless CMS like Directus or Strapi, your new cost is $60,000 (60k) annually (~$5,000 per month).
• Due to better performance, faster content management, and omnichannel consistency, your operational costs decrease by 35%.
• Your Conversion Rate (CVR) increases by 15% post-migration.

Step 2: Calculate the Overall Conversion Rate

• Mobile traffic: 70%, Desktop traffic: 30%.
• Current Conversion Rates: 3.5% for mobile, 5.5% for desktop.

(70%×3.5%)+(30%×5.5%)=4.2%(70\% \times 3.5\%) + (30\% \times 5.5\%) = 4.2\%(70%×3.5%)+(30%×5.5%)=4.2%

Step 3: Estimate the Potential Conversion Growth

After migrating to a headless CMS, conversion rates are projected to increase by 15% due to faster page loads, improved content personalization, and SEO optimization.

(70%×3.5%×1.15)+(30%×5.5%)=4.8%(70\% \times 3.5\% \times 1.15) + (30\% \times 5.5\%) = 4.8\%(70%×3.5%×1.15)+(30%×5.5%)=4.8%

Step 4: What Are the Results?

Your new overall conversion rate is 1.14x the current rate.

• Projected monthly revenue: $11,400,000 (11.4 million), an increase of $1,400,000 (1.4 million) per month.
• New monthly net profit: $2,052,000 (2.05 million), an increase of $252,000 (250k) per month.
• Annual profit increase: $3,024,000 (3 million).
• Operational cost savings (35% reduction): Assuming operational costs of $3,000,000 (3 million) per month, a 35% reduction saves $1,050,000 (1.05 million) per month or $12,600,000 (12.6 million) annually.

Total Additional Revenue and Savings After Migration:

• $252,000 (250k) extra monthly net profit
• $1,050,000 (1.05 million) saved in operational costs per month
• $95,000 (95k) saved in platform fees per month
• Total additional monthly savings and profit: $1,397,000 (1.4 million)
• Total additional annual savings and profit: $16,764,000 (16.7 million)

Payback Period Calculation

• Assuming a $150,000 (150k) CMS migration cost
• With additional profit and cost savings of approximately $1,400,000 (1.4 million) per month, the migration pays for itself in just 3 to 5 months.
• If revenue scales up further, the payback period could be even shorter.

Investing in a headless CMS should not only be about cost — it should also drive business value by improving agility, performance, and user engagement. Businesses must consider the ROI that a headless CMS provides over time.

Faster Time-to-Market

• Rapid product launches — A headless CMS allows brands to quickly deploy new products, campaigns, and regional stores without waiting for full-stack development.
• Marketing teams gain autonomy — Content editors can update websites and digital experiences without developer intervention.

Performance & SEO Benefits

• Headless CMS improves Core Web Vitals by reducing page load times with decoupled content delivery.
• Optimized metadata and structured content ensure better search engine indexing, boosting organic rankings.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

• Personalized content delivery based on user behavior leads to higher engagement and increased conversion rates.
• Faster load times improve checkout completion rates, reducing cart abandonment.

Reducing Tech Debt Over Time

• Traditional monolithic CMS platforms require frequent rework and migrations, leading to technical debt.
• A modular, API-first CMS allows businesses to incrementally update and extend features without major redesigns.

Performance, Scalability, and Flexibility

How Headless CMS Impacts Website Speed

Decoupled architecture delivers content faster by separating the front-end from the back-end.
CDN and caching strategies optimize content delivery for global users, reducing latency and load times.

Managing High Traffic & Seasonal Spikes

Auto-scaling infrastructure ensures that traffic surges during sales or product launches don’t impact site performance.

Serverless CMS options dynamically allocate resources, keeping costs low during low-traffic periods.

Example: A DTC skincare brand running influencer marketing campaigns ensures its CMS can handle sudden traffic spikes without slowing down.

Security & Compliance Considerations

1. Data Privacy & Compliance Regulations

GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA-compliant solutions ensure that customer and patient data is protected.
Automated data retention policies prevent non-compliance issues.

2. Role-Based Access & Permissions

User permissions and access controls limit who can edit or publish sensitive content.
Multi-team collaboration allows marketers, developers, and compliance teams to work efficiently.

3. API Security & Data Encryption

End-to-end encryption for secure data transmission.
OAuth & SSO integrations for streamlined authentication and user management.

Example: A healthcare enterprise ensures that only HIPAA-compliant APIs are used for secure patient record management.

Summary

Transitioning to a headless CMS can significantly increase conversion rates, reduce operational costs, and improve content management efficiency. By investing in a headless CMS, you can expect substantial returns within 10 to 12 months, making it a worthwhile investment for any e-commerce business looking to scale content operations and enhance digital experiences.

About Us

We are Weframe Tech, a leading provider of open-source-based headless CMS and composable content solutions. Our mission is to empower businesses with scalable, flexible, and high-performance content management systems that drive growth and innovation.

Our Vision

To be the most trusted and innovative leader in open-source headless CMS and composable content technologies.

Why Work with Us?

• Expertise in Headless CMS Solutions: We specialize in Directus, Strapi, and other open-source headless CMS platforms, ensuring seamless content management for businesses of all sizes.
• Proven Results: We have helped brands managing over $100M in e-commerce revenue significantly cut costs — reducing TCO by over $1M annually by eliminating high licensing fees and improving operational efficiency.
• Optimized Content Performance: Our solutions have enabled businesses to increase content engagement rates by 20% while reducing time-to-market for updates by over 40%.
• Tailored Strategy & Implementation: We customize our solutions to fit your specific business requirements, whether it’s multi-language content, structured data management, or API-driven personalization.

Get in touch for a consultation on how to future-proof your content management strategy.

About the Author

Vipul Uthaiah is the COO and Founder of Weframe Tech, a global leader in open-source headless CMS and composable content solutions. With years of experience in scaling content-driven businesses, Vipul specializes in helping brands transition from traditional CMS models to API-first, headless architectures. He is passionate about open-source technologies, digital transformation, and building future-ready content ecosystems.