Best Free Headless CMS in 2026

"Free headless CMS" is a search with a catch. Plenty of headless CMSes advertise a free tier — then meter your API calls, cap your seats, or limit your records until the "free" plan can't run a real project. A genuinely free headless CMS is one you can self-host with no usage limits, because the code is open source and the only cost is your server. Here are the ones that actually qualify in 2026, and where the fine print hides. ## TL;DR Truly free headless CMSes are the open-source, self-hostable ones: **Strapi** (Community Edition, MIT), **Directus** (source-available, free to self-host), **Payload** (MIT), **KeystoneJS** (MIT), and **UnfoldCMS** (open-source core, REST API, runs on cheap PHP hosting). "Free tier" SaaS (Contentful, Sanity, Hygraph) is free only up to limits — real projects outgrow them. Self-host for actually-free. ## Two kinds of "free" — know the difference The word "free" means two very different things in headless-CMS marketing: 1. **Free to self-host (open source).** The code is open, you run it on your own server, and there are no usage limits. Your only cost is hosting. This is genuinely free. Examples: Strapi, Directus, Payload, Keystone, UnfoldCMS. 2. **Free tier (SaaS).** A hosted product with a free plan that's capped — so many API requests, so many records, so many users. Cross a line and you pay. Examples: Contentful, Sanity, Hygraph free plans. For a hobby project, a SaaS free tier is fine. For anything that grows, the caps bite exactly when the project succeeds. If "free" needs to stay free, self-host. ## The genuinely free (self-hostable) options ### Strapi — the popular default Strapi's Community Edition is MIT-licensed and free to self-host with no usage limits. You get REST and GraphQL, a content-type builder, and the biggest plugin ecosystem in the headless space. It's the most common answer to "free headless CMS." **Cost:** free code; you pay for a Node host (a server that keeps a process alive, ~2GB RAM). ### Directus — free over your database Directus is free to self-host and wraps an existing SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API plus an admin. Note its license is the Business Source License — source-available and free for most uses, but not OSI-open, so read the terms if that matters. **Cost:** free code; Node hosting required. ### Payload / KeystoneJS — free and TypeScript Both are MIT-licensed, free to self-host, and TypeScript-first. Payload is code-first collections; Keystone generates a GraphQL API from your schema. Free with no limits, on your own Node server. **Cost:** free code; Node hosting. ### UnfoldCMS — free core, runs on cheap hosting UnfoldCMS has an open-source core you self-host at no license cost, with a versioned REST API at `/api/v1` (posts, pages, categories, search, menus, settings), Sanctum auth, and [signed webhooks](/blog/cms-webhooks-trigger-frontend-rebuilds). The difference: it's PHP, so "free to run" is cheaper — it works on $5/month shared hosting with no Node process to keep alive. There's a paid Pro tier (one-time, not a subscription) for extra features, but the core headless API is in the free tier. **Cost:** free core; cheap PHP hosting. REST-only, **no GraphQL** — check that's fine for your front-end. ## The "free tier" SaaS trap Contentful, Sanity, and Hygraph all have free plans, and they're genuinely useful for prototypes. The catch is the meter: - **API request limits.** Cross the monthly request cap and you're on a paid plan — and a busy front-end burns requests fast. - **Record/entry limits.** Free tiers cap how much content you can store. - **Seat limits.** Add a teammate, hit the wall. - **The trap timing.** The limits bite when your project succeeds — exactly when you least want a forced migration or a surprise bill. None of this is hidden malice; it's the SaaS model. Just don't confuse "free tier" with "free." If you need permanent free, self-host. ## Comparison | CMS | Free type | Usage limits | Runtime | GraphQL | Best for | |-----|-----------|--------------|---------|---------|----------| | **Strapi** | Open source (MIT) | None (self-host) | Node.js | Yes | Popular default, plugins | | **Directus** | Source-available (BSL) | None (self-host) | Node.js | Yes | Database-first | | **Payload** | Open source (MIT) | None (self-host) | Node.js | Yes | TypeScript code-first | | **KeystoneJS** | Open source (MIT) | None (self-host) | Node.js | Yes | GraphQL schema | | **UnfoldCMS** | Open core | None (self-host) | PHP | No | Cheap hosting, REST | | **Contentful/Sanity/Hygraph** | Free tier (SaaS) | Yes (capped) | Hosted | Varies | Prototypes | ## How to pick a free headless CMS - **You want the most popular free option with plugins** → Strapi. - **You want a free API over an existing database** → Directus. - **You want free and TypeScript-first** → Payload or Keystone. - **You want free and the cheapest to actually run** → UnfoldCMS (PHP, $5 hosting). - **It's a throwaway prototype** → a SaaS free tier is fine. - **You need GraphQL** → anything but UnfoldCMS. ## FAQ ### What is the best free headless CMS? For a genuinely free, no-limits option, self-host an open-source one: Strapi is the most popular (MIT, REST + GraphQL, big plugin ecosystem). Directus, Payload, and KeystoneJS are also free to self-host. UnfoldCMS is free-core and the cheapest to run because it's PHP on shared hosting. SaaS "free tiers" (Contentful, Sanity) are only free up to usage caps. ### Is Strapi really free? Yes — Strapi's Community Edition is MIT-licensed and free to self-host with no usage limits. You only pay for the server that runs it (a Node host). Strapi also sells a paid Cloud and enterprise tier, but the self-hosted Community Edition is fully free for production use. ### What's the catch with free-tier headless CMSes? SaaS free tiers cap usage — API requests, stored records, and team seats. They're fine for prototypes but hit limits as a project grows, forcing an upgrade or migration at the worst time. Self-hosted open-source CMSes have no such caps; your only cost is hosting. "Free tier" and "free" are not the same thing. ### Which free headless CMS is cheapest to run? UnfoldCMS, because it's PHP and runs on $5/month shared hosting with no Node process to keep alive. The Node-based free options (Strapi, Directus, Payload, Keystone) need a host that keeps a process running and more RAM, so the "free" software costs more in hosting. Factor the server cost, not just the license. ### Do free headless CMSes have all the features of paid ones? The open-source ones are surprisingly complete — Strapi, Directus, Payload, and Keystone offer real APIs, auth, and content modeling for free. You may pay for hosted convenience, enterprise support, or specific premium features, but the core headless functionality is available free when you self-host. ## The bottom line A truly free headless CMS is one you self-host, because open-source code plus your own server means no usage meter. Strapi is the popular default; Directus, Payload, and Keystone round out the Node options; UnfoldCMS is the cheapest to run on PHP hosting if REST is enough. SaaS free tiers are fine for prototypes but aren't free once you scale. Decide up front whether "free" needs to stay free — if it does, self-host and pay only for the box it runs on.