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CMS comparison Adobe Experience Manager vs Keystone

Adobe Experience Manager vs Keystone

Adobe Experience Manager is a closed-source enterprise DXP that runs on the vendor's cloud. Keystone is an open-source headless CMS that you host yourself. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 24.

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  • Adobe Experience Manager Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 25 of 28 built in
  • Keystone Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Adobe Experience Manager on 29 Sept 2026, Keystone on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
Adobe Experience Manager vs Keystone feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Adobe Experience Manager Enterprise DXP
Keystone Headless
Overview
What it is Adobe's enterprise CMS for websites and headless content, run by Adobe as a cloud service with page, fragment and document-based authoring.Open-source Node.js headless CMS from Thinkmill that generates a GraphQL API and an admin UI from a TypeScript schema.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Adobe Experience Manager Sites as a Cloud Service Version 2026.9.0, released 24 Sept 2026 Keystone 6, open source, from the @keystone-6/core package Version 8.1.0, released 31 Aug 2026
Vendor Adobe business.adobe.com Thinkmill keystonejs.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Open source MIT
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Cloud Service runs only on Adobe's cloud. AEM 6.5 LTS is the separate self-hosted edition. Self-hosting No vendor cloud No managed hosting. Thinkmill offers enterprise support.
Built with Java, Apache Sling, OSGi, HTLTypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL, Prisma, Next.js for the admin UI
Database Apache Jackrabbit Oak repository, managed by AdobePostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. No free option Pricing on request. Free to start Free and open source. Enterprise support from Thinkmill on request.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Built in Components, dialogs and Universal Editor models live in the project repository. 2 Built in Lists and fields are TypeScript config. 4
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Content Fragment Model editor. 3 Not available
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in 29 Built in Component blocks inside the document field. 8
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Language copies with translation projects and connectors. 4 Not available No locale support documented. Model translations yourself. 12
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Web-optimized image delivery resizes, crops and converts DAM images to WebP. 5 Not available Image field stores originals. The Cloudinary field hands resizing to Cloudinary. 711
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in Content Fragment Delivery with OpenAPI. 6 Not available GraphQL only. Custom REST routes through extendExpressApp. 4
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in GraphQL for Content Fragments. 6 Built in
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in AEM Eventing delivers events through Adobe I/O Events. 7 Not available No webhook settings. Call URLs from hooks in code. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in HTL page rendering or Edge Delivery Services. 10 Not available
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Edits stay on the author tier until published. 11 Not available
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in Publish later and unpublish later. 11 Not available
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Not available
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Separate preview tier. Not available
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Universal Editor and Page Editor. 9 Not available
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Built in Not available
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Built in Launches group changes across pages and promote them together. 8 Not available
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Limited Only with document authoring in Word or Google Docs. The Universal Editor has no co-editing. 10 Not available
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in AEM groups with repository permissions. 12 Limited Roles are access-control functions written in code. No role editor in the admin. 5
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Limited Repository ACL restrictions can target named properties. No per-field setting in the editors. 12 Built in Field-level access control. 5
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Built in SAML or OIDC federation through Adobe Admin Console. 13 Not available The auth package covers password login. SSO means custom session code. 6
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Built in Page, replication and DAM audit logs. 14 Not available
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in Multi Site Manager with live copies. 15 Not available
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in UI extensions built with App Builder. 16 Built in Custom admin pages, navigation and field views. 9
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Extension Manager catalogue of Adobe and partner extensions. 16 Not available
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Built in Core Components form container emails, posts or stores submissions. 17 Not available
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Limited Publish-tier login via SAML or OIDC. Sign-up flows need custom code and user sync. 1813 Built in createAuth works on any list, including site users. 6
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Built in Generate Variations needs AEM Cloud Service with Edge Delivery entitlement. Licence includes an action allowance; extra actions cost more. 19 Not available
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in AEM MCP Server for pages, fragments and assets. 20 Not available

Considering more platforms? Compare Adobe Experience Manager and Keystone with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Adobe Experience Manager and Keystone get a different status on 24 of the 28 features and the same status on 4. Adobe Experience Manager has 25 built in on its baseline edition, Keystone has 6. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
Adobe Experience Manager is closed source (Proprietary). Keystone is open source (MIT).
Self-hosting
Adobe Experience Manager cannot be self-hosted. Keystone can be self-hosted.
Vendor cloud
Adobe Experience Manager has a vendor-run cloud. Keystone has no vendor-run cloud.
Free option
Adobe Experience Manager has no free option. Keystone has a free option.

Built in on Adobe Experience Manager, a different answer on Keystone 21

  • Content model in the UI Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Localization Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Image transformations Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • REST API Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Webhooks Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Renders the website Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Drafts Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Scheduled publishing Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Version history Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Preview Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Visual editing Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Approval workflows Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Content releases Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Custom roles Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Limited.
  • Single sign-on Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Audit log Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Multiple sites Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Plugin marketplace Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Form builder Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • AI writing assistant Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.
  • Official MCP server Adobe Experience Manager: Built in. Keystone: Not available.

Built in on Keystone, a different answer on Adobe Experience Manager 2

  • Field-level permissions Adobe Experience Manager: Limited. Keystone: Built in.
  • Site member accounts Adobe Experience Manager: Limited. Keystone: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 1

  • Real-time co-editing Adobe Experience Manager: Limited. Keystone: Not available.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Adobe Experience Manager vs Payload.

Adobe Experience Manager against other platforms

Keystone against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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