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CMS comparison Contentful vs FirstSpirit

Contentful vs FirstSpirit

Contentful is a closed-source headless CMS that runs on the vendor's cloud. FirstSpirit is a closed-source enterprise DXP that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 14.

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  • Contentful Headless · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in
  • FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 19 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Contentful on 29 Sept 2026, FirstSpirit 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
Contentful vs FirstSpirit feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Contentful Headless
FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by Contentful. Contentful stores content in its cloud and delivers it over REST and GraphQL APIs.Java-based enterprise CMS with in-preview editing and a CaaS layer for headless delivery. Runs as FirstSpirit Cloud or on-premises.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Contentful Platform SaaS, Free, Lite and Enterprise plans SaaS, continuously updated FirstSpirit 5.2 monthly release line, FirstSpirit Cloud and on-premises Version 2026.10 (5.2.261011), released 15 Sept 2026
Vendor Salesforce (acquired Contentful in September 2026) contentful.com Crownpeak Technology GmbH, part of Rezolve Ai since December 2025 firstspirit.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Closed source Proprietary
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Runs only in Contentful's cloud. The local MCP server and SDKs are open source. Self-hosting Vendor cloud
Built with Hosted SaaS with REST and GraphQL APIs, SDKs for JavaScript and other languagesJava, ContentCreator web client, SiteArchitect desktop app
Database Managed by ContentfulBuilt-in repository, plus SQL databases such as PostgreSQL for data sources
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free plan. Lite $300 per month. Extra Lite Space $850 per month. Enterprise on request. No free option Pricing 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. Limited Migration scripts run by the Contentful CLI change the model. No declarative schema files. 3 Built in Templates sync to files in Git through external synchronization and FSDevTools. 34
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in 1 Limited Developers build templates in SiteArchitect but write their forms as XML. 412
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Reorderable reference fields to typed entries. Studio page building is Enterprise. 1 Built in Pages consist of sections based on section templates.
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in 2 locales on Free, 3 on Lite, custom on Enterprise. 1 Built in Language-dependent fields per project language.
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Images API resizes, crops and converts by URL parameter. 4 Built in FirstSpirit automatically generates the image resolutions defined per project.
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in 1 Built in CaaS REST API. 56
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 5 Built in CaaS GraphQL API generated from the FirstSpirit data model. 56
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in 1 Limited CaaS Change Streams push change events over WebSocket. 6
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Built in Generates pages from templates. CaaS covers headless delivery.
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in 1 Built in Changes stay unreleased until the release workflow runs. 8
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Paid tier Scheduled publishing on Lite and Enterprise. 1 Limited Admins set up timed schedule entries. Editors have no per-item publish date. 10
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in 1 Built in
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 6 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Live preview inspector mode opens the field next to the page. Needs the live preview SDK. 6 Built in ContentCreator in-preview editing. Omnichannel Manager for headless frontends. 7
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Not on the Starter Space. Up to 5 on a Lite Space at $850 a month, custom on Enterprise. 1 Built in 8
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Plugin or add-on Launch is available on Lite and Enterprise plan families, but requires Contentful admin support to purchase and install. 78 Limited Release with dependencies publishes a page with its linked media and parents. 9
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Paid tier Live collaboration on Lite and Enterprise, with per-field presence avatars. 113 Not available The Collaboration module adds comments on fields. No co-editing. 11
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Paid tier Premium plans, sold as Enterprise. Free has 2 fixed roles, Lite 3. 19 Built in Groups with permissions per store and node.
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Paid tier Field and locale rules in custom roles. Premium plans only, sold as Enterprise. 10 Limited Form rules hide or lock single fields per user group. 12
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier SAML 2.0 SSO on Premium plans, sold as Enterprise. 11 Built in SAML and OpenID Connect login modules. 1314
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Audit logs on selected Enterprise plans, by sales agreement. 12 Built in Audit logging to the server log once enabled. 15
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Paid tier One Starter Space on Free and Lite, plus one paid Lite Space. Multiple spaces on Enterprise. 1 Built in Several projects per server. Multisite Management shares content between them. 16
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in App Framework for custom field, sidebar, entry and page apps. 14 Built in ContentCreator and SiteArchitect plug-ins.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Contentful Marketplace. 15 Built in FirstSpirit Marketplace. 17
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Plugin or add-on Formcentric for FirstSpirit, a partner product. 18
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Not available
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Plugin or add-on Official AI Content Generator app with your own OpenAI key. AI Actions need Enterprise. 115 Plugin or add-on AI Suite module: Content, Analyze and Image assistants. 117
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Hosted beta server at mcp.contentful.com and an open-source local server. 16 Built in CaaS Platform MCP server builds and runs CaaS GraphQL queries. 19

Contentful sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Contentful Platform SaaS, Free, Lite and Enterprise plans.

  1. Contentful pricing
  2. Salesforce signs definitive agreement to acquire Contentful
  3. contentful-migration on GitHub
  4. Contentful docs: Images
  5. Contentful docs: GraphQL Content API
  6. Contentful docs: Live preview
  7. Contentful Marketplace: Launch
  8. Contentful Help Center: Launch
  9. Contentful Help Center: Create a custom role
  10. Contentful Help Center: Content permissions
  11. Contentful Help Center: Single sign-on (SSO)
  12. Contentful docs: Set up audit logs
  13. Contentful Help Center: The entry editor
  14. Contentful docs: Create a custom app
  15. Contentful Marketplace: AI Content Generator
  16. Contentful docs: MCP server
  17. MarketScreener (S&P Capital IQ): Salesforce completed the acquisition of Contentful on September 1, 2026

FirstSpirit sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. FirstSpirit 5.2 monthly release line, FirstSpirit Cloud and on-premises.

  1. Release notes FirstSpirit 2026.10
  2. [RELEASE] FirstSpirit 2026.10
  3. FSDevTools on GitHub
  4. External Synchronization: development
  5. CaaS Connect module documentation
  6. CaaS Platform REST interface documentation
  7. Omnichannel Manager 3.0
  8. ContentCreator: the standard Release workflow
  9. FirstSpirit docs: Specific release
  10. FirstSpirit docs: Schedule tasks
  11. FirstSpirit Collaboration user guide
  12. FirstSpirit docs: IN_GROUP rule
  13. Setting up SSO via the FirstSpirit SAML login module
  14. Authentication with OpenID Connect
  15. Audit logging in FirstSpirit
  16. Multisite Management user documentation
  17. FirstSpirit Marketplace: AI Suite
  18. Formcentric for FirstSpirit
  19. CaaS Platform MCP server documentation
  20. Rezolve Ai acquisition of Crownpeak

Considering more platforms? Compare Contentful and FirstSpirit with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Contentful and FirstSpirit get a different status on 14 of the 28 features and the same status on 14. Contentful has 14 built in on its baseline edition, FirstSpirit has 19. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Self-hosting
Contentful cannot be self-hosted. FirstSpirit can be self-hosted.
Free option
Contentful has a free option. FirstSpirit has no free option.

Built in on Contentful, a different answer on FirstSpirit 2

  • Content model in the UI Contentful: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Webhooks Contentful: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.

Built in on FirstSpirit, a different answer on Contentful 7

  • Content model in code Contentful: Limited. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Renders the website Contentful: Not available. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Approval workflows Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Custom roles Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Single sign-on Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Audit log Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 5

  • Scheduled publishing Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Content releases Contentful: Plugin or add-on. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Real-time co-editing Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Not available.
  • Field-level permissions Contentful: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Form builder Contentful: Not available. FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Contentful vs Payload.

Contentful against other platforms

FirstSpirit against other platforms

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

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