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CMS comparison Contentstack vs FirstSpirit

Contentstack vs FirstSpirit

Contentstack 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 13.

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  • Contentstack Headless · Closed source · 17 of 28 built in
  • FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 19 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Contentstack 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
Contentstack vs FirstSpirit feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Contentstack Headless
FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by Contentstack, sold alongside its AI agent and customer data products. It delivers content 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. Contentstack Content Cloud headless CMS, Free, Growth 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 Contentstack contentstack.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 Self-hosting Vendor cloud
Built with Hosted SaaS with REST and GraphQL APIs, CLI and SDKsJava, ContentCreator web client, SiteArchitect desktop app
Database Managed by ContentstackBuilt-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. Growth $299 per month, extra users $25 per user 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 Contentstack CLI. No declarative schema files. 2 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 Modular Blocks fields, plus the Visual Editor for page layout. 12 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 Entry-level localization in over 200 languages. 15 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 Image Delivery API resizes, crops and converts by URL parameter. 3 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 5 Built in CaaS REST API. 56
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 4 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 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 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. Built in 6 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 Built in
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 12 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 Visual Editor on every plan. 112 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 Custom workflows on Growth and Enterprise. 17 Built in 8
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Built in Releases deploy grouped entries and assets to an environment. 6 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. Limited Field-level locks and presence. Rolling out in phases with Drafts and Auto Save. 8 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 2 custom roles on Growth, 500 on Enterprise. None on Free. 1 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 rules inside custom roles, from Growth. 19 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. Limited SAML 2.0 documented; baseline availability unconfirmed. Eligible tiers are not public. Confirm access in the contract. 10 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. Limited Stack and organization logs documented; baseline availability unconfirmed. Confirm access and retention in the contract. 11 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. Built in Separate stacks in one organization. Scaling stacks is a Growth and Enterprise option. 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 Developer Hub apps in field, sidebar and dashboard UI locations. 13 Built in ContentCreator and SiteArchitect plug-ins.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Contentstack Marketplace. 13 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 Assistant app with Contentstack-managed or your own model keys. 113 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 Official server run locally with npx @contentstack/mcp. 14 Built in CaaS Platform MCP server builds and runs CaaS GraphQL queries. 19

Contentstack sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Contentstack Content Cloud headless CMS, Free, Growth and Enterprise plans.

  1. Contentstack pricing
  2. Contentstack docs: Migrate content using the CLI migration command
  3. Contentstack docs: Image Delivery API
  4. Contentstack docs: GraphQL Content Delivery API
  5. Contentstack docs: Content Delivery API
  6. Contentstack docs: About Releases
  7. Contentstack docs: About Workflows
  8. Contentstack docs: Real-Time Collaboration in the Entry Editor
  9. Contentstack docs: Examples to create custom roles
  10. Contentstack docs: About Single Sign-On (SSO)
  11. Contentstack docs: Monitor stack activities in Audit Log
  12. Contentstack docs: About Visual Editor
  13. Contentstack docs: AI Assistant app
  14. Contentstack docs: Contentstack MCP Server
  15. Contentstack docs: About Languages

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 Contentstack and FirstSpirit with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Contentstack and FirstSpirit get a different status on 13 of the 28 features and the same status on 15. Contentstack has 17 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
Contentstack cannot be self-hosted. FirstSpirit can be self-hosted.
Free option
Contentstack has a free option. FirstSpirit has no free option.

Built in on Contentstack, a different answer on FirstSpirit 4

  • Content model in the UI Contentstack: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Webhooks Contentstack: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Scheduled publishing Contentstack: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Content releases Contentstack: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.

Built in on FirstSpirit, a different answer on Contentstack 6

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

Built in on neither, with different answers 3

  • Real-time co-editing Contentstack: Limited. FirstSpirit: Not available.
  • Field-level permissions Contentstack: Paid tier. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Form builder Contentstack: Not available. FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

Contentstack 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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