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CMS comparison DatoCMS vs Decap CMS

DatoCMS vs Decap CMS

DatoCMS is a closed-source headless CMS that runs on the vendor's cloud. Decap CMS is an open-source headless CMS 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 18.

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  • DatoCMS Headless · Closed source · 16 of 28 built in
  • Decap CMS Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in

Sources checked: DatoCMS on 29 Sept 2026, Decap CMS 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
DatoCMS vs Decap CMS feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
DatoCMS Headless
Decap CMS Headless
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by DatoCMS. It delivers content over a GraphQL API, with a REST API for content management.Open-source Git-based CMS. A React admin app added to your site edits Markdown, YAML or JSON files and commits them to your repository.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. DatoCMS SaaS, Free, Professional and Enterprise plans SaaS, continuously updated Decap CMS 3, open source. Decap Turbo hosted backend is in public preview. Version 3.16.3, released 22 Sept 2026
Vendor DatoCMS datocms.com Decap CMS project (formerly Netlify CMS), maintained in Europe decapcms.org
Licence Closed source Proprietary Open source MIT
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Self-hosting Vendor cloud Decap Turbo, a hosted backend for login and Git access, is in public preview.
Built with Hosted SaaS with GraphQL delivery and REST management APIs, TypeScript clientJavaScript, React
Database Managed by DatoCMSYour Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea or Azure
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free plan. Professional €149 per month billed annually, or €199 monthly. Enterprise on request. Free to start Free and open source. The Decap Turbo hosted backend, in public preview, has a Free plan and Pro at €19 per month.
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 DatoCMS CLI, auto-generated from environment diffs. 12 Built in Collections and fields are defined in config.yml. 6
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in 1 Not available
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Block library used in modular content and Structured Text fields. 1 Built in List widget with variable types. 7
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Field-level locales, 5 included and up to 10 with paid add-ons. 1 Built in Side-by-side editing per locale, stored per folder, file or field. 8
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 with imgix URL parameters. 3 Not available Media goes to the repo or an external media library.
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in REST Content Management API reads records. Delivery is GraphQL. 111 Not available Content is files in Git. Read them through the Git host API. 2
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 1 Not available
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in 1 Not available Use the Git host's webhooks on commit.
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Not available Pairs with a static site generator. 2
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 Editorial workflow keeps drafts on a branch until merged. 9
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in 1 Not available
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Limited History kept 3 days on Free, 60 days on Professional. 1 Not available History lives in Git. The CMS has no revision view.
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 17 Built in Preview pane with custom templates and styles. 10
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Click-to-edit overlays on the site in draft mode. 17 Limited Preview pane beside the form. No click-to-edit on the live page. 10
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Editorial workflows with stage permissions on Enterprise. 16 Limited Fixed Drafts, In review and Ready stages. No per-stage permissions. 9
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited Publishing a record can also publish its linked records. No standalone releases. 1 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. Not available Presence and live updates, but a record locks while one editor edits it. 4 Not available
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Projects include Admin and Editor roles and can create additional roles. The Free plan is limited to 2 editor seats. 15 Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo, in public preview, has a custom roles add-on at €19 per month on Pro. Core uses Git access. 1214
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Rules apply per model, creator, locale and workflow stage. Locale rules need Enterprise. 5 Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise, with SCIM provisioning. 1 Limited Sign-in runs through the Git host or Turbo. SAML only where the Git host enforces it. 413
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Enterprise. 1 Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo, in public preview, has an activity log on its Free plan. Core has Git history only. 12
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in Separate projects per site. 3 on Free, extra projects €39 a month on Professional. 1 Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo organizations share members across sites. Turbo is in public preview. Extra sites €10/month. 1412
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugin SDK for field editors, sidebars and custom pages. 1 Built in Custom widgets, preview templates and editor components. 1110
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in DatoCMS Marketplace. 19 Not available No official extension directory.
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Not available
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 Translations plugin with your own OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or DeepL key. 89 Not available
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Remote MCP server at mcp.datocms.com. 10 Not available

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

Where they differ

DatoCMS and Decap CMS get a different status on 18 of the 28 features and the same status on 10. DatoCMS has 16 built in on its baseline edition, Decap CMS 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
DatoCMS is closed source (Proprietary). Decap CMS is open source (MIT).
Self-hosting
DatoCMS cannot be self-hosted. Decap CMS can be self-hosted.

Built in on DatoCMS, a different answer on Decap CMS 11

  • Content model in the UI DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Image transformations DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • REST API DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • GraphQL API DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Webhooks DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Scheduled publishing DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Visual editing DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Limited.
  • Custom roles DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on.
  • Multiple sites DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on.
  • Plugin marketplace DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Official MCP server DatoCMS: Built in. Decap CMS: Not available.

Built in on Decap CMS, a different answer on DatoCMS 1

  • Content model in code DatoCMS: Limited. Decap CMS: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 6

  • Version history DatoCMS: Limited. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Approval workflows DatoCMS: Paid tier. Decap CMS: Limited.
  • Content releases DatoCMS: Limited. Decap CMS: Not available.
  • Single sign-on DatoCMS: Paid tier. Decap CMS: Limited.
  • Audit log DatoCMS: Paid tier. Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on.
  • AI writing assistant DatoCMS: Plugin or add-on. Decap CMS: Not available.

More comparisons

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

DatoCMS against other platforms

Decap CMS against other platforms

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

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