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CMS comparison Decap CMS vs HubSpot CMS

Decap CMS vs HubSpot CMS

Decap CMS is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. HubSpot CMS is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 19.

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  • Decap CMS Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in
  • HubSpot CMS Site builder · Closed source · 16 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Decap CMS on 29 Sept 2026, HubSpot 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
Decap CMS vs HubSpot CMS feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Decap CMS Headless
HubSpot CMS Site builder
Overview
What it is 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.HubSpot's hosted CMS and site builder, sold as Content Hub. Pages and blogs connect to the HubSpot CRM, and HubSpot hosts every site.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Decap CMS 3, open source. Decap Turbo hosted backend is in public preview. Version 3.16.3, released 22 Sept 2026 Content Hub: Free, Starter, Professional, Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Decap CMS project (formerly Netlify CMS), maintained in Europe decapcms.org HubSpot, Inc. hubspot.com
Licence Open source MIT Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Decap Turbo, a hosted backend for login and Git access, is in public preview. No self-hosting Vendor cloud
Built with JavaScript, ReactHubL templates, HubSpot CLI
Database Your Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea or AzureManaged by HubSpot, with HubDB for structured data
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. 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. Free to start Free plan for 2 users. Starter $20 per seat per month. Pro from $450 per month for 3 seats. Enterprise from $1,500.
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 Collections and fields are defined in config.yml. 6 Built in Theme and module fields live in fields.json, synced with the HubSpot CLI. 3
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Not available Paid tier Module fields in Design manager on Starter. HubDB tables on Professional. 14
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in List widget with variable types. 7 Built in Drag-and-drop modules and sections. 5
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Side-by-side editing per locale, stored per folder, file or field. 8 Built in Free tools cover 3 languages, Starter 50, Professional unlimited. 16
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Not available Media goes to the repo or an external media library. Built in Automatic resizing plus the HubL resize_image_url function. 7
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Not available Content is files in Git. Read them through the Git host API. 2 Built in CMS APIs for pages, blog posts and HubDB. 8
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Paid tier Content Hub Professional. 9
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Not available Use the Git host's webhooks on commit. Not available Webhooks API covers CRM objects. No page publish events. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Pairs with a static site generator. 2 Built in HubL themes and templates on HubSpot hosting.
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Editorial workflow keeps drafts on a branch until merged. 9 Built in
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Not available Built in 118
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Not available History lives in Git. The CMS has no revision view. Built in Restore previous versions on all plans. 12
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Preview pane with custom templates and styles. 10 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Limited Preview pane beside the form. No click-to-edit on the live page. 10 Built in Drag-and-drop editor edits the rendered page. 5
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Limited Fixed Drafts, In review and Ready stages. No per-stage permissions. 9 Paid tier Content approvals on Enterprise. 1
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Paid tier Content staging on Professional publishes staged pages together. 13
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 Not available
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. 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 Paid tier Permission sets on Enterprise. Per-user permissions on all plans. 14
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Limited Sign-in runs through the Git host or Turbo. SAML only where the Git host enforces it. 413 Paid tier SAML SSO on Content Hub Professional and Enterprise. 15
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo, in public preview, has an activity log on its Free plan. Core has Git history only. 12 Paid tier Activity logging on Enterprise. 1
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo organizations share members across sites. Turbo is in public preview. Extra sites €10/month. 1412 Paid tier Multisites on Enterprise. 1
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Custom widgets, preview templates and editor components. 1110 Built in Custom modules and their fields appear in the page editor. 3
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Not available No official extension directory. Built in HubSpot Marketplace for apps and themes. 16
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Built in
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Paid tier Memberships on Professional with 2 access groups and Enterprise with 100. 12
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Not available Built in Breeze generates and refines content in editors on all plans. 17
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Built in Remote HubSpot MCP server reads site pages, landing pages and blog posts. 18

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

Where they differ

Decap CMS and HubSpot CMS get a different status on 19 of the 28 features and the same status on 9. Decap CMS has 6 built in on its baseline edition, HubSpot CMS has 16. 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
Decap CMS is open source (MIT). HubSpot CMS is closed source (Proprietary).
Self-hosting
Decap CMS can be self-hosted. HubSpot CMS cannot be self-hosted.

Built in on HubSpot CMS, a different answer on Decap CMS 10

  • Image transformations Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • REST API Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Renders the website Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Version history Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Visual editing Decap CMS: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Plugin marketplace Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Form builder Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 9

  • Content model in the UI Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • GraphQL API Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Approval workflows Decap CMS: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Content releases Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Custom roles Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Single sign-on Decap CMS: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Multiple sites Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Site member accounts Decap CMS: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.

More comparisons

Decap CMS against other platforms

HubSpot CMS against other platforms

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

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