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CMS comparison Decap CMS vs Statamic

Decap CMS vs Statamic

Decap CMS is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. Statamic is a closed-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 18.

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  • Decap CMS Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in
  • Statamic Traditional · Closed source · 8 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Decap CMS on 29 Sept 2026, Statamic 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 Statamic feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Decap CMS Headless
Statamic Traditional
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.Laravel-based PHP CMS that stores content in flat files by default. Free Core edition. Pro adds users, APIs and multi-site. You host it.
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 Statamic 6, Core and Pro Version 6.34.1, released 23 Sept 2026
Vendor Decap CMS project (formerly Netlify CMS), maintained in Europe decapcms.org Statamic, LLC statamic.com
Licence Open source MIT Closed source Proprietary, source available. Core is free to use.
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Decap Turbo, a hosted backend for login and Git access, is in public preview. Self-hosting No vendor cloud
Built with JavaScript, ReactPHP, Laravel, Vue
Database Your Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea or AzureFlat files by default, SQL databases via the Eloquent Driver
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 Core free for one admin user. Pro $349 per site, then $99 per year for updates. Enterprise from $10k per year.
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 Blueprints and fieldsets are YAML files in the project. 4
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Not available Built in Blueprint builder in the Control Panel. 4
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 Replicator and Bard sets. 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 Paid tier Multi-site and multilingual content need Pro. 61
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 Glide resizes and crops on request. 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 Paid tier Read-only REST API on Pro. 8
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Paid tier Read-only GraphQL API on Pro. 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 Laravel events only. No webhook settings in core.
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 Antlers or Blade templates.
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 Paid tier Working copies of live entries need Revisions on Pro. Core has unpublished entries. 101
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Not available Limited Future-dated entries stay private until their date. Set per collection. 11
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. Paid tier Revisions on Pro. 10
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 121
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 Limited Live Preview shows the edit form beside the page. No click-to-edit. 12
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 Not available Approval workflows are on the roadmap as planned. 19
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available 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 Plugin or add-on Free first-party Collaboration addon. Requires Pro. 18
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 Roles and permissions need Pro. 131
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Not available Field conditions depend on field values. User roles can't drive them. 4
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 Pro via Laravel Socialite providers such as SAML2. Enterprise tier lists SSO. 1521
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 Enterprise tier, from $10k per year, lists audit logging. 121
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 Pro. 61
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 fieldtypes, widgets and Control Panel pages. 17
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Not available No official extension directory. Built in Statamic Marketplace for addons. 18
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Limited Core allows one form. Pro removes the limit. 116
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Paid tier Member accounts, registration and login tags need Pro. 1416
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Not available Not available
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Not available Third-party addons only, such as MCP Server for Statamic by Cbox. 20

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

Where they differ

Decap CMS and Statamic get a different status on 18 of the 28 features and the same status on 10. Decap CMS has 6 built in on its baseline edition, Statamic has 8. 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). Statamic is closed source (Proprietary, source available. Core is free to use.).
Vendor cloud
Decap CMS has a vendor-run cloud. Statamic has no vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Decap CMS, a different answer on Statamic 2

  • Localization Decap CMS: Built in. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Drafts Decap CMS: Built in. Statamic: Paid tier.

Built in on Statamic, a different answer on Decap CMS 4

  • Content model in the UI Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Built in.
  • Image transformations Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Built in.
  • Renders the website Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Built in.
  • Plugin marketplace Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 12

  • REST API Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • GraphQL API Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Scheduled publishing Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Limited.
  • Version history Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Approval workflows Decap CMS: Limited. Statamic: Not available.
  • Real-time co-editing Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Plugin or add-on.
  • Custom roles Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Single sign-on Decap CMS: Limited. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Multiple sites Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Statamic: Paid tier.
  • Form builder Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Limited.
  • Site member accounts Decap CMS: Not available. Statamic: Paid tier.

More comparisons

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