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CMS comparison Decap CMS vs Storyblok

Decap CMS vs Storyblok

Decap CMS is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. Storyblok is a closed-source headless CMS that runs 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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  • Decap CMS Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in
  • Storyblok Headless · Closed source · 15 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Decap CMS on 29 Sept 2026, Storyblok 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 Storyblok feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Decap CMS Headless
Storyblok Headless
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.Hosted headless CMS with a Visual Editor where editors compose pages from developer-defined blocks. Run by Storyblok GmbH.
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 Storyblok SaaS, Starter to Elite plans SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Decap CMS project (formerly Netlify CMS), maintained in Europe decapcms.org Storyblok GmbH storyblok.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 Spaces run in Storyblok's EU, US, Canada or Australia regions.
Built with JavaScript, ReactSaaS, JavaScript SDKs and CLI
Database Your Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea or AzureManaged by Storyblok
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 Starter free. Growth $99, Growth Plus $349 per space per month. Premium and Elite 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. Built in Collections and fields are defined in config.yml. 6 Built in The CLI pulls and pushes JSON component schemas. Typed @storyblok/schema is in preview. 234
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 1
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 Nestable blocks inside stories. 1
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 Starter includes 2 locales. Growth adds locales at $20 each per month. 1
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 Image Optimization Service on all plans. 1
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 Content Delivery API and Management API. 1
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Paid tier GraphQL Content Delivery API on Premium and Elite. 1
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. Built in 3 webhooks on Starter, 5 on Growth, 15 on Premium. 1
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 Not available
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 Paid tier Single story scheduling from Growth. Growth allows 2 scheduled stories, Premium 100. 1
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. Limited Starter keeps 1 day of versions. Growth 30 days, Premium 180, Elite unlimited. 1
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 1
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 Visual Editor on all plans. 1
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 Custom workflows and stages on Premium and Elite. Lower plans get fixed default stages. 1
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Paid tier 20 releases on Premium, unlimited on Elite. 1
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 Comments and content locking. No simultaneous editing of one story. 110
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 10 custom roles on Premium, unlimited on Elite. 15
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Paid tier Field permissions come with custom roles on Premium and Elite. 15
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 Premium and Elite. 1
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 Limited Activity log on all plans. Starter keeps 1 day, Growth 30 days, Elite unlimited. 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 Built in One account can own many spaces, each on its own plan. 6
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 Field plugins on all plans. Tool and space plugins on Premium and Elite. 17
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Not available No official extension directory. Built in Storyblok App Directory. 8
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. Not available Built in AI content generation and translation on all plans, metered by AI credits. 1
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Built in Hosted server over the Management API. 9

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

Where they differ

Decap CMS and Storyblok 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, Storyblok has 15. 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). Storyblok is closed source (Proprietary).
Self-hosting
Decap CMS can be self-hosted. Storyblok cannot be self-hosted.

Built in on Storyblok, a different answer on Decap CMS 9

  • Content model in the UI Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.
  • Image transformations Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.
  • REST API Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.
  • Webhooks Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.
  • Visual editing Decap CMS: Limited. Storyblok: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Storyblok: Built in.
  • Plugin marketplace Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 9

  • GraphQL API Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Scheduled publishing Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Version history Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Limited.
  • Approval workflows Decap CMS: Limited. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Content releases Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Custom roles Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Field-level permissions Decap CMS: Not available. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Single sign-on Decap CMS: Limited. Storyblok: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Storyblok: Limited.

More comparisons

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

Decap CMS against other platforms

Storyblok against other platforms

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

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