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CMS comparison Decap CMS vs WordPress

Decap CMS vs WordPress

Decap CMS is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. WordPress is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. 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
  • WordPress Traditional · Open source · 13 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Decap CMS on 29 Sept 2026, WordPress 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 WordPress feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Decap CMS Headless
WordPress 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.Open-source PHP CMS that renders sites through themes and extends through plugins. Teams self-host it or buy managed WordPress hosting.
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 WordPress 7.1 core, self-hosted from WordPress.org Version 7.1.2, released 22 Sept 2026
Vendor Decap CMS project (formerly Netlify CMS), maintained in Europe decapcms.org WordPress.org community project (Automattic is the largest contributor) wordpress.org
Licence Open source MIT Open source GPL-2.0-or-later
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Decap Turbo, a hosted backend for login and Git access, is in public preview. Self-hosting No vendor cloud Automattic's WordPress.com and many third-party hosts sell managed WordPress.
Built with JavaScript, ReactPHP, JavaScript, React block editor
Database Your Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea or AzureMySQL, MariaDB
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 to download and self-host. Hosting and premium plugins cost extra.
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 Post types, taxonomies and meta registered in PHP.
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Not available Plugin or add-on ACF or Custom Post Type UI plugins. Core has no content type builder. 12
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 Block editor with patterns and synced patterns.
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 Plugin or add-on WPML or Polylang plugins. Core translates the interface only. 13
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 WordPress generates registered image sizes on upload.
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 5
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Plugin or add-on WPGraphQL, a canonical plugin on WordPress.org. 6
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. Plugin or add-on WP Webhooks plugin. Core sends no outgoing webhooks. 16
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 Block themes and classic PHP themes.
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 Limited Edits to a published post go live on update. PublishPress Revisions adds pending drafts. 11
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Not available Built in Scheduled publishing only. Scheduled unpublishing needs a plugin.
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 Revisions with a visual scrubber since 7.0. 2
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 Block Editor and Site Editor edit content inside the theme's styles.
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 Plugin or add-on PublishPress plugins. Core has only the Pending Review status. 711
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 Not available Pulled from 7.0. Still experimental in the Gutenberg plugin. 3418
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 Plugin or add-on Plugins such as Members or User Role Editor. Core roles are fixed. 7
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 Plugin or add-on SAML or OIDC plugins, e.g. miniOrange SAML Single Sign On. 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 Plugin or add-on Simple History or WP Activity Log plugins. 14
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 Multisite network in core, with shared users. 8
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 blocks, admin pages and meta boxes.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Not available No official extension directory. Built in WordPress.org plugin directory.
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Plugin or add-on Form plugins such as WPForms or Contact Form 7. 17
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Built in Open registration with the Subscriber role. 7
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Not available Plugin or add-on Official AI plugin plus a connected provider. Core ships the AI Client only. 29
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Plugin or add-on MCP Adapter plugin from the WordPress AI team. 10

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

Where they differ

Decap CMS and WordPress 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, WordPress has 13. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Vendor cloud
Decap CMS has a vendor-run cloud. WordPress has no vendor-run cloud.

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

  • Localization Decap CMS: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Drafts Decap CMS: Built in. WordPress: Limited.

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

  • Image transformations Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • REST API Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Renders the website Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Version history Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Visual editing Decap CMS: Limited. WordPress: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. WordPress: Built in.
  • Plugin marketplace Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Site member accounts Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 8

  • Content model in the UI Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • GraphQL API Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Webhooks Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Approval workflows Decap CMS: Limited. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Single sign-on Decap CMS: Limited. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Form builder Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • AI writing assistant Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Official MCP server Decap CMS: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

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

Decap CMS against other platforms

WordPress against other platforms

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

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