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CMS comparison EmDash vs FirstSpirit

EmDash vs FirstSpirit

EmDash is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. FirstSpirit is a closed-source enterprise DXP 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 14.

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  • EmDash Traditional · Open source · 14 of 28 built in
  • FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 19 of 28 built in

Sources checked: EmDash on 29 Sept 2026, FirstSpirit 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
EmDash vs FirstSpirit feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
EmDash Traditional
FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP
Overview
What it is Open-source CMS from Cloudflare that runs inside an Astro site, with the admin and pages in one app on Cloudflare Workers or Node.js.Java-based enterprise CMS with in-preview editing and a CaaS layer for headless delivery. Runs as FirstSpirit Cloud or on-premises.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. EmDash 1.0, open source Version 1.0.1, released 28 Sept 2026 FirstSpirit 5.2 monthly release line, FirstSpirit Cloud and on-premises Version 2026.10 (5.2.261011), released 15 Sept 2026
Vendor Cloudflare emdashcms.com Crownpeak Technology GmbH, part of Rezolve Ai since December 2025 firstspirit.com
Licence Open source MIT Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting No vendor cloud No managed hosting. You deploy to your own Cloudflare account or Node.js server. Self-hosting Vendor cloud
Built with TypeScript, AstroJava, ContentCreator web client, SiteArchitect desktop app
Database SQLite, Cloudflare D1, PostgreSQL, libSQLBuilt-in repository, plus SQL databases such as PostgreSQL for data sources
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source. You pay only for hosting. No free option Pricing 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. Limited Seed files set up new sites. A live site's model changes through the admin, API or CLI. 20 Built in Templates sync to files in Git through external synchronization and FSDevTools. 34
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Admin role only. 220 Limited Developers build templates in SiteArchitect but write their forms as XML. 412
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Blocks field with versioned block types. 5 Built in Pages consist of sections based on section templates.
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Each translation is a separate entry with its own status. 6 Built in Language-dependent fields per project language.
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Uses Astro's image endpoint for sizes and formats. Crop and focal point in the editor. 78 Built in FirstSpirit automatically generates the image resolutions defined per project.
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in 9 Built in CaaS REST API. 56
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in CaaS GraphQL API generated from the FirstSpirit data model. 56
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Plugin or add-on Official webhook-notifier plugin. 18 Limited CaaS Change Streams push change events over WebSocket. 6
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in The Astro site renders the pages. 2 Built in Generates pages from templates. CaaS covers headless delivery.
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in 10 Built in Changes stay unreleased until the release workflow runs. 8
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in 10 Limited Admins set up timed schedule entries. Editors have no per-item publish date. 10
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in On revision-enabled collections. 10 Built in
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Signed preview links. 11 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Signed-in editors get visual editing on the rendered page. 11 Built in ContentCreator in-preview editing. Omnichannel Manager for headless frontends. 7
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Not available Contributors cannot publish. No configurable review stages. 1210 Built in 8
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Limited Release with dependencies publishes a page with its linked media and parents. 9
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 The Collaboration module adds comments on fields. No co-editing. 11
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Not available Five fixed roles from Subscriber to Admin. 12 Built in Groups with permissions per store and node.
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available 12 Limited Form rules hide or lock single fields per user group. 12
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Limited Microsoft Entra sign-in built in. Other IdPs through Cloudflare Access. No native SAML. 12 Built in SAML and OpenID Connect login modules. 1314
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Plugin or add-on Official audit-log plugin. 19 Built in Audit logging to the server log once enabled. 15
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Not available Built in Several projects per server. Multisite Management shares content between them. 16
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugins add admin pages and dashboard widgets. 13 Built in ContentCreator and SiteArchitect plug-ins.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Plugin registry, launched with 1.0. 143 Built in FirstSpirit Marketplace. 17
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Plugin or add-on Official forms plugin. 17 Plugin or add-on Formcentric for FirstSpirit, a partner product. 18
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Limited Subscriber role reads member-only content. Members share the editors' user system. 12 Not available
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Not available Plugin or add-on AI Suite module: Content, Analyze and Image assistants. 117
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Built in and on by default. 15 Built in CaaS Platform MCP server builds and runs CaaS GraphQL queries. 19

EmDash sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. EmDash 1.0, open source.

  1. emdash on the npm registry
  2. EmDash homepage
  3. EmDash 1.0: an open source CMS for Astro
  4. EmDash repository on GitHub
  5. EmDash docs: Blocks
  6. EmDash docs: Internationalization
  7. EmDash docs: Configuration reference
  8. EmDash docs: Media Library
  9. EmDash docs: REST API
  10. EmDash docs: Content lifecycle
  11. EmDash docs: Preview mode
  12. EmDash docs: Authentication
  13. EmDash docs: Plugins overview
  14. EmDash docs: Plugin registry
  15. EmDash docs: AI tools and MCP server
  16. EmDash docs: Database options
  17. @emdash-cms/plugin-forms on the npm registry
  18. @emdash-cms/plugin-webhook-notifier on the npm registry
  19. @emdash-cms/plugin-audit-log on the npm registry
  20. EmDash docs: Evolving a deployed site

FirstSpirit sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. FirstSpirit 5.2 monthly release line, FirstSpirit Cloud and on-premises.

  1. Release notes FirstSpirit 2026.10
  2. [RELEASE] FirstSpirit 2026.10
  3. FSDevTools on GitHub
  4. External Synchronization: development
  5. CaaS Connect module documentation
  6. CaaS Platform REST interface documentation
  7. Omnichannel Manager 3.0
  8. ContentCreator: the standard Release workflow
  9. FirstSpirit docs: Specific release
  10. FirstSpirit docs: Schedule tasks
  11. FirstSpirit Collaboration user guide
  12. FirstSpirit docs: IN_GROUP rule
  13. Setting up SSO via the FirstSpirit SAML login module
  14. Authentication with OpenID Connect
  15. Audit logging in FirstSpirit
  16. Multisite Management user documentation
  17. FirstSpirit Marketplace: AI Suite
  18. Formcentric for FirstSpirit
  19. CaaS Platform MCP server documentation
  20. Rezolve Ai acquisition of Crownpeak

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

Where they differ

EmDash and FirstSpirit get a different status on 14 of the 28 features and the same status on 14. EmDash has 14 built in on its baseline edition, FirstSpirit has 19. 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
EmDash is open source (MIT). FirstSpirit is closed source (Proprietary).
Vendor cloud
EmDash has no vendor-run cloud. FirstSpirit has a vendor-run cloud.
Free option
EmDash has a free option. FirstSpirit has no free option.

Built in on EmDash, a different answer on FirstSpirit 2

  • Content model in the UI EmDash: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Scheduled publishing EmDash: Built in. FirstSpirit: Limited.

Built in on FirstSpirit, a different answer on EmDash 7

  • Content model in code EmDash: Limited. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • GraphQL API EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Approval workflows EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Custom roles EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Single sign-on EmDash: Limited. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Audit log EmDash: Plugin or add-on. FirstSpirit: Built in.
  • Multiple sites EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 5

  • Webhooks EmDash: Plugin or add-on. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Content releases EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Field-level permissions EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Limited.
  • Site member accounts EmDash: Limited. FirstSpirit: Not available.
  • AI writing assistant EmDash: Not available. FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

EmDash against other platforms

FirstSpirit against other platforms

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