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CMS comparison FirstSpirit vs HubSpot CMS

FirstSpirit vs HubSpot CMS

FirstSpirit is a closed-source enterprise DXP 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 14.

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  • FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 19 of 28 built in
  • HubSpot CMS Site builder · Closed source · 16 of 28 built in

Sources checked: FirstSpirit 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
FirstSpirit vs HubSpot CMS feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP
HubSpot CMS Site builder
Overview
What it is Java-based enterprise CMS with in-preview editing and a CaaS layer for headless delivery. Runs as FirstSpirit Cloud or on-premises.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. FirstSpirit 5.2 monthly release line, FirstSpirit Cloud and on-premises Version 2026.10 (5.2.261011), released 15 Sept 2026 Content Hub: Free, Starter, Professional, Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Crownpeak Technology GmbH, part of Rezolve Ai since December 2025 firstspirit.com HubSpot, Inc. hubspot.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud No self-hosting Vendor cloud
Built with Java, ContentCreator web client, SiteArchitect desktop appHubL templates, HubSpot CLI
Database Built-in repository, plus SQL databases such as PostgreSQL for data sourcesManaged by HubSpot, with HubDB for structured data
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. No free option Pricing on request. 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 Templates sync to files in Git through external synchronization and FSDevTools. 34 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. Limited Developers build templates in SiteArchitect but write their forms as XML. 412 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 Pages consist of sections based on section templates. 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 Language-dependent fields per project language. 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. Built in FirstSpirit automatically generates the image resolutions defined per project. 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. Built in CaaS REST API. 56 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. Built in CaaS GraphQL API generated from the FirstSpirit data model. 56 Paid tier Content Hub Professional. 9
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Limited CaaS Change Streams push change events over WebSocket. 6 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. Built in Generates pages from templates. CaaS covers headless delivery. 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 Changes stay unreleased until the release workflow runs. 8 Built in
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Limited Admins set up timed schedule entries. Editors have no per-item publish date. 10 Built in 118
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in 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 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 ContentCreator in-preview editing. Omnichannel Manager for headless frontends. 7 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. Built in 8 Paid tier Content approvals on Enterprise. 1
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited Release with dependencies publishes a page with its linked media and parents. 9 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 The Collaboration module adds comments on fields. No co-editing. 11 Not available
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Groups with permissions per store and node. 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. Limited Form rules hide or lock single fields per user group. 12 Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Built in SAML and OpenID Connect login modules. 1314 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. Built in Audit logging to the server log once enabled. 15 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. Built in Several projects per server. Multisite Management shares content between them. 16 Paid tier Multisites on Enterprise. 1
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in ContentCreator and SiteArchitect plug-ins. 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. Built in FirstSpirit Marketplace. 17 Built in HubSpot Marketplace for apps and themes. 16
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Plugin or add-on Formcentric for FirstSpirit, a partner product. 18 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. Plugin or add-on AI Suite module: Content, Analyze and Image assistants. 117 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. Built in CaaS Platform MCP server builds and runs CaaS GraphQL queries. 19 Built in Remote HubSpot MCP server reads site pages, landing pages and blog posts. 18

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

HubSpot CMS sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Content Hub: Free, Starter, Professional, Enterprise.

  1. HubSpot Content Hub pricing
  2. HubSpot Product & Services Catalog
  3. HubSpot docs: Modules overview
  4. HubSpot KB: Create and populate HubDB tables
  5. HubSpot KB: Edit content in the content editor
  6. HubSpot KB: Create pages in multiple languages
  7. HubSpot docs: HubL functions
  8. HubSpot API: Schedule a website page
  9. HubSpot docs: Query HubSpot data using GraphQL
  10. HubSpot docs: Webhooks API guide
  11. HubSpot KB: Set a blog post's publish date and time
  12. HubSpot KB: Restore a previous version of content
  13. HubSpot KB: Redesign and relaunch a site with content staging
  14. HubSpot KB: Create and assign permission sets
  15. HubSpot KB: Set up single sign-on (SSO)
  16. HubSpot Marketplace
  17. HubSpot KB: Generate and refine content with AI
  18. Remote HubSpot MCP server is now generally available

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

Where they differ

FirstSpirit and HubSpot CMS get a different status on 14 of the 28 features and the same status on 14. FirstSpirit has 19 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.

Self-hosting
FirstSpirit can be self-hosted. HubSpot CMS cannot be self-hosted.
Free option
FirstSpirit has no free option. HubSpot CMS has a free option.

Built in on FirstSpirit, a different answer on HubSpot CMS 6

  • GraphQL API FirstSpirit: Built in. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Approval workflows FirstSpirit: Built in. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Custom roles FirstSpirit: Built in. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Single sign-on FirstSpirit: Built in. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Audit log FirstSpirit: Built in. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Multiple sites FirstSpirit: Built in. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.

Built in on HubSpot CMS, a different answer on FirstSpirit 3

  • Scheduled publishing FirstSpirit: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • Form builder FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on. HubSpot CMS: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on. HubSpot CMS: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 5

  • Content model in the UI FirstSpirit: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Webhooks FirstSpirit: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Not available.
  • Content releases FirstSpirit: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.
  • Field-level permissions FirstSpirit: Limited. HubSpot CMS: Not available.
  • Site member accounts FirstSpirit: Not available. HubSpot CMS: Paid tier.

More comparisons

FirstSpirit 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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