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CMS comparison FirstSpirit vs TYPO3

FirstSpirit vs TYPO3

FirstSpirit is a closed-source enterprise DXP that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. TYPO3 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 13.

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  • FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 19 of 28 built in
  • TYPO3 Traditional · Open source · 20 of 28 built in

Sources checked: FirstSpirit on 29 Sept 2026, TYPO3 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 TYPO3 feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
FirstSpirit Enterprise DXP
TYPO3 Traditional
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.Open-source PHP CMS for multi-site, multilingual websites, with workspaces and granular backend permissions. Self-hosted, often run by agencies.
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 TYPO3 v14 LTS, version 14.3, open source Version 14.3.7, released 8 Sept 2026
Vendor Crownpeak Technology GmbH, part of Rezolve Ai since December 2025 firstspirit.com TYPO3 Association (project); TYPO3 GmbH sells support and extended LTS typo3.org
Licence Closed source Proprietary Open source GPL-2.0-or-later
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Self-hosting No vendor cloud No vendor SaaS. TYPO3 agencies and hosts run managed installations.
Built with Java, ContentCreator web client, SiteArchitect desktop appPHP, Symfony components, Fluid
Database Built-in repository, plus SQL databases such as PostgreSQL for data sourcesMySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. No free option Pricing on request. Free to start Free and open source. Commercial support and extended LTS are sold separately.
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 TCA in PHP. The Content Blocks extension adds YAML definitions. 11
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 Plugin or add-on Mask extension builds content elements in the backend. 12
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 Content elements on pages, reordered by drag and drop.
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 Page and record translations. Guided translation wizard in v14. 2
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 Server-side image processing with crop variants. 10
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in CaaS REST API. 56 Plugin or add-on EXT:headless outputs pages as JSON. Core has no content API. 13
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 Not available
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 Built in Webhooks system extension, in core since v12. 6
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 Fluid templates. Camino default theme in v14. 2
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 Via the Workspaces system extension. 5
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 Start and stop dates on pages and content.
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Built in Record history with diff and undo.
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Built in Workspace preview links. 5
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 Plugin or add-on Visual Editor extension from Friends of TYPO3. TYPO3 plans core support for v15. 3
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Built in 8 Built in Custom stages in Workspaces. 5
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 Built in Workspaces publish staged changes together. 5
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. Built in Backend user groups. 9
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 Built in Exclude fields per backend group. 9
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 Plugin or add-on OpenID Connect extensions such as causal/oidc. 14
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 Built in Log module records backend changes by user.
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 Built in Several site configurations in one installation.
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 Backend modules and custom form elements.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in FirstSpirit Marketplace. 17 Built in TYPO3 Extension Repository. 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 Form Framework with a backend form editor. 7
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Built in Frontend users and the felogin extension. 8
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 Not available Core ships AI integration points only. Third-party extensions such as AI Suite. 417
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 Not available Third-party only, e.g. hauptsache.net's TYPO3 MCP Server. 15

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

TYPO3 sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. TYPO3 v14 LTS, version 14.3, open source.

  1. get.typo3.org: latest TYPO3 14 release
  2. TYPO3 Releases v14 LTS (press release)
  3. Changing the Playing Field: Visual Editing in TYPO3 v14
  4. TYPO3 v14: Building a System for Community-Driven AI Integrations
  5. TYPO3 Workspaces documentation
  6. TYPO3 Webhooks documentation
  7. TYPO3 Form documentation
  8. TYPO3 Frontend Login documentation
  9. Access control options (TYPO3 Explained)
  10. Crop variants for images (TYPO3 Explained)
  11. TYPO3 Content Blocks documentation
  12. Mask extension (TER)
  13. EXT:headless documentation
  14. OpenID Connect integration for TYPO3
  15. hauptsacheNet/typo3-mcp-server on GitHub
  16. How to find extensions (Getting Started)
  17. AI Suite extension (TER)

Considering more platforms? Compare FirstSpirit and TYPO3 with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

FirstSpirit and TYPO3 get a different status on 13 of the 28 features and the same status on 15. FirstSpirit has 19 built in on its baseline edition, TYPO3 has 20. 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
FirstSpirit is closed source (Proprietary). TYPO3 is open source (GPL-2.0-or-later).
Vendor cloud
FirstSpirit has a vendor-run cloud. TYPO3 has no vendor-run cloud.
Free option
FirstSpirit has no free option. TYPO3 has a free option.

Built in on FirstSpirit, a different answer on TYPO3 5

  • REST API FirstSpirit: Built in. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
  • GraphQL API FirstSpirit: Built in. TYPO3: Not available.
  • Visual editing FirstSpirit: Built in. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
  • Single sign-on FirstSpirit: Built in. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
  • Official MCP server FirstSpirit: Built in. TYPO3: Not available.

Built in on TYPO3, a different answer on FirstSpirit 6

  • Webhooks FirstSpirit: Limited. TYPO3: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing FirstSpirit: Limited. TYPO3: Built in.
  • Content releases FirstSpirit: Limited. TYPO3: Built in.
  • Field-level permissions FirstSpirit: Limited. TYPO3: Built in.
  • Form builder FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on. TYPO3: Built in.
  • Site member accounts FirstSpirit: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 2

  • Content model in the UI FirstSpirit: Limited. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
  • AI writing assistant FirstSpirit: Plugin or add-on. TYPO3: Not available.

More comparisons

FirstSpirit against other platforms

TYPO3 against other platforms

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

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