Keystone vs TYPO3
Keystone is an open-source headless CMS that you host yourself. 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 20.
- Keystone Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in
- TYPO3 Traditional · Open source · 20 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Keystone 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
| Platform |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| What it is | Open-source Node.js headless CMS from Thinkmill that generates a GraphQL API and an admin UI from a TypeScript schema. | 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. | Keystone 6, open source, from the @keystone-6/core package Version 8.1.0, released 31 Aug 2026 | TYPO3 v14 LTS, version 14.3, open source Version 14.3.7, released 8 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | Thinkmill keystonejs.com | TYPO3 Association (project); TYPO3 GmbH sells support and extended LTS typo3.org |
| Licence | Open source MIT | Open source GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Hosting | Self-hosting No vendor cloud No managed hosting. Thinkmill offers enterprise support. | Self-hosting No vendor cloud No vendor SaaS. TYPO3 agencies and hosts run managed installations. |
| Built with | TypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL, Prisma, Next.js for the admin UI | PHP, Symfony components, Fluid |
| Database | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | Free to start Free and open source. Enterprise support from Thinkmill 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 Lists and fields are TypeScript config. 4 | 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. | Not available | 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 Component blocks inside the document field. 8 | 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. | Not available No locale support documented. Model translations yourself. 12 | 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. | Not available Image field stores originals. The Cloudinary field hands resizing to Cloudinary. 711 | Built in Server-side image processing with crop variants. 10 |
| APIs and delivery | ||
| REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. | Not available GraphQL only. Custom REST routes through extendExpressApp. 4 | 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 | Not available |
| Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. | Not available No webhook settings. Call URLs from hooks in code. 10 | 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | Built in Record history with diff and undo. |
| Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. | Not available | 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | Built in Custom stages in Workspaces. 5 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Not available | 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 | Not available |
| Access and governance | ||
| Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. | Limited Roles are access-control functions written in code. No role editor in the admin. 5 | Built in Backend user groups. 9 |
| Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. | Built in Field-level access control. 5 | 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. | Not available The auth package covers password login. SSO means custom session code. 6 | 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | 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 Custom admin pages, navigation and field views. 9 | Built in Backend modules and custom form elements. |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Not available | Built in TYPO3 Extension Repository. 16 |
| Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. | Not available | 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. | Built in createAuth works on any list, including site users. 6 | 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | Not available Third-party only, e.g. hauptsache.net's TYPO3 MCP Server. 15 |
Keystone sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Keystone 6, open source, from the @keystone-6/core package.
- @keystone-6/core on the npm registry
- Keystone releases on GitHub
- Keystone homepage
- Keystone docs: System configuration
- Keystone docs: Access control
- Keystone docs: Authentication
- Keystone docs: Image field
- Keystone docs: Document field demo
- Keystone docs: Custom admin UI pages
- Keystone docs: Hooks guide
- Keystone docs: Cloudinary image field
- Keystone documentation index (llms.txt)
TYPO3 sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. TYPO3 v14 LTS, version 14.3, open source.
- get.typo3.org: latest TYPO3 14 release
- TYPO3 Releases v14 LTS (press release)
- Changing the Playing Field: Visual Editing in TYPO3 v14
- TYPO3 v14: Building a System for Community-Driven AI Integrations
- TYPO3 Workspaces documentation
- TYPO3 Webhooks documentation
- TYPO3 Form documentation
- TYPO3 Frontend Login documentation
- Access control options (TYPO3 Explained)
- Crop variants for images (TYPO3 Explained)
- TYPO3 Content Blocks documentation
- Mask extension (TER)
- EXT:headless documentation
- OpenID Connect integration for TYPO3
- hauptsacheNet/typo3-mcp-server on GitHub
- How to find extensions (Getting Started)
- AI Suite extension (TER)
Considering more platforms? Compare Keystone and TYPO3 with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Keystone and TYPO3 get a different status on 20 of the 28 features and the same status on 8. Keystone has 6 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.
Built in on Keystone, a different answer on TYPO3 1
- GraphQL API Keystone: Built in. TYPO3: Not available.
Built in on TYPO3, a different answer on Keystone 15
- Localization Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Image transformations Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Webhooks Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Renders the website Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Drafts Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Scheduled publishing Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Version history Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Preview Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Approval workflows Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Content releases Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Custom roles Keystone: Limited. TYPO3: Built in.
- Audit log Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Multiple sites Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Plugin marketplace Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
- Form builder Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 4
- Content model in the UI Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
- REST API Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
- Visual editing Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
- Single sign-on Keystone: Not available. TYPO3: Plugin or add-on.
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TYPO3 against other platforms
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- Craft CMS vs TYPO3
- DatoCMS vs TYPO3
- Decap CMS vs TYPO3
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- Drupal vs TYPO3
- EmDash vs TYPO3
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- HubSpot CMS vs TYPO3
- Hygraph vs TYPO3
- Instatic vs TYPO3
- Joomla vs TYPO3
- Kirby vs TYPO3
- Liferay DXP vs TYPO3
- Optimizely CMS vs TYPO3
- TYPO3 vs Payload
- Prismic vs TYPO3
- Progress Sitefinity vs TYPO3
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- Sitecore vs TYPO3
- Squarespace vs TYPO3
- Statamic vs TYPO3
- Storyblok vs TYPO3
- Strapi vs TYPO3
- TYPO3 vs Umbraco
- TYPO3 vs Wagtail
- TYPO3 vs Webflow
- TYPO3 vs Wix
- TYPO3 vs WordPress
- Xperience by Kentico vs TYPO3
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