Keystone vs WordPress
Keystone is an open-source headless CMS that you host yourself. 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 22.
- Keystone Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in
- WordPress Traditional · Open source · 13 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Keystone 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
| 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 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. | Keystone 6, open source, from the @keystone-6/core package Version 8.1.0, released 31 Aug 2026 | WordPress 7.1 core, self-hosted from WordPress.org Version 7.1.2, released 22 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | Thinkmill keystonejs.com | 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 No vendor cloud No managed hosting. Thinkmill offers enterprise support. | Self-hosting No vendor cloud Automattic's WordPress.com and many third-party hosts sell managed WordPress. |
| Built with | TypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL, Prisma, Next.js for the admin UI | PHP, JavaScript, React block editor |
| Database | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite | MySQL, MariaDB |
| 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 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 Lists and fields are TypeScript config. 4 | 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 Component blocks inside the document field. 8 | 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. | Not available No locale support documented. Model translations yourself. 12 | 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 Image field stores originals. The Cloudinary field hands resizing to Cloudinary. 711 | 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 GraphQL only. Custom REST routes through extendExpressApp. 4 | Built in 5 |
| GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. | Built in | 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 No webhook settings. Call URLs from hooks in code. 10 | 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 | 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. | Not available | 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 | 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. | Not available | Built in |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Not available | 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. | Not available | 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. | Limited Roles are access-control functions written in code. No role editor in the admin. 5 | 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. | Built in Field-level access control. 5 | Not available |
| 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 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. | Not available | 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. | Not available | 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 admin pages, navigation and field views. 9 | Built in Custom blocks, admin pages and meta boxes. |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Not available | 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. | Built in createAuth works on any list, including site users. 6 | 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 |
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)
WordPress sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. WordPress 7.1 core, self-hosted from WordPress.org.
- WordPress 7.1.2 Release
- WordPress 7.0 "Armstrong" release announcement
- Real-time collaboration will not ship in WordPress 7.0
- Moving to a server-aware approach for collaboration
- REST API Handbook
- WPGraphQL plugin on WordPress.org
- Roles and Capabilities documentation
- WordPress Multisite / Network
- AI plugin on WordPress.org
- WordPress/mcp-adapter on GitHub
- PublishPress Revisions plugin
- ACF: Post Types and Taxonomies
- WPML multilingual plugin
- Simple History plugin
- SAML Single Sign On plugin (miniOrange)
- WP Webhooks plugin
- WPForms plugin
- Roadmap to 7.1
Considering more platforms? Compare Keystone and WordPress with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Keystone and WordPress get a different status on 22 of the 28 features and the same status on 6. Keystone 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.
Built in on Keystone, a different answer on WordPress 2
- GraphQL API Keystone: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Field-level permissions Keystone: Built in. WordPress: Not available.
Built in on WordPress, a different answer on Keystone 9
- Image transformations Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- REST API Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Renders the website Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Scheduled publishing Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Version history Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Preview Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Visual editing Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Multiple sites Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
- Plugin marketplace Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 11
- Content model in the UI Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Localization Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Webhooks Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Drafts Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Limited.
- Approval workflows Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Custom roles Keystone: Limited. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Single sign-on Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Audit log Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Form builder Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- AI writing assistant Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
- Official MCP server Keystone: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
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WordPress against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs WordPress
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- Contentstack vs WordPress
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs WordPress
- Craft CMS vs WordPress
- DatoCMS vs WordPress
- Decap CMS vs WordPress
- Directus vs WordPress
- Drupal vs WordPress
- EmDash vs WordPress
- FirstSpirit vs WordPress
- Framer vs WordPress
- Ghost vs WordPress
- HubSpot CMS vs WordPress
- Hygraph vs WordPress
- Instatic vs WordPress
- Joomla vs WordPress
- Kirby vs WordPress
- Liferay DXP vs WordPress
- Optimizely CMS vs WordPress
- WordPress vs Payload
- Prismic vs WordPress
- Progress Sitefinity vs WordPress
- Sanity vs WordPress
- Sitecore vs WordPress
- Squarespace vs WordPress
- Statamic vs WordPress
- Storyblok vs WordPress
- Strapi vs WordPress
- TYPO3 vs WordPress
- Umbraco vs WordPress
- Wagtail vs WordPress
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