Sitecore vs Storyblok
Sitecore is a closed-source enterprise DXP that runs on the vendor's cloud. Storyblok is a closed-source headless CMS that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 10.
- Sitecore Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 22 of 28 built in
- Storyblok Headless · Closed source · 15 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Sitecore on 29 Sept 2026, Storyblok 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 | Sitecore's SaaS digital experience platform, formerly XM Cloud. Sitecore hosts the CMS. Sites render in a separate front-end app. | Hosted headless CMS with a Visual Editor where editors compose pages from developer-defined blocks. Run by Storyblok GmbH. |
| Edition compared The product and release each column describes. | SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform SaaS, continuously updated | Storyblok SaaS, Starter to Elite plans SaaS, continuously updated |
| Vendor | Sitecore sitecore.com | Storyblok GmbH storyblok.com |
| Licence | Closed source Proprietary | Closed source Proprietary |
| Hosting | No self-hosting Vendor cloud SitecoreAI is SaaS only. Self-hosting needs Sitecore XP 10.5, a separate product. | No self-hosting Vendor cloud Spaces run in Storyblok's EU, US, Canada or Australia regions. |
| Built with | .NET, Next.js Content SDK | SaaS, JavaScript SDKs and CLI |
| Database | Managed by Sitecore | Managed by Storyblok |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | No free option Pricing on request. | Free to start Starter free. Growth $99, Growth Plus $349 per space per month. Premium and Elite 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. | Built in Templates serialize to files in the repo with Sitecore Content Serialization. 2 | Built in The CLI pulls and pushes JSON component schemas. Typed @storyblok/schema is in preview. 234 |
| Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. | Built in Templates are items edited in the Content Editor. | Built in 1 |
| Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. | Built in Page builder with reusable components. | Built in Nestable blocks inside stories. 1 |
| Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. | Built in Language versions per item. | Built in Starter includes 2 locales. Growth adds locales at $20 each per month. 1 |
| Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. | Built in Experience Edge media CDN resizes images with query string parameters. 3 | Built in Image Optimization Service on all plans. 1 |
| APIs and delivery | ||
| REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. | Built in Content Items REST API since September 2026. Delivery through Experience Edge is GraphQL. 4 | Built in Content Delivery API and Management API. 1 |
| GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. | Built in Experience Edge delivery API. 5 | Paid tier GraphQL Content Delivery API on Premium and Elite. 1 |
| Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. | Built in Authoring webhooks and Experience Edge publish webhooks. 65 | Built in 3 webhooks on Starter, 5 on Growth, 15 on Premium. 1 |
| Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. | Not available Headless. Sites render in a separate app, with built-in Vercel and Netlify integrations. 7 | Not available |
| Editorial workflow | ||
| Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. | Built in Saved changes stay unpublished until pushed to Experience Edge. 11 | Built in |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Limited Publishing restrictions set availability dates. A publish must still run on the date. 89 | Paid tier Single story scheduling from Growth. Growth allows 2 scheduled stories, Premium 100. 1 |
| Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. | Built in Numbered item versions. | Limited Starter keeps 1 day of versions. Growth 30 days, Premium 180, Elite unlimited. 1 |
| Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. | Built in | Built in 1 |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Built in Page builder. | Built in Visual Editor on all plans. 1 |
| Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. | Built in Item workflows with states and commands. 6 | Paid tier Custom workflows and stages on Premium and Elite. Lower plans get fixed default stages. 1 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Not available No release bundles. Publishing jobs cover items, subitems and related items. 11 | Paid tier 20 releases on Premium, unlimited on Elite. 1 |
| Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. | Limited Page builder saves concurrent edits per field. Others get a reload prompt. No live updates. 10 | Not available Comments and content locking. No simultaneous editing of one story. 110 |
| Access and governance | ||
| Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. | Built in Roles with item access rights. 12 | Paid tier 10 custom roles on Premium, unlimited on Elite. 15 |
| Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. | Built in Field read and field write access rights. 12 | Paid tier Field permissions come with custom roles on Premium and Elite. 15 |
| Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. | Built in SAML or OIDC through the Sitecore Cloud Portal. 13 | Paid tier Premium and Elite. 1 |
| Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. | Limited Common Audit Log covers only the Cloud Portal and leaves out SitecoreAI content. Item actions show in CM logs. 1415 | Limited Activity log on all plans. Starter keeps 1 day, Growth 30 days, Elite unlimited. 1 |
| Platform and extensibility | ||
| Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. | Built in Site collections with shared content. | Built in One account can own many spaces, each on its own plan. 6 |
| Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. | Built in Marketplace apps add custom fields, panels and dashboard widgets. 17 | Built in Field plugins on all plans. Tool and space plugins on Premium and Elite. 17 |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Built in Sitecore Marketplace. 16 | Built in Storyblok App Directory. 8 |
| Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. | Built in Built-in Forms with webhook submission handling. 18 | Not available |
| Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. | Not available Developers have to build visitor login in the front-end app. | Not available |
| AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. | Built in Content, variant and translation assistants. Brand kits need Stream Premium. 19 | Built in AI content generation and translation on all plans, metered by AI credits. 1 |
| Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. | Built in Sitecore Marketer MCP server. 20 | Built in Hosted server over the Management API. 9 |
Sitecore sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform.
- SitecoreAI documentation for business users
- Sitecore Content Serialization in SitecoreAI
- Sitecore Experience Edge for XM (media resizing)
- SitecoreAI changelog: Components, Content Types and Content Items APIs
- Experience Edge
- SitecoreAI webhooks
- Front-end hosting applications
- Schedule publishing availability of a page
- KB1003446: Specifics of publishing in SitecoreAI
- Editing in the Page builder (concurrent editing)
- Publish content in SitecoreAI
- The access rights
- Sitecore Cloud Portal single sign-on
- Sitecore Common Audit Log
- Logging in Sitecore XM Cloud (Fishtank)
- SitecoreAI Marketplace
- Sitecore Marketplace starter (extension points)
- SitecoreAI Forms
- Sitecore Stream tiers
- Sitecore Marketer MCP server
Storyblok sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Storyblok SaaS, Starter to Elite plans.
- Storyblok pricing and plan comparison
- Storyblok CLI documentation
- Sneak peek: type-safe schemas with @storyblok/schema (July 2026)
- Storyblok CLI: components push
- Storyblok roles manual
- Storyblok spaces concept
- Storyblok plugins introduction
- Storyblok App Directory
- Storyblok MCP server documentation
- Storyblok tutorial: building real-time collaboration with Tiptap and Yjs
Considering more platforms? Compare Sitecore and Storyblok with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Sitecore and Storyblok get a different status on 10 of the 28 features and the same status on 18. Sitecore has 22 built in on its baseline edition, Storyblok has 15. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.
- Free option
- Sitecore has no free option. Storyblok has a free option.
Built in on Sitecore, a different answer on Storyblok 7
- GraphQL API Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Version history Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Limited.
- Approval workflows Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Custom roles Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Field-level permissions Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Single sign-on Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Form builder Sitecore: Built in. Storyblok: Not available.
Built in on neither, with different answers 3
- Scheduled publishing Sitecore: Limited. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Content releases Sitecore: Not available. Storyblok: Paid tier.
- Real-time co-editing Sitecore: Limited. Storyblok: Not available.
More comparisons
Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Sitecore vs Payload and Storyblok vs Payload.
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Storyblok against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Storyblok
- Contentful vs Storyblok
- Contentstack vs Storyblok
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Storyblok
- Craft CMS vs Storyblok
- DatoCMS vs Storyblok
- Decap CMS vs Storyblok
- Directus vs Storyblok
- Drupal vs Storyblok
- EmDash vs Storyblok
- FirstSpirit vs Storyblok
- Framer vs Storyblok
- Ghost vs Storyblok
- HubSpot CMS vs Storyblok
- Hygraph vs Storyblok
- Instatic vs Storyblok
- Joomla vs Storyblok
- Keystone vs Storyblok
- Kirby vs Storyblok
- Liferay DXP vs Storyblok
- Optimizely CMS vs Storyblok
- Storyblok vs Payload
- Prismic vs Storyblok
- Progress Sitefinity vs Storyblok
- Sanity vs Storyblok
- Squarespace vs Storyblok
- Statamic vs Storyblok
- Storyblok vs Strapi
- Storyblok vs TYPO3
- Storyblok vs Umbraco
- Storyblok vs Wagtail
- Storyblok vs Webflow
- Storyblok vs Wix
- Storyblok vs WordPress
- Xperience by Kentico vs Storyblok
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