Headless CMS: when it's worth the complexity

What is a headless CMS?

A headless CMS stores your content separately from your website. You edit content in the CMS, and the site builds from that content. The CMS and website are separate systems.

Popular headless CMS options include Sanity, Contentful, Strapi, and Prismic. They provide editing interfaces and APIs that feed content to your site.

Why this matters

Headless CMS can give you easy editing with fast, flexible websites. But it adds complexity and cost compared to simpler options.

This guide helps you decide when headless is worth the complexity and when simpler options work better.

When headless CMS is worth it

1) You publish regularly and need easy editing

If you update content frequently and need non-technical team members to edit, headless CMS provides a clean editing experience [1]Source 1 .

• Regular publishing: Blog posts, news, events, products updated weekly or more.
• Multiple editors: Team members who are not technical need to edit content.
• Structured content: You need consistent fields and content types (products, services, case studies).
• Content scheduling: You need to schedule posts or publish at specific times.

2) You want performance without plugin bloat

Headless CMS lets you build a fast static site while still having easy content editing. You avoid the performance overhead of traditional CMS platforms [3]Source 3 .

• Fast static sites: Pre-built HTML pages that load quickly.
• No runtime overhead: No database queries or server-side processing on each page load.
• Minimal scripts: You control what scripts load, avoiding plugin bloat [4]Source 4 .
• CDN-friendly: Static files can be served from a CDN for global performance.

3) You need structured content for SEO and campaigns

Headless CMS excels at structured content that supports SEO pages, landing pages, and campaigns [2]Source 2 .

• Consistent metadata: Structured fields for titles, descriptions, images, dates.
• Reusable content: Content blocks that can be used across multiple pages.
• Campaign pages: Easy to create landing pages or campaign-specific content.
• Multi-channel: Same content can feed website, email, social, or other channels.

4) You want flexibility without platform lock-in

Headless CMS separates content from presentation, giving you flexibility to change the front end without losing content.

• Front-end flexibility: Change design or platform without rebuilding content.
• API access: Content is available via API, so you can use it in multiple places.
• Future-proof: Easier to migrate or extend as needs change.

When simpler options work better

1) You update content infrequently

If you update content monthly or less, a static site with markdown files or a simple CMS might be enough.

• Infrequent updates: Content changes rarely, so easy editing is less important.
• Simple content: Basic pages, no complex content types or scheduling.
• Technical team: You or your team can handle markdown or simple file editing.

For infrequent updates, see WordPress vs static sites.

2) Budget is tight

Headless CMS adds cost: CMS hosting (£20-100/month), development complexity, and ongoing maintenance.

• CMS hosting: Most headless CMS options charge monthly fees.
• Development cost: Setting up headless CMS requires more development work.
• Ongoing maintenance: More moving parts means more potential issues.

If budget is tight, a static site or simple WordPress setup might be more cost-effective.

3) You need WordPress plugins

If you need specific WordPress plugins (WooCommerce, membership systems, forums), WordPress might be a better fit.

• E-commerce: WooCommerce or similar e-commerce plugins.
• Membership systems: User accounts, subscriptions, access control.
• Community features: Forums, comments, user-generated content.

4) You want the simplest possible setup

If you want minimal complexity and are happy with basic editing, a simple CMS or static site might be enough.

• Minimal features: Basic pages, contact form, simple blog.
• Single editor: One person edits content, so advanced workflows are not needed.
• Low maintenance: You want the simplest setup possible.

Cost comparison

Headless CMS costs

• CMS hosting: £20-100/month (Sanity, Contentful, etc.)
• Development: £3,000-10,000+ (more complex setup)
• Hosting: £5-20/month (static hosting)
• Total (year 1): £3,300-11,440+

Simple static site costs

• Development: £2,000-8,000 (simpler setup)
• Hosting: £0-20/month (often free)
• Total (year 1): £2,000-8,240

WordPress costs

• Development: £2,000-10,000
• Hosting: £10-50/month
• Maintenance: £50-200/month
• Total (year 1): £2,720-13,600

Headless CMS costs more upfront and ongoing, but can be worth it if you need the flexibility and performance.

Making the decision

Answer these questions:

• How often do you update content? Weekly or more = headless might be worth it. Monthly or less = simpler might work.
• Who edits content? Non-technical team members = headless CMS helps. Technical team = static site might work.
• What is your budget? Can you afford CMS hosting and more complex development? If not, simpler options might be better.
• Do you need performance? Fast pages are critical = headless with static site works well. Less critical = WordPress might be fine.
• Do you need structured content? Complex content types, campaigns, multi-channel = headless excels. Simple pages = simpler might work.

Summary

Headless CMS is worth it when: you publish regularly and need easy editing, you want performance without plugin bloat, you need structured content for SEO and campaigns, or you want flexibility without platform lock-in.

Simpler options work better when: you update content infrequently, budget is tight, you need WordPress plugins, or you want the simplest possible setup.

For more on CMS choice, see CMS choice guide for small teams. For more on headless CMS, see headless CMS expertise. If you need help deciding, see website build services or get in touch to discuss your needs.