10 best headless CMS for e-commerce in 2025

In 2025, e-commerce reaches a new level of complexity. Customers expect consistent shopping experiences across many channels — from classic online stores and mobile apps to marketplaces and IoT devices. Traditional CMSs can’t keep up, so more companies are switching to a headless CMS.

A headless CMS separates the backend from the frontend, enabling unique user experiences, faster feature delivery, and flexible integration with a modern technology stack. In this roundup, we present the 10 best headless CMS platforms for e-commerce in 2025 — solutions that combine flexibility, scalability, and real business utility.

How is a headless CMS different from a traditional CMS?

Traditional systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal) are monolithic — the frontend and backend are tightly coupled. That limits personalisation and makes true multichannel delivery harder.

A headless CMS works differently: the backend manages content and exposes it via an API, while the frontend can be built in any technology.

Key advantages of the headless approach in e-commerce:

• Multichannel content distribution (website, mobile app, marketplace)
• Greater flexibility in UX/UI design
• Better integration with ERP, CRM, PIM, and marketing automation
• Faster innovation cycles and business scaling

The 10 best headless CMS for e-commerce in 2025

Choosing a CMS is a strategic decision. Below are ten platforms that set the standard for headless e-commerce in 2025.

Strapi – open-source flexibility

Features and capabilities:

• Node.js architecture with full source access
• REST API and GraphQL support
• Plugins and integrations with modern frontend frameworks
• Active community and regular updates

Best for: mid-size and large companies with in-house developers seeking full system control and the ability to tailor the CMS to specific processes.

Advantages: open code enables deep customisation; dual REST/GraphQL support makes the platform versatile; strong community accelerates development and provides proven solutions.

Challenges: requires stronger technical competencies, implying higher maintenance costs and experienced developers.

Contentful – SaaS leader for the enterprise

Features and capabilities:

• SaaS platform with an intuitive editorial UI
• Multi-language and multi-market support
• High-availability cloud infrastructure
• Integrations with marketing and e-commerce tools

Best for: large organisations and global brands that need a secure, scalable SaaS environment, often operating across multiple markets.

Advantages: strong security and stability; rich integration ecosystem; marketer-friendly editor supports non-technical teams.

Challenges: subscription costs can be higher than open-source alternatives.

Sanity – personalised CMS workspace

Features and capabilities:

• Flexible data models
• Customisable editorial interfaces
• Real-time collaboration
• API for easy integrations

Best for: companies that want a CMS workspace tailored to their processes and teams — ideal for brands investing in content marketing and advanced UX.

Advantages: exceptional freedom in content modelling; real-time collaboration; easy integrations with e-commerce systems.

Challenges: initial setup demands greater developer involvement, which can be a hurdle for smaller teams.

Prismic – simplicity and speed

Features and capabilities:

• Slice Machine for component-based content
• Integrations with Next.js, Nuxt.js, and React
• Streamlined editorial UI
• High-availability SaaS

Best for: small and mid-size companies looking to deploy quickly and let marketers manage content easily — great when time-to-market is critical.

Advantages: intuitive; enables fast page creation with minimal developer time; strong framework integrations.

Challenges: less suitable for complex enterprise projects requiring full customisation and broad integrations.

Hygraph (GraphCMS) – the power of GraphQL

Features and capabilities:

• Native GraphQL support
• API-first with high-performance queries
• Integrations across the modern tech stack
• Handles large, multichannel projects with ease

Best for: tech-forward firms and API-intensive projects that need scalable architecture — excellent for large, multilingual stores.

Advantages: outstanding performance and integration flexibility, especially for teams fluent in GraphQL; strong omnichannel support.

Challenges: steeper learning curve for teams without GraphQL experience can lengthen implementations.

ButterCMS – fast start, no code required

Features and capabilities:

• API-first SaaS
• Built-in SEO and blogging features
• Rapid deployments
• Integrations with frontend frameworks

Best for: startups and smaller stores that want a CMS without heavy investment in engineering.

Advantages: easy to use, SEO-friendly, and quick to launch — simplifies getting started in e-commerce.

Challenges: limited customisation makes it less suitable for large organisations.

Netlify CMS – open source for the JAMstack

Features and capabilities:

• Open source with a free licence
• Git-based workflows
• JAMstack and PWA friendly
• Simple developer-oriented configuration

Best for: developer teams building JAMstack projects — great for tech startups and companies prioritising modern frontends.

Advantages: lightweight architecture and no licence costs are attractive for small teams and developers.

Challenges: lacks advanced enterprise features; support depends on the community.

Payload CMS – Node.js-based headless

Features and capabilities:

• Open-source architecture built on Node.js and TypeScript
• Flexible, code-defined data models
• Built-in REST and GraphQL APIs
• File/media handling and cloud integrations
• Easy extension with custom plugins

Best for: tech-centric companies and e-commerce projects needing full control over code and data — a high-performance alternative to turnkey SaaS with greater freedom for custom features.

Advantages: flexibility, full code/data ownership, and high performance via Node.js — ideal where bespoke solutions and tight alignment to business processes matter.

Challenges: developer involvement and technical skills required; fewer marketer-oriented “out-of-the-box” features than typical SaaS.

Ghost – CMS for content commerce

Features and capabilities:

• Open source with a headless API
• Blogging and publishing built in
• Subscription and monetisation tools
• Integrations with frontend frameworks

Best for: companies combining e-commerce with content marketing or subscription models.

Advantages: fast, lightweight, and excellent for content-driven strategies; supports membership/paid content.

Challenges: fewer enterprise-grade e-commerce features than more comprehensive CMSs.

Directus – a CMS on top of your database

Features and capabilities:

• Works directly with SQL databases
• Open source with an intuitive admin UI
• Real-time data handling
• Flexible API

Best for: companies with established database infrastructure that want a CMS without re-architecting backend systems.

Advantages: full control over data; excellent for custom integrations; approachable UI for non-technical users.

Challenges: requires strong technical knowledge and database administration skills.

How to choose a headless CMS for your e-commerce store?

• Business scale: local shop or global brand?
• Budget and resources: open source needs more engineering; SaaS adds ongoing subscription costs.
• Team competencies: do you have Node.js/GraphQL developers, or do you need a simple SaaS tool?
• Integrations: does the CMS support your CRM, ERP, PIM, and other ecosystem tools?
• Future-proofing: will the platform provide scalability and flexibility for the coming years?

A headless CMS is becoming the backbone of modern e-commerce. Strapi and Contentful lead with scale and flexibility; Sanity and Hygraph offer advanced personalisation; ButterCMS and Prismic enable fast launches with minimal overhead. The final choice depends on your strategy, resources, and business goals.

If you’re wondering which headless CMS will work best for your 2025 e-commerce project, contact the u11d.com team. We’ll help you choose a platform, design the architecture, and implement a solution that gives your business a competitive edge.