ButterCMS vs Decap CMS
On the evidence we track, ButterCMS leads this comparison with a composite score of 63/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for headless cms. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
ButterCMS
LeaderA managed platform for organizing and publishing content to websites, mobile applications, and other digital services through APIs, without requiring the user to manage servers or infrastructure.
Decap CMS
A free, self-hosted CMS designed for static site generators and modern frontend workflows. It provides a web-based editor with structured fields and live preview, keeps content versioned in Git repositories, and supports editorial review workflows without compromising developer control.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
ButterCMS
LeaderFrom $71/month for Basic plan. Free tier available.
- FreeFree
- Visual editing
- Live preview
- SEO metadata
- AI Assistant
- API Explorer
- +2 more
- Basic$71/month (or $63.90/month with annual billing)
- Image editing
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited components
- Advanced$224/month (or $201.60/month with annual billing)
- All Basic tier features
- Professional$359/month (or $323.05/month with annual billing)
- Write API (up to 5K calls/month)
- Multi environment
- EnterpriseContact sales
- Custom API calls
- Custom roles
- Write API
- Custom webhooks
- Workflows
- +4 more
Decap CMS
Free and open-source core. Decap Turbo available for teams (pricing on request).
- Decap CMSFree
- Web editor with real-time preview
- Editorial workflow (draft, review, publish)
- Git-native history
- Support for GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Bitbucket, Azure
- Media library with external integrations
- +5 more
- Decap TurboContact sales
- Faster CMS performance
- Centralized access control
- Role-based access and team collaboration
- Real-time editing visibility
- Secrets storage
- +1 more
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
ButterCMS
Leader- Shopify
- BigCommerce
Decap CMS
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Gitea
- Bitbucket
- Azure
- Git Gateway (Netlify)
- Cloudinary
- Uploadcare
- Hugo
- Next.js
- Gatsby
- Jekyll
ButterCMS or Decap CMS: which one depends on you
A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.
Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.