Headless CMS vs traditional CMS

From this article you will learn, among other things:

• How does Headless differ from a traditional CMS?
• What are the pros and cons of using this solution?
• When to opt for it?

How can you tell when a traditional CMS starts limiting growth?

A traditional CMS works well for many digital projects. However, as an organization grows, new requirements often emerge that are difficult to support with an architecture where content management and the presentation layer are tightly coupled.

It may be worth considering a headless CMS if you:

• publish content across multiple channels simultaneously,
• develop websites and mobile applications in parallel,
• plan to launch digital kiosks, digital signage, or IoT solutions,
• want to develop the frontend and backend independently,
• use modern frontend frameworks such as React, Vue, or Angular,
• want to reuse the same content across multiple digital channels.

If several of these scenarios apply to your organization, it may be the right time to evaluate a headless architecture.

What is a headless CMS?

A headless content management system (CMS) allows you to organize and store content without making assumptions about how or where texts, graphics, videos or other materials are delivered. What does this mean?

In a headless CMS, the content repository (body) is separated from the presentation layer (head). Content is transferred via an API to various devices and adjusted to them so that the user does not notice any errors or shortcomings.

Such a system uses only the backend, i.e. information about what content should be presented (but not what this presentation should look like). Its role is to enable data management and access to it via an API.

With a headless frontend CMS, developers can use the tools and frameworks that suit them. It is even referred to as 'developer first', meaning that it is meant to maximise the work of developers and support the shift of resources from managing digital resources to creating them.

What is the difference between a traditional CMS and a headless CMS?

Traditional CMS systems, when compared to Headless, may seem like a monolith. After all, they were designed to support content management in a single publication channel: websites. In this case, the user interface (here in the sense of how the content is presented) and the data it presents (the content) are one whole.

It's worth mentioning that Headless gives you a lot of freedom in terms of the chosen technology, because the front-end is separated from the back-end. For example, at the beginning you can choose a front-end coded in React, and after some time, change it to the Angular framework; all this without interfering with the backend.

Why choose a Headless CMS?

API-first and easier integrations

A headless CMS delivers content through APIs, allowing it to be published simultaneously across websites, mobile applications, e-commerce platforms, and other digital channels. This architecture simplifies integration with business systems while ensuring content remains consistent across every touchpoint.

Greater technological flexibility

By separating the presentation layer from content management, a headless CMS gives development teams complete freedom to choose their preferred frontend technologies. Applications built with frameworks such as React, Vue, or Angular can be developed, updated, or replaced without rebuilding the content management system.

Improved scalability

The independent development of the frontend and backend makes it easier to scale the platform as the organization grows. User interface updates and new feature releases can be implemented without affecting the way content is stored and managed.

Multichannel content delivery

Content created by editors can be published across multiple communication channels from a single source. There is no need to create separate versions for each website, application, or device, making content management more efficient and significantly reducing publishing time.

Ready for future digital channels

A headless CMS provides an architecture that can adapt to future business requirements. As organizations introduce new communication or sales channels, existing content can be reused without redesigning or rebuilding the entire content management system.

CASE STUDY

„The greatest advantage of a headless architecture is the ability to manage content independently of where it is published. This allows organizations to expand their digital ecosystem with new websites, applications, and platforms without having to rebuild the entire content management system.” - Maciej Pałubicki, CEO Tandemite

A good example is the project delivered for Emotivo, where centralized management of product data and content enabled the platform to support thousands of attractions and collaboration with more than 1,500 partners within a single digital ecosystem.

➜ See how we delivered a digital experience platform for Emotivo.

What should you be ready for when using Headless?

Headless requires you to build the design and structure of the content yourself.

You have the freedom to design and code the front-end yourself, as there are no set templates. It gives you the possibility to adjust the presentation of the content to your needs. On the other hand, it's worth including a specialist in the calculation who will provide this front-end.

Specialist knowledge is necessary

With Headless, you need additional skills related to JS frameworks. If you don't have someone familiar with them on board, you may need to make an additional investment in external specialists. And not just in terms of the aforementioned design. Developers too, if they are to work with Headless, need to be able to navigate a variety of code bases efficiently.

You'll be able to preview the final layout of the content, but it's a bit more difficult.

Even though Headless comes with WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, unless you take extra steps, it's harder to predict how the content will look in the end (preview requires an additional API).

Make an informed decision: what are the pros and cons of a traditional CMS?

In order to decide between a headless or a traditional CMS, it's also worth knowing the pros and cons of the latter.

The advantages of a traditional CMS are:

• The fact that you get an entire website built upon a system where the correlations between the content and its presentation are constant and clear. You may notice that we’ve pointed out similar features as an argument against this type of CMS; but it all depends on what kind of solution you need. If you’re looking for a WYSIWYG interface, a traditional CMS will be a good option.
• The presentation of content is not completely rigid: within the limits of desktop or mobile design, you have the ability to modify the appearance or size of elements.
• The price of the system is usually fixed (or you can use a free CMS).
• Low entry threshold for novice developers or content creators.

What may discourage you from using it, however, are:

• Limited options when it comes to diversifying publication channels.

Headless solutions to look out for when building a website

Contentful

It's an API-first platform with which you can build digital experiences. It's used by over 2,000 clients (including Gucci, Danone and Atlassian). Its creators boast results such as a 60% increase in e-commerce conversions after implementing the system, a 5x improvement in load times or a 13% increase in average order value.

Strapi

It's a headless CMS available as open-source and all its code is on GitHub, edited by hundreds of users. This gives you the support of the community and the opportunity to learn from the experience of others. It is described as developer-first, 100% JavaScript, allowing full customisation.

When to opt for Headless CMS?

• When you want to scale quickly and care about time-to-market. You already know that headless CMS separates the front-end and UX layer from the backend. This means that both teams can work independently, and this allows you to work and scale faster.
• When you publish across multiple channels. Headless CMS is no longer just a website or mobile app – it also includes native platforms, IoT-connected devices, smartwatch displays or even print exports. Opt for this solution if you're moving between different channels and want to provide a seamless experience for your audience in each.
• When you treat content personalization as an important marketing tool and want to increase user engagement with it. With Headless, you can create interactive digital experiences and deliver tailored content to your audience.

…and when is it not worth doing?

• When you only need uncomplicated functionalities to publish content, e.g. you base your content marketing on content published only in one channel: on your website or in a mobile app.
• When the templates in your current CMS are already sufficient, the website is simple, the budget is limited, and you don't plan to scale up significantly in the future.
• When you don't have a large team of developers, and your content is handled by developers and content creators who find it easier to work together on a single platform.
• And above all: when you want to have full control over the content – from creation, through design, to publication.