Headless CMS

A content management system that separates content from presentation. Create text, images and data in one place and deliver everything via API to your website, mobile app, e-commerce shop or newsletter. No vendor lock-in, no per-editor fees, full control over your content and infrastructure.

100% Made in GermanyGDPR compliantHourly billingNo minimum term

Das Headless-Prinzip

Content Management

Artikel & Seiten

Produkte

Medien

Daten

REST · GraphQL API

WebsiteNuxt · Next

Mobile AppiOS · Android

E-CommerceShop · POS

NewsletterE-Mail

What is a headless CMS for?

Websites and landing pages

Manage content in the CMS, display it on your website with the framework of your choice. Nuxt, Next.js, Astro or static pages: the frontend is freely selectable. Editors work in a familiar interface, developers have full control over design and performance.

Mobile apps with content backend

iOS and Android apps need structured content: text, images, configurations. A headless CMS delivers these via API without requiring an app update for every text change. Editors update content instantly, users see changes the next time they open the app.

Multi-channel content

A product description that appears on the website, in the shop, in the app and in the newsletter. Instead of maintaining the same content in four places, it is created once in the CMS and delivered everywhere via API. Changes take effect immediately on all channels.

Agencies with multiple client projects

Setting up, maintaining and updating a separate WordPress for each client project? A headless CMS can manage multiple projects through a single instance. Content is separated via API, administration remains centralized.

Content types and use cases

Blog & Magazine

Articles, authors, categories

E-Commerce

Products, variants, prices

Landing pages

Sections, CTAs, forms

Documentation

Guides, changelogs, FAQs

Events

Dates, speakers, locations

Portfolio

Projects, case studies

Menus

Dishes, prices, allergens

Real estate

Properties, exposés, floor plans

Open-source tools for your headless CMS

REST and GraphQL APIs

Content is delivered through standardized APIs. Frontends, mobile apps and third-party systems access content through the same interface. Filtering, pagination and content relations are controllable directly via the API.

Frontend freedom

No predefined theme, no restricted template system. The frontend is built with the framework of your choice: Nuxt, Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit, React Native or a static HTML page. The CMS only delivers data.

Visual content editor

Editors work in a familiar admin panel with rich text editor, media library and preview. No technical knowledge required. Developers define the content structure, editors fill it with content.

GDPR compliant on your own server

With SaaS CMS providers, your content lives on third-party servers, often outside the EU. A self-hosted headless CMS runs on your server in Germany. You control the data location, access and processing.

No per-editor fees

Commercial headless CMS platforms charge per user, per API call or per content entry. Open-source headless CMS platforms are free. The only cost is the server.

Versioning and workflows

Create drafts, review and publish. Content can be saved as a draft and published only after approval. Roles and permissions control who can create, edit or publish content.

Two proven CMS for different requirements

Strapi 70,000+ GitHub stars, MIT license

API-first headless CMS with a visual Content-Type Builder (strapi.io). Content types can be defined via drag-and-drop, REST and GraphQL APIs are generated automatically. Installation via Coolify or Docker Compose.

Suited for: Products, events, landing pages, documentation, custom data structures, multi-project management.

Ghost 52,000+ GitHub stars, MIT license

Publishing platform with a native Content API and excellent editor (ghost.org). Offers membership management, newsletter delivery and SEO optimization. Installation via Coolify or Docker Compose.

Suited for: Blogs, magazines, content marketing, membership areas, newsletters.

Headless CMS or traditional CMS?

Headless CMS (own server)

Best choice for teams delivering content across multiple channels.

Content and frontend independently deployable
One CMS delivers content to website, app and newsletter simultaneously
Full API control (REST, GraphQL)
Frontend freely selectable (React, Vue, static, mobile)
No vendor lock-in, migrate anytime
GDPR compliant, data on your server in Germany
No per-editor or per-API-call fees
More components to maintain (CMS, database, frontend)
Technical knowledge required for setup

Traditional CMS (monolithic)

Best choice for single websites that need to go live quickly.

Content and presentation in one system, ready to use immediately
Thousands of themes and plugins available
Large community, many tutorials and agencies
Easy entry without developer knowledge
No separate API access required
Content tied to a single frontend
Performance depends on plugin count and theme
Multi-channel only via additional plugins or workarounds
Vendor lock-in with proprietary themes and plugins

A headless CMS is ideal for teams delivering content to multiple channels or building a custom frontend. A traditional CMS like WordPress is the better choice when a single website with standard features needs to go live quickly and no developer resources are available.

Your own CMS in a few steps

01Step 01

Create a Seed

Choose a model with at least 2 CPU and 4 GB RAM. For Strapi with multiple content types and media, we recommend 4 CPU and 8 GB RAM. For Ghost, a smaller model is sufficient.

02Step 02

Install CMS

Strapi or Ghost can be set up via Coolify with a few clicks or via Docker Compose. Domain and SSL certificate are configured automatically. Detailed guides are available in our tutorials.

03Step 03

Create content and fetch via API

Define content types (Strapi) or write your first article (Ghost). Fetch the content via REST API and integrate it into your frontend.

Step-by-step setup

Detailed tutorials by our engineers, tested on a current dataforest Seed. Accessible without an account.

CMS · approx. 15 minBeginner

Set up Strapi as a Headless CMS

Step-by-step guide to set up Strapi on a dataforest Seed. Two paths, Coolify or Docker Compose with PostgreSQL.

StrapiHeadless CMSDockerCoolifyPostgreSQL

Open guide

CMS · approx. 15 minBeginner

Set up Ghost as a Headless CMS

Step-by-step guide to set up Ghost on a dataforest Seed as a headless CMS. Two paths, Coolify or Docker Compose with MySQL.

GhostHeadless CMSDockerCoolifyMySQL

Open guide

View all guides →

Configure a seed

Billed hourly, no minimum term, no setup fee. One server for your CMS, your database and any number of content projects.

Entry

Beginner

CPU allocation based on availability

At least Intel Xeon Gold

NVMe SSD storage

3-way replication via Ceph

DDR4

Balanced disk performance

3,65 €

/ Month

from

0,005848 €

/ Hour

Standard

All-rounder

AMD EPYC Turin

At least 2.6 GHz

Up to 4.5 GHz

NVMe SSD storage

3-way replication via Ceph

DDR5

Increased disk performance

9,01 €

/ Month

from

0,014439 €

/ Hour

Performance

CPU-optimized

AMD EPYC Turin (High Frequency)

At least 3.3 GHz

Up to 5 GHz

NVMe SSD storage

3-way replication via Ceph

DDR5

Maximum disk performance, IOPS-optimized

12,26 €

/ Month

from

0,019639 €

/ Hour

All prices incl. 19% VAT

Why dataforest Cloud?

Data sovereignty

Your data stays in Germany. All seeds run in certified data centers in Frankfurt. No data transfers to third countries, full GDPR compliance.

Deployed in seconds

Seeds are provisioned automatically. From configuration to a running server takes only seconds. No waiting, no tickets.

Hourly billing

You only pay for what you use. No minimum terms, no setup fees. Seeds can be created and deleted at any time.

Full control

Root access, public API and full transparency. You decide what runs on your seed. No vendor lock-in, no hidden restrictions.

Bevor Sie loslegen.

What is a headless CMS?

A content management system that separates content from presentation. Editors manage text, images and data through an admin panel. Developers fetch this content via API (REST or GraphQL) and display it on a website, in an app or on another channel. The CMS has no frontend of its own, hence the name headless.

What is the difference to WordPress?

WordPress is a monolithic CMS: content and its presentation (theme) are in the same system. Design changes often require CMS changes. A headless CMS only delivers data via API. The frontend is completely independent and can be built with any technology. While WordPress also offers a REST API, it is not optimized for this and delivers significant overhead.

Do I need programming skills?

Not necessarily for installation via Coolify. For using the API and building a frontend, basic knowledge of a programming language or framework (e.g. Nuxt, Next.js, Astro) is helpful. Both Strapi and Ghost offer visual editors that editors can use without technical knowledge.

Which tool should I choose, Strapi or Ghost?

Strapi is suited for structured content with custom content types (products, pages, events). It is a pure API-first CMS for developers and agencies. Ghost is suited for publishing: blogs, magazines and content marketing. It offers an excellent editor and a native Content API, but is focused on articles and pages.

How many content entries and editors are possible?

Strapi and Ghost set no artificial limits on editors or content entries. Performance depends on server specs. A Seed with 4 CPU and 8 GB RAM is suitable for thousands of content entries and dozens of simultaneous editors.

Can I migrate from an existing CMS?

Yes. Strapi offers import functions and an open database (PostgreSQL) into which existing content can be migrated. Ghost supports imports from WordPress, Medium and other platforms directly through the admin panel.

Is a headless CMS slower than a traditional CMS?

On the contrary. Since the frontend is independent, it can be delivered as a static site (SSG) or via server-side rendering (SSR). API responses are pure JSON without HTML overhead. Combined with a CDN, headless setups are typically significantly faster than a traditional CMS with plugins.

How do I back up my data?

Regular backups of the database and upload directory are recommended. Automatic database backups can be configured via Coolify. Additionally, the dataforest Cloud offers optional automatic offsite backups as an add-on option.

Can I serve multiple websites from one CMS?

Yes. This is one of the main advantages of a headless CMS. A single Strapi instance can deliver content to any number of frontends: main website, microsite, app and newsletter all access the same content.

What happens if the CMS goes down?

With a statically generated frontend (SSG), all pages remain online as they are served as HTML files. Only updating new content pauses. With server-side rendering, availability depends on the CMS. In both cases, Docker containers restart automatically on a server reboot.

Any questions?

Then our experts are happy to help. You'll be surprised how fast we are.

Contact an expert Visit FAQs