Craft CMS review
A self-hosted CMS with structured content, localization, and strong integration options.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Craft CMS is a flexible content management system for custom websites, digital experiences, and headless applications. It suits developers, agencies, content teams, organizations, and businesses that need control over content structure and front-end delivery. The self-hosted Solo edition provides one user account, multi-site and localization support, advanced previewing, Twig templating, and GraphQL. Craft Cloud provides a hosted deployment option for teams that prefer a managed environment.
Its strongest fit is for structured publishing across multiple sites or languages. Custom fields, drafts, revisions, previews, asset management, user groups, permissions, and authorization controls support more tailored editorial workflows than a simple page-building system. The built-in GraphQL API and headless mode also support separate front-end delivery, while Twig templating keeps presentation within a developer-oriented workflow. External storage providers such as Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage, plus integrations including Salesforce, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Shopify, and Stripe, broaden its ecosystem fit.
Pricing makes the choice more consequential for larger teams. The free Solo plan covers a focused setup, while Team costs $279 per project and adds up to five user accounts, one user group, developer support, and one year of updates. Pro costs $399 per project and adds unlimited user accounts, unlimited user groups, a branded control panel, and branded communication. Enterprise offers custom licensing requirements, first-party SAML SSO, procurement support, and dedicated premium support. Craft CMS is a strong choice for custom, integration-heavy sites; teams seeking open-source licensing, simpler hosting, or lower-cost paid collaboration may prefer an alternative.
Craft CMS pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Structured content modeling with custom fields and previews
- Multi-site localization, permissions, and editorial workflows
- Twig, GraphQL, plugins, and broad integration support
- Where it doesn't
- Team and Pro licenses cost $279 and $399 per project
- Self-hosted deployment requires technical ownership
- SEO relies on documented plugins rather than a core feature
Craft CMS fact sheet, pricing and score →
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