Storyblok vs. Contentful: Which Headless CMS Fits Your Business in 2025?

Storyblok vs. Contentful in 2024: A Head-to-Head Guide

By the end of this article, you’ll understand

• how each platform handles core content tasks

• where they differ on enterprise features like rate limits and security

• their ecosystems for integrations, AI tools, sustainability

• which one matches your project’s scale and complexity

Quick Overview

Storyblok and Contentful are two of the leading headless CMS platforms, powering websites, apps and commerce across industries. While both expose content via API, they have distinct approaches to editor experience, scalability and extensibility.

Ease of Use

Storyblok’s visual editor shows components inline, so marketers can preview changes in real time. Contentful relies on a structured web app interface where editors work with field-based forms across tabs.

• Storyblok

  • Drag-and-drop blocks in context

  • Live visual preview

• Contentful

  • Form-driven entry editor

  • Customizable field layouts

A Gartner peer review noted that “Storyblok’s onboarding for non-technical users is noticeably shorter.”

Content Modeling

Both platforms let you define content types and field validations, but they differ in flexibility:

• Storyblok

  • Component-based: nestable blocks

  • Schemas per component

• Contentful

  • Content types with references

  • Rich JSON models via JSON Objects

Developers building complex site structures often praise Storyblok for its modular approach, while Contentful’s strict schemas simplify data migrations.

Authoring and Editing Experience

Storyblok’s Visual Editor offers WYSIWYG editing, ideal for non-technical contributors. Contentful’s editing UI is more abstract, with real-time collaboration only in certain plans.

Organizations using a visual editor report a 30% faster approval cycle.

Localization and Multi-language Support

Both CMSs support multiple locales, but their workflows differ:

• Storyblok

  • Locale fallback chain

  • Side-by-side language tabs

• Contentful

  • Locale-specific entries

  • Bulk translation exports via UI

Contentful’s localization API is slightly more mature, offering incremental updates for automated translation workflows.

Collaboration and Workflows

Content operations often involve review cycles, version history and team roles.

• Storyblok

  • Role-based access controls

  • Visual comments on components

• Contentful

  • Granular roles per content type

  • In-line comments and approvals

“Our marketing team can now comment directly on page sections without emailing developers,” said Tobias Lullfitz, co-CEO of Storyblok.

Integrations and Marketplace Ecosystem

Storyblok and Contentful each maintain an app marketplace and plugin system.

• Storyblok

  1. Custom apps via management API

  2. Official plugins: Image Optimizer, I18n Tools

• Contentful

  1. App Framework for UI extensions

  2. 120+ marketplace apps (analytics, commerce, forms)

Developers benefit from Contentful’s broad ecosystem, while Storyblok shines in content-centric add-ons.

Pricing Comparison

Pricing structures vary by feature set, usage and scale:

Contentful’s entry plan includes more API calls, but costs scale quickly for additional seats. Storyblok’s tiered approach often wins on predictability.

Enterprise-Grade Capabilities

API Rate Limits & Performance

• Storyblok: 200 req/min by default, burstable up to 1,000.

• Contentful: 78,000 API calls per day on Professional; enterprise can request higher limits.

Both offer CDN caching and webhook queues to smooth peak loads.

Versioning & Rollback

• Storyblok: Automatic snapshot of each publish, with diff view and one-click rollback.

• Contentful: Versions saved per entry; manual restore via web app or CLI.

Audit trails in both systems track user actions for compliance.

Security & Compliance

• Storyblok

  • SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 certified

  • SSO (SAML), 2FA

• Contentful

  • SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliant

• Custom roles, API key restrictions

Developer Community and Migration Tools

Community Ecosystem

• Storyblok on GitHub: ~400 stars; active Slack channel.

• Contentful on GitHub: ~4,500 stars; StackOverflow tag with 3,000+ questions.

Contentful’s larger footprint makes finding community support easier.

Migration and Legacy Support

• Storyblok: Official import scripts plus third-party tools for WordPress, Drupal.

• Contentful: Migration CLI for scripted transformations, UI-driven bulk imports.

Numbered list of migration steps (common to both):

1. Export legacy data (CSV/JSON)

2. Map fields to new schema

3. Run import scripts

4. Validate and publish

AI, Omnichannel Delivery and Sustainability

AI and Automation

• Storyblok: OpenAI integration for auto-generated copy (beta).

• Contentful: App Framework supports GPT-powered tools like Writer.ai.

Mobile & Omnichannel Delivery

Both CMSs deliver via REST/GraphQL to web, mobile apps, smart devices, IoT.

Statistic: over 60% of enterprises deploy headless architectures for multi-platform reach.

Environmental Impact

• Storyblok: Green hosting options via EU-based data centers powered by renewable energy.

• Contentful: Runs on AWS/Azure, both carbon-neutral by 2025.

Real-World Deployments

• Volkswagen uses Contentful to deliver multilingual dealer sites across 30+ countries.

• Flixbus powers its marketing site on Storyblok, enabling instant regional content updates (Storyblok case study).

The Final Take

Whether you choose Storyblok’s live visual editor or Contentful’s extensive app ecosystem, both platforms deliver robust core features for headless content. For smaller teams or marketing-driven workflows, Storyblok often feels more intuitive. If you need large-scale integrations, a mature CLI and a massive developer community, Contentful may be the better fit. Ultimately, weigh your team’s skills, compliance needs and long-term growth plans to make the right choice.