[Head-to-head comparison]
Contentful vs Prismic
Contentful vs Prismic for marketing sites, compared across visual editing, modeling, localization, governance, hosting, APIs, cost and migration.
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By Kalle Bertell
Direct answer
Choose Contentful when marketing content should be structured entries, references and field-level locales on a managed API. Choose Prismic when editors should assemble pages from slices in a hosted Page Builder. Both vendors host the content backend, and both leave the website with you. Contentful’s visual canvas needs Studio. Prismic includes Page Builder, preview, scheduling and releases on the listed plans, while locale and role caps still follow the repository plan.
Choose Contentful when
Shared entries across channels
Content types and references reuse one entry on the site and in other channels. Page layout stays in the frontend or in Experiences.
Field-level locales
Several locales can live on one entry. Separate entries or spaces remain available when a market must publish alone.
Scripted model changes
CLI migrations and environment merges move content-type changes. The team does not edit production models by hand.
Choose Prismic when
Slice-based page building
Writers add and reorder the slices developers have defined. A new slice is still a model and component change.
Releases on the free plan
Pricing includes scheduling, releases and revision history from the free repository plan.
Preview without a Studio license
Page Builder and full-website preview are on every listed plan, after the site reads the preview cookie and temporary ref.
Consider neither when
The content backend must be self-hosted
Both products are vendor-hosted. Contentful says the platform cannot be downloaded, and Prismic stores pages in its repository.
Writer roles on a small repository
Contentful custom roles are Premium. Prismic writer and publisher roles start on Medium, and smaller plans are administrator seats.
Many locales on a low plan
Contentful’s free plan lists two locales. Prismic also caps locales by repository plan, from two on Free to eight on Platinum unless Enterprise is custom.
Criterion-by-criterion comparison
Marketer autonomy
Contentful’s default task is the entry form. Prismic’s default task is stacking allowed slices.
Contentful
Entry editing; page assembly is extra
Editors can update structured fields, references and localized values in the web app. Assembling pages from design-system components depends on Studio setup and the role granted to that editor.
Plan considerations: Free spaces include administrator and editor roles. Custom roles that narrow publishing or locales require Premium.
View sources (3)
- Contentful live preview: Side-by-side preview needs a content preview; live updates and inspector mode need the SDK.
- Contentful Experiences: Describes the drag-and-drop canvas, registered design-system components and field-level locales.
- Contentful space roles: Lists default roles and states that custom, translator and freelancer roles require Premium.
Prismic
Writers stack the slices developers allow
A writer can add, reorder and fill slices without changing the website code. A new slice, or a change to its fields, is a developer change in the model and component.
View sources (2)
- Prismic slices: Slice models and components are saved in the website code and returned by the Content API.
- Prismic content modeling: Models content as fields, page types, slices and custom types, with slice choice set by developers.
Choosing between them
Editors update structured fields once the model exists. Layout freedom still waits on Studio components and roles.
A writer can add, reorder and fill slices without a code change. A new slice is still a developer change.
Ask a marketer to publish one new section type, not just fill an existing one, and record who has to change the model.
Content modeling
Contentful models reusable entries and references. Prismic models page types, fields and ordered slices.
Contentful
Content types, fields, references and rich text
Teams model entries with up to 50 fields, rich text and references to other entries. The same model can be edited in the web app or changed with the management API and CLI migrations.
Plan considerations: Premium cross-space references allow three reference fields per type and cap how many entries can be linked.
View sources (3)
- Contentful data model: Defines spaces, content types and up to 50 fields, including rich text and entry references.
- Contentful references: Describes one-to-one and one-to-many entry references, including Premium cross-space references.
- Contentful import and export: CLI export and import cover entries, assets, models and roles. Version history is not migrated.
Prismic
Fields, page types, slices and custom types
Page types are built from fields and slices. Slice models and their UI components live in the website project and are returned as an ordered array.
Plan considerations: New projects use the Type Builder and CLI. Slice Machine remains for existing projects and is deprecated.
View sources (3)
- Prismic content modeling: Models content as fields, page types, slices and custom types, with slice choice set by developers.
- Prismic slices: Slice models and components are saved in the website code and returned by the Content API.
- Prismic Type Builder: Slice Machine is deprecated. New projects model in the Type Builder and sync with the CLI.
Choosing between them
Use it when the same entry is referenced from many pages and channels.
Use it when a page is an ordered slice list whose components live in the website project.
Model one reusable fact and one landing page. Keep Contentful if the fact is the asset, and Prismic if the page stack is the asset.
Workflow and governance
Contentful workflows and custom roles depend on the plan. Prismic includes releases from Free, and writer roles from Medium.
Contentful
Roles and releases depend on the plan
Workflow count depends on the plan, and a Starter space lists workflows as unavailable. Custom roles are Premium, and Launch lists specific paid plans for grouped releases.
Plan considerations: Confirm current plan names. The Launch page still lists Team and Enterprise alongside Lite and Premium.
View sources (4)
- Contentful workflows: Says workflows are available only on specific plans and limits one workflow to 20 steps.
- Contentful space roles: Lists default roles and states that custom, translator and freelancer roles require Premium.
- Contentful pricing: Free column and Starter quotas include two locales, API caps and no Starter workflows.
- Contentful Launch app: Groups entries into releases and lists Team, Lite, Enterprise and Premium as eligible plans.
Prismic
Releases on every plan; roles start later
Pricing includes scheduling, releases and revision history from the free plan. Writer and publisher roles start on Medium, and custom roles per locale are Enterprise.
View sources (2)
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
- Prismic users and roles: Small and Starter plans make every user an Administrator. Custom locale roles are Enterprise.
Choosing between them
A Starter space lists workflows as unavailable. Custom roles are Premium, and grouped releases follow the Launch plans.
Scheduling, releases and revision history are on the listed plans. Writer and publisher roles start on Medium.
Map your roles and release steps to the Contentful space plan and the Prismic repository plan before you compare price.
Localization and multisite
Contentful localizes fields on an entry. Prismic copies a page into each locale, and both cap the count.
Contentful
Field locales, with other structures optional
Field-level locales are built in. Entry, content-type and space copies support independent publishing, and those separated approaches do not get straightforward fallback.
Plan considerations: The free plan lists two locales. Translator roles require Premium, and locale-based publishing is described as an Enterprise-space feature.
View sources (3)
- Contentful localization strategies: Explains field, entry, content-type and space localization, including fallback limits of separated models.
- Contentful space roles: Lists default roles and states that custom, translator and freelancer roles require Premium.
- Contentful pricing: Free column and Starter quotas include two locales, API caps and no Starter workflows.
Prismic
Locales on every plan, with a numeric cap
Editors copy a page to another locale and translate it there. Free includes two locales, Platinum eight, and Enterprise replaces the cap with a custom quota.
View sources (2)
- Prismic locales: Adds locales in repository settings and copies a page, including its structure, to another locale.
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
Choosing between them
Translator roles require Premium, and locale-based publishing is described as an Enterprise-space feature.
Free includes two locales and Platinum eight. Enterprise replaces the cap with a custom quota.
Count locales and decide whether markets share an entry or translate a copied page. Then check both plan caps.
Developer experience
Contentful developers migrate a hosted model. Prismic developers keep slice components in the website repo.
Contentful
CLI migrations, environments and management APIs
Developers script content-model changes, merge environments and call management APIs. The team still owns the frontend, the Live Preview SDK and any custom editor extensions.
View sources (4)
- Contentful import and export: CLI export and import cover entries, assets, models and roles. Version history is not migrated.
- Contentful Merge app: Compares content-type changes between environments and can export a migration script.
- Contentful API basics: Separates delivery, preview, management, Images and GraphQL APIs, including separate EU hosts.
- Contentful live preview: Side-by-side preview needs a content preview; live updates and inspector mode need the SDK.
Prismic
Type Builder plus CLI in the website repo
Developers sync models, generate TypeScript and keep slice components beside the site. Prismic hosts the content, so the remaining app work is the frontend and preview route.
View sources (2)
- Prismic Type Builder: Slice Machine is deprecated. New projects model in the Type Builder and sync with the CLI.
- Prismic slices: Slice models and components are saved in the website code and returned by the Content API.
Choosing between them
The team owns the frontend, Live Preview SDK and any custom editor extensions.
Developers sync models, generate TypeScript and keep slice components beside the site. New projects use the Type Builder and CLI.
Put the preview route and one slice or content type in the real website repo, then see which workflow the team will keep.
APIs and extensibility
Both are hosted APIs with GraphQL and webhooks. Contentful also splits a management API from delivery.
Contentful
Delivery, preview, management, GraphQL and webhooks
Published content uses the delivery and GraphQL APIs, drafts use the preview API, and the management API plus webhooks cover writes and events. EU customers have separate API hosts.
View sources (2)
- Contentful API basics: Separates delivery, preview, management, Images and GraphQL APIs, including separate EU hosts.
- Contentful webhooks: Webhooks call a public endpoint for selected content events from the web app or management API.
Prismic
Content API, GraphQL, migration and webhooks
Pricing includes the document API, GraphQL, webhooks and the Migration API on every listed plan. Private repositories use a read token; writes use a separate bearer token.
View sources (3)
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
- Prismic webhooks: Sends HTTP POST events when pages, releases or tags change, with retries after a non-200 response.
- Prismic API authentication: Separates private Content API access tokens from write tokens for types, assets and migration.
Choosing between them
Delivery and GraphQL serve published content, the preview API serves drafts, and the management API handles writes.
The document API, GraphQL, webhooks and Migration API are on every listed plan. Private reads need a token.
Fetch one published page and one draft from the framework you will use, including a locale, before you choose.
Hosting and operations
Both vendors host the content backend and CDN. Your team still hosts the website.
Contentful
Managed AWS platform; frontend stays with you
Contentful runs the content APIs, editor and CDN on AWS, with US or EU residency options. Your team still hosts the website, builds and application runtime.
View sources (1)
- Contentful backup and hosting: Names AWS US and EU regions, CDN delivery, encryption, daily backups and no self-hosting offer.
Prismic
Hosted repository and CDN; you host the site
Prismic stores pages and media and serves them through its API and CDN. Your team still builds, hosts and operates the website that renders the slices.
View sources (2)
- Prismic page basics: Prismic hosts the repository. Writers stack developer-defined slices in the Page Builder.
- Prismic security: Hosts customer data on AWS in us-east-1 and describes snapshots, failover and customer export.
Choosing between them
Contentful runs on AWS with US or EU residency options. The platform itself is not self-hosted.
Prismic stores pages and media and serves them from its API and CDN. The security page places data in us-east-1.
If data residency or a self-hosted content store is mandatory, treat both as a miss until the contract says otherwise.
Security and governance
Contentful documents its own ISO 27001 and SOC 2 reports. Prismic’s security page describes AWS controls and cites AWS certifications.
Contentful
ISO 27001 and SOC 2; controls vary by plan
Documented assurance includes ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type 2, encryption and daily backups on AWS. Confirm SSO, SCIM, embargoed assets and the uptime SLA on the plan you will buy.
Plan considerations: Custom roles are Premium. EU residency is a documented customer option with separate API hosts, not the default US regions.
View sources (3)
- Contentful security: States ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3, PCI DSS SAQ A and TISAX assurance.
- Contentful backup and hosting: Names AWS US and EU regions, CDN delivery, encryption, daily backups and no self-hosting offer.
- Contentful space roles: Lists default roles and states that custom, translator and freelancer roles require Premium.
Prismic
AWS hosting; SSO and SLAs are Enterprise
The security page places customer data on AWS in us-east-1 and describes snapshots and failover. It cites AWS certifications. SSO, backups and uptime SLAs are Enterprise terms.
Plan considerations: A public Prismic SOC 2 report was not on the security page. Ask security@prismic.io for assurance documents.
View sources (2)
- Prismic security: Hosts customer data on AWS in us-east-1 and describes snapshots, failover and customer export.
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
Choosing between them
Confirm SSO, SCIM, embargoed assets and the uptime SLA on the plan you will buy.
SSO, backups and uptime SLAs are Enterprise terms. A public Prismic SOC 2 report was not on the security page.
Ask both vendors for the assurance pack on the plan you will sign. Do not treat AWS certifications as a Prismic SOC report.
Pricing and cost drivers
Contentful bills spaces, users and API use, plus Studio if you need a canvas. Prismic bills the repository.
Contentful
Spaces, users, API calls and add-on products
Free includes one Starter space, 10 users and hard API and bandwidth caps. Lite raises the user cap and can add one space; Premium prices spaces and users by contract, and Studio is licensed separately.
Plan considerations: Starter spaces list 25 content types, two environments, 10,000 records, two locales and no workflows. Confirm current overages before you budget.
View sources (3)
- Contentful pricing: Free column and Starter quotas include two locales, API caps and no Starter workflows.
- Contentful usage limits: Free allows 10 users and one Starter space; Lite allows 20 users and one purchased space.
- Enable Contentful Experiences: A Contentful Studio license enables Experiences in up to three spaces unless more are purchased.
Prismic
Per repository: users, calls, bandwidth, locales
Free is one user, two locales and hard API and bandwidth caps. Paid plans raise those caps, and bandwidth overages are priced per gigabyte once the plan allows them.
View sources (1)
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
Choosing between them
Free is one Starter space with hard API and bandwidth caps. Studio is licensed separately.
Free is one user, two locales and hard API and bandwidth caps. Paid plans raise those caps, with bandwidth overages once allowed.
Price users, locales, API calls and bandwidth on the repository or space you will actually buy, including Studio if Contentful must compose pages.
Migration and exit
Contentful exports a space with the CLI. Prismic imports through the Migration API and points to an export module or the Content API for copies.
Contentful
CLI export and import; history is not copied
The CLI can export entries, assets, content types, roles, tags and webhooks, then import them into another space. Version history starts fresh, and your frontend, URLs and preview code still need a separate plan.
Plan considerations: Drafts are excluded unless include-drafts is set. Embargoed assets need the download and upload options.
View sources (1)
- Contentful import and export: CLI export and import cover entries, assets, models and roles. Version history is not migrated.
Prismic
Migration API in; export or the Content API out
The Migration API creates and updates documents for a scripted import. The security page also points customers to the export module or the repository API for their own copies.
View sources (2)
- Prismic Migration API: The Migration API creates and updates repository documents for scripted imports.
- Prismic security: Hosts customer data on AWS in us-east-1 and describes snapshots, failover and customer export.
Choosing between them
Version history is not copied, and drafts are excluded unless include-drafts is set.
A scripted import can create and update documents. Taking content out uses the export module or the repository API.
Move a small set of pages, assets and locales in both directions and list what still has to be rebuilt in the frontend.
Marketing website fit
Prismic is aimed at assembling campaign pages. Contentful fits when those pages are structured entries first.
Contentful
Fits structured sites when preview is funded
Marketing pages work when entries, references and a preview URL match the design system. Visual composition is practical only after Studio components and roles are set up.
View sources (3)
- Contentful data model: Defines spaces, content types and up to 50 fields, including rich text and entry references.
- Contentful live preview: Side-by-side preview needs a content preview; live updates and inspector mode need the SDK.
- Contentful Experiences: Describes the drag-and-drop canvas, registered design-system components and field-level locales.
Prismic
Page Builder aimed at campaign and site pages
The Page Builder and slice list match marketing pages, provided developers keep the allowed slices current. Locale and role limits still follow the repository plan.
View sources (2)
- Prismic page basics: Prismic hosts the repository. Writers stack developer-defined slices in the Page Builder.
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
Choosing between them
Visual composition is practical after Studio components and roles are set up.
The Page Builder matches marketing pages when developers keep the allowed slices current. Locale and role limits still apply.
For a campaign site, start with Prismic unless reusable entries or scripted content models are the requirement you must meet.
Visual editing and preview
Contentful’s canvas is a Studio license. Prismic’s Page Builder and preview are on every listed plan.
Contentful
Live preview; visual canvas needs Studio
Side-by-side preview works after a preview URL is configured. Live updates, click-to-field editing and drag-and-drop Experiences need the relevant SDK, and Experiences also need a Studio license.
Plan considerations: A Studio license enables Experiences in up to three spaces unless additional spaces are purchased.
View sources (3)
- Contentful live preview: Side-by-side preview needs a content preview; live updates and inspector mode need the SDK.
- Contentful Experiences: Describes the drag-and-drop canvas, registered design-system components and field-level locales.
- Enable Contentful Experiences: A Contentful Studio license enables Experiences in up to three spaces unless more are purchased.
Prismic
Page Builder and preview on every plan
Editors build pages from slices and can open a full-website preview. The site must read the preview cookie and fetch draft content with the temporary ref.
View sources (3)
- Prismic page basics: Prismic hosts the repository. Writers stack developer-defined slices in the Page Builder.
- Prismic previews: Full-website preview uses a temporary ref and a preview cookie that the site must read.
- Prismic pricing: Prices each repository by users, API calls, bandwidth and locale caps, from Free through Enterprise.
Choosing between them
Fits teams that will connect the Live Preview SDK, and Experiences only if they need a canvas.
Fits teams whose site will read the preview cookie and fetch drafts with the temporary ref.
Compose one campaign page in each editor and see which one marketers can finish without a separate visual license.
Recommendations by use case
[Marketing website]
Start with Prismic
Prismic fits editors stacking slices in the Page Builder. Choose Contentful when the site is structured entries and Studio is funded for layout.
[Structured content platform]
Favor Contentful for shared entries
Contentful content types and references suit content reused beyond the page. Prismic still fits when the model is mainly slices on the website.
[Multilingual multisite]
Match the locale cap
Contentful field locales suit shared entries, with plan limits. Prismic copies a page per locale and caps the count from two on Free to eight on Platinum.
[Ecommerce]
Favor Contentful for linked entries
Contentful references suit product and campaign entries reused across channels. Prefer Prismic when the CMS mainly composes storefront landing pages.
[Enterprise governance]
Validate the signed plan
Check roles, releases, SSO and the SLA on the exact tier. Contentful documents SOC 2. Prismic’s public security page cites AWS, and SSO is Enterprise.
[Small team]
Prismic if the work is page building
Prismic can cover slices, preview and releases without Studio. Contentful can suit a team that will live in structured entries. Check user and locale caps.
[Self hosted control]
Neither hosts the content store for you
Both keep the content backend vendor-managed. Choose a self-hosted CMS if the content database must run on infrastructure you operate.
