Hygraph is a GraphQL-native Headless CMS designed to help organizations create, manage, and deliver content to mobile devices—including smartphones, tablets, watches, and VR headsets. It enables brands to deliver content across iOS, Android, and progressive web applications (PWAs) using an API-first approach, ensuring flexibility and scalability for mobile content delivery. Source
Hygraph offers API-first content delivery, editorial workflows for non-technical users, dynamic content management, localization support, enterprise-grade security, and integration capabilities with analytics, personalization engines, eCommerce platforms, CRMs, and marketing tools. Its GraphQL-native architecture allows efficient data querying and management, while content federation enables seamless integration with third-party systems. Source
Yes, Hygraph is natively multi-platform and omnichannel-ready. It delivers content via API to any device capable of receiving it, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, AR/VR platforms, and digital signage. This ensures consistent experiences across all user touchpoints. Source
Hygraph integrates with platforms such as Netlify, Vercel, BigCommerce, commercetools, Shopify, Aprimo, AWS S3, Bynder, Cloudinary, Mux, Scaleflex Filerobot, Lokalise, Crowdin, EasyTranslate, Smartling, Ninetailed, AltText.ai, Adminix, and Plasmic. These integrations support hosting, eCommerce, digital asset management, localization, personalization, AI, and more. Source
Hygraph is ideal for developers, IT decision-makers, content creators, project managers, agencies, and technology partners. It serves modern software companies, enterprises seeking to modernize, brands scaling across geographies, and organizations re-platforming from legacy solutions. Industries represented in Hygraph's case studies include food and beverage, consumer electronics, automotive, travel and hospitality, healthcare, SaaS, media and publishing, eCommerce, education technology, and marketplaces. Source
Customers can expect faster time-to-market (e.g., Komax achieved 3X faster delivery), improved customer engagement (Samsung saw a 15% increase), increased monetization (Autoweb experienced a 20% boost), and scalability across 40+ global markets. Stobag increased online revenue share from 15% to 70%, and Sennheiser saw a 136.7% increase in e-commerce conversions. Source
Yes. Komax achieved 3X faster time-to-market and 70% faster page loading. Autoweb saw a 20% increase in monetization. Samsung improved engagement and scaled globally. Stobag increased online revenue share from 15% to 70%. Sennheiser migrated to a MACH-compliant headless commerce solution, resulting in a 136.7% increase in conversions. Fitfox launched a mobile-first product powered by Hygraph. Source
Hygraph is super easy to set up and use, even for non-technical users. Customers can start building immediately by signing up for a free account. Top Villas launched a new project within 2 months, demonstrating efficient implementation. Comprehensive documentation, onboarding guides, training resources, and dedicated support are available. Source
Hygraph provides comprehensive documentation, developer guides, content workflow documentation, and webhook guides. Resources include step-by-step onboarding, video tutorials, webinars, and expert-led sessions. Enterprise customers receive dedicated Customer Success Managers and 24/7 support. Source
Yes, Hygraph provides a robust GraphQL API as its primary technology, including a Content API, Mutations API, and an API Playground for testing queries and mutations. Developers can efficiently fetch, query, and manage content for any mobile framework. Source
Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant (achieved August 3rd, 2022), ISO 27001 certified for hosting infrastructure, and GDPR compliant. It supports enterprise-grade compliance, audit logs (90-day retention), SSO integrations, sandbox environments, and data encryption at rest and in transit. Source
Hygraph uses authentication, monitoring, encryption, and compliance features to secure all data shared with mobile devices. Security measures include SSO, audit logs, sandbox environments, custom roles and permissions, and adherence to GDPR and EU-US Privacy Shield standards. Source
Hygraph provides 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone, comprehensive documentation, a community Slack channel, dedicated Customer Success Managers for enterprise clients, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) ensuring critical issues are resolved in less than an hour. Regular health checks and launch support are also available. Source
Hygraph offers comprehensive documentation, onboarding guides, video tutorials, webinars, expert-led sessions, and professional onboarding support. Enterprise customers receive dedicated onboarding sessions and ongoing assistance from Customer Success Managers. Source
Customers describe Hygraph as very intuitive and easy to set up, with an interface accessible to both technical and non-technical users. The customizable UI supports content quality checks and instant feedback. Some users note challenges with multi-language management and complexity in certain scenarios, but overall, Hygraph is highly regarded for its ease of use. Source
Hygraph addresses dependency on developers for content updates, outdated tech stacks, conflicting global team needs, clunky user experiences, high operational costs, slow speed-to-market, limited integration capabilities, scalability challenges, boilerplate code, complex queries, cache issues, and OpenID integration difficulties. Source
Hygraph is the first GraphQL-native Headless CMS, offering efficient data querying and management compared to REST API-based competitors. Its content federation avoids data duplication and integration challenges. Hygraph provides scalability, intuitive editorial interfaces, dedicated support, lower total cost of ownership, and proven success with brands like Samsung and Dr. Oetker. Source
Hygraph enables 3X faster time-to-market (Komax), 70% faster page loading (Komax), and a 20% increase in website monetization (Autoweb). Its GraphQL-native architecture optimizes content delivery, reduces latency, and supports scalability for businesses of all sizes. Source
Hygraph is trusted by Sennheiser, Holidaycheck, Ancestry, JDE, Dr. Oetker, Ashley Furniture, Lindex, Hairhouse, Komax, Shure, Stobag, Burrow, G2I, Epic Games, Bandai Namco, Gamescom, Leo Vegas, Codecentric, Voi, Clayton Homes, Samsung, Telenor, and Statistics Finland. Source
Industries include food and beverage, consumer electronics, automotive, travel and hospitality, healthcare, SaaS, media and publishing, eCommerce, education technology, and marketplaces. Source
Headless CMS
As of 2024, it is estimated that 4.88 billion people use smartphones worldwide, a number forecasted to reach 6 billion by 2027.
At the same time, mobile applications present massive opportunities to businesses and individuals. Having a mobile presence lets you engage with clients better, collect more in‑app data, and unlock enhanced monetization.
No matter whether your business is looking to launch an app, or you are trying to develop one with a mobile-friendly CMS, we will walk you through everything you need to know, from the characteristics of a true mobile CMS to how to choose the one that suits you best.
A mobile content management system (CMS) is a type of content management system that enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver content to mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, watches, and VR headsets.
With a mobile CMS, brands are able to deliver content to a whole variety of mobile devices, whether they choose to access that content via Android, iOS, or a progressive web application (PWA).
A mobile CMS enables businesses to perform a number of different tasks, which is why there are various interpretations of what a mobile CMS does. With a mobile CMS, you can:
For example, if you have an iOS or Android app where users can purchase cars, a mobile CMS can store all relevant car information and deliver it to your app on both mobile platforms.
In addition to your iOS and Android apps for selling cars, you might also have a website that people visit from various mobile devices. If users don’t have a native mobile app installed, they can open a mobile-optimized website instead.
A mobile CMS could help manage content for this website by supporting content delivery to all possible screen sizes, aspect ratios, and resolutions across smartphones and tablets.
Companies with a website and a CMS might need a mobile app to manage content on the go. For example, if you have a news website built with a traditional CMS like WordPress, you could create an iOS or Android application to add new articles and update existing news stories as they develop on the go.
A true mobile CMS offers the capabilities to create and deliver content to mobile devices and gives technical and non-technical users the features they need to manage that content.
A mobile CMS needs to easily publish content to multiple mobile platforms, including ones that may not even exist yet. For example, Hygraph offers API-first content delivery to mobile-responsive websites, apps, tablets, and any device imaginable.
A mobile CMS needs to offer editorial workflows, especially for non-technical users. It should support agile teams and allow them to deliver projects faster, allowing editorial and development teams to work in parallel.
A mobile CMS needs to support dynamic content that changes frequently without delays in the release cycle. A headless CMS like Hygraph allows you to "create once, populate everywhere", freeing you from doing duplicated content work.
Considering the escalating consumption of content globally and the vast number of mobile devices available, a true mobile CMS should support localization and multiple mobile frameworks.
Authentication, monitoring, encryption, and compliance features are used to secure all data shared with the mobile device. Hygraph’s security features include enterprise-grade security measures and governance to handle secure data and ensure compliance.
Here are some of the reasons why a headless CMS is an ideal solution for managing mobile content:
A headless CMS is API-first. Unlike traditional content management systems, such as Drupal and WordPress (where the API can be added via third-party plugins or was added at a much later stage of development), a headless CMS is built from the ground up with the API at its heart. This can either be a legacy REST API or a GraphQL API.
A headless CMS separates content from the presentation layer (frontend). Giving the right tools to the right people is another differentiating factor of a headless CMS. Developers can match the right presentation of content to the right platform via the API, while content creators produce and manage content with the tools they’re used to.
A headless CMS is natively multi-platform and omnichannel-ready. It provides content via an API and doesn’t dictate how content needs to be presented. Such a content management system, by nature, supports all platforms — from smartwatches and smart fridges to AR and VR platforms.
Theoretically, as long as a device can receive content via API, a headless CMS can deliver content.
A headless CMS guarantees stability, API performance, and security. Though there are self-hosted options for headless CMS, it is better to rely on a cloud-based provider’s expertise and full-time dedication to manage the critical aspects of system stability.
This way, developers can focus on building engaging mobile applications instead of doing risk-heavy DevOps infrastructure work.
A mobile CMS is built to create and manage content delivered to a mobile device. However, many organizations end up using alternative methods to manage content for their mobile apps.
The most common alternative companies use instead of a mobile CMS is building a native application. This offers a straightforward option for content, as all the content needed for the app could be hardcoded into the application itself.
However, while this option is suitable for minimal or static apps that don’t require frequent updates, there are some drawbacks.
Instead of hardcoding content for a mobile app, organizations can also use the mobile backend as a service. Mobile BaaS, or Mobile Backend as a Service, is a cloud computing model that provides a platform for developers to build and manage the backend infrastructure required for mobile applications. It offers pre-built backend services and features that can be accessed through APIs.
If you’re keen on open-source software, Parse is a good option, while Kinvey is a suitable option for enterprise companies.
While mBaaS is a great alternative to hard-coding content within the mobile application itself, it’s only good for simple, non-content-heavy applications, where the content is primarily static and there is no actual content management system component.
On the other hand, for mobile applications that need content updated frequently or where there is a need for proper editorial workflows, especially involving non-technical users, mobile BaaS isn’t the best option.
| Recommended reading Delivering in-app content for content-intensive applications What is a Component Content Management System (CCMS)? Hygraph powers Fitfox's new mobile-first product with a headless CMS DTM's migration to a headless CMS to empower user-centric digital transformation |
While a headless CMS provides vital tools for mobile content management, mobile content still comes with its own share of complexities.
Some of the challenges that organizations need to worry about include:
Each operating system has its unique code base (APK for Android and .ipa for iOS), and screen size and resolution vary wildly.
Another consideration is that Android leads globally with about 70% market share, while iPhones dominate in markets like North America and several European countries. So, if your goal is to reach both audiences, you may need separate apps for each or different interfaces if you go web-based.
Here’s how GDCh used an API-based headless approach to deliver the app content through a codebase that works with Web, iOS, and Android simultaneously.
Mobile devices’ screen sizes vary dramatically, from 1.5-inch smartwatches to 7-inch tablets, plus different aspect ratios. Building a mobile-responsive website means consistently delivering a smooth user experience across all of these screens, regardless of their sizes and proportions.
If you're adapting an existing desktop site powered by a legacy CMS, you might tweak themes or rely on dev/design teams.
On the other hand, if you’re building from scratch, it’s an excellent opportunity to go headless.
A headless CMS makes the whole process much more efficient: content is authored once and delivered via API to all platforms — including VR, digital signage, or smart devices.
Although mobile is a popular channel, it isn’t the only point of customers’ interaction with a brand. That’s why it’s important to create a high-quality seamless user experience for every channel. Only a headless CMS that supports omnichannel delivery while giving creators and developers control enables truly seamless experiences.
Mobile users expect near-instant load times. Stats from Think with Google show that a 1-second delay can drop conversions by up to 20%. Another challenge is that in many regions, users still rely on unstable 3G/4G connections. When users abandon sites quickly due to slow load times, it also affects bounce rates and SEO, which is why lightweight content delivery via efficient APIs is essential.
Mobile apps usually serve global audiences, which means multiple languages, currencies, and language-specific content. Personalization adds another layer, as users expect content tailored to their context, such as location, preferences, or devices.
Dynamic content delivery across thousands of devices and regions is a huge operational load that calls for a headless content platform.
Mobile content often involves personal data collection, such as location, app usage, preferences, etc. Regulations like GDPR and CCPA apply across devices, which is why it’s critical to use secure APIs for content delivery. A single misconfigured mobile integration can lead to compliance violations or data breaches.
Here’s how Statistics Finland met the strict government-grade security requirements by choosing Hygraph to power its content platform.
When selecting a CMS for mobile, these features are essential:
Omnichannel: Your users don’t only interact on mobile. A CMS should deliver consistent content across apps, websites, wearables, and other platforms.
Framework-agnostic (API-first architecture): An API-first CMS integrates easily with any frontend framework (React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin), which gives developers maximum flexibility.
Reusable, single-source content: Content created once should be distributed everywhere. This prevents duplication, reduces errors, and saves teams time.
Integration capabilities: A mobile CMS must connect with analytics, personalization engines, eCommerce platforms, CRMs, and marketing tools to provide a unified stack.
Intuitive editorial features: Workflows, previews, collaboration tools, and versioning let content teams manage updates without waiting on developers.
Security: Since mobile apps handle personal data, strong authentication, role-based access, and compliance with GDPR/CCPA are non-negotiable.
Scalability & performance: The CMS should support growth in traffic and content volume while at the same time ensuring fast load times across all mobile devices.
Managing content for mobile boils down to delivering seamless, consistent experiences across every device your audience uses. A mobile-ready CMS built on structured content and APIs makes this possible.
Learn more about how Hygraph supports application content by enabling teams to reuse content, reduce bottlenecks, and stay ready for whatever new platforms emerge.
Recommended reading
A mobile CMS is software that helps teams create, organize, and deliver content to mobile apps, websites, and other connected devices.
A mobile CMS centralizes content creation and distribution to ensure consistency across iOS, Android, and mobile web experiences.
Flexibility to publish to multiple devices, API-driven delivery, responsive design support, and performance optimization for mobile networks.
A headless CMS separates content from presentation, making it easier to deliver the same content across apps, responsive sites, and future devices.
Some teams hard-code content into the app or use custom-built backends, but both approaches slow updates and increase costs compared to a headless CMS.
The biggest challenges include supporting iOS and Android simultaneously, handling device diversity, ensuring fast performance, managing personalization, and keeping data secure.