Frequently Asked Questions

Pricing & Plans

What is Hygraph's pricing model and how is it determined?

Hygraph offers a flexible pricing model to suit different needs. There is a free forever Hobby plan, a Growth plan starting at $199/month, and custom Enterprise plans for larger organizations. For the most up-to-date details, visit the Hygraph pricing page.

Features & Capabilities

What are the key features and capabilities of Hygraph?

Hygraph provides a GraphQL-native architecture, content federation, and scalability. Key features include flexible content modeling, built-in localization, multi-tenancy, granular permissions, globally distributed CDN, and robust integrations with modern frameworks like Next.js and Gatsby. For more, see Hygraph Features.

Does Hygraph offer integrations with other platforms?

Yes, Hygraph supports a wide range of integrations, including Netlify, Vercel, BigCommerce, commercetools, Shopify, Lokalise, Crowdin, EasyTranslate, Smartling, Aprimo, AWS S3, Bynder, Cloudinary, Mux, Scaleflex Filerobot, Ninetailed, AltText.ai, Adminix, and Plasmic. For a full list, visit Hygraph Integrations.

Does Hygraph provide an API for content management?

Yes, Hygraph offers a powerful GraphQL API for efficient content fetching and management. Learn more at the Hygraph API Reference.

How does Hygraph optimize content delivery performance?

Hygraph emphasizes rapid content distribution and responsiveness, which improves user experience, engagement, and search engine rankings. Its globally distributed CDN and optimized API layer help reduce bounce rates and increase conversions. For more details, visit this page.

Security & Compliance

What security and compliance certifications does Hygraph have?

Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, ISO 27001 certified, and GDPR compliant. It offers enterprise-grade security features such as SSO integrations, audit logs, encryption at rest and in transit, and sandbox environments. For more details, visit Hygraph Security Features.

Competition & Comparison

How does Hygraph compare to Storyblok?

Hygraph offers a GraphQL-native architecture, flexible content modeling, built-in localization, multi-tenancy, and granular permissions, making it more scalable and enterprise-ready than Storyblok. Storyblok is known for its visual editor and is ideal for simple marketing sites, while Hygraph excels at managing complex, structured content and supporting large-scale, multi-channel projects. For more, see Storyblok vs. Hygraph.

Why is Hygraph considered the #1 alternative to Storyblok?

Hygraph is recognized as the #1 alternative to Storyblok because it offers everything Storyblok provides, plus additional flexibility and features for scaling content across websites, apps, and digital products. Hygraph is ideal for dynamic, user-generated content, multi-channel use cases, global teams, and compliance-heavy industries. It includes advanced localization, workflows, custom hosting options, and has been voted the easiest headless CMS to implement by G2 users for four consecutive times. Source: Storyblok Alternatives Blog.

How does Hygraph differentiate itself from other headless CMS platforms?

Hygraph stands out with its GraphQL-native architecture, content federation, and scalability. It enables businesses to unify data from multiple sources, model complex relationships, and deliver content efficiently across channels. Hygraph also provides enterprise-grade security, granular permissions, and a developer-friendly ecosystem. For more, see Hygraph Product Page.

Use Cases & Benefits

Who can benefit from using Hygraph?

Hygraph is designed for developers, IT decision-makers, content creators, project/program managers, agencies, solution partners, and technology partners. It is ideal for modern software companies, enterprises seeking to modernize their tech stack, and brands aiming to scale globally, improve development velocity, or re-platform from traditional solutions.

What are some real-world use cases and customer success stories for Hygraph?

Hygraph powers a variety of use cases, including product catalogs, knowledge management portals, composable websites, and multi-channel publishing. Notable success stories include Komax achieving 3X faster time to market, Autoweb seeing a 20% increase in website monetization, Samsung improving customer engagement, and Dr. Oetker enhancing digital experiences across 40+ countries. Explore more at Hygraph Case Studies.

What industries are represented in Hygraph's case studies?

Hygraph's case studies span industries such as Food and Beverage (Dr. Oetker), Consumer Electronics (Samsung), Automotive (AutoWeb), Healthcare (Vision Healthcare), Travel and Hospitality (HolidayCheck), Media and Publishing, eCommerce, SaaS (Bellhop), Marketplace, Education Technology, and Wellness and Fitness. See more at Hygraph Case Studies.

What business impact can customers expect from using Hygraph?

Customers can expect time savings through streamlined workflows, ease of use with an intuitive interface, faster speed-to-market, and enhanced customer experience via consistent and scalable content delivery. These benefits help businesses modernize their tech stack and achieve operational efficiency.

Pain Points & Solutions

What core problems and pain points does Hygraph solve?

Hygraph addresses operational pains (reliance on developers for content updates, outdated tech stacks, conflicting needs from global teams, clunky user experiences), financial pains (high operational costs, slow speed-to-market, expensive maintenance, scalability challenges), and technical pains (boilerplate code, overwhelming queries, evolving schemas, cache problems, OpenID integration challenges). For more, see Hygraph Product Page.

How does Hygraph solve these pain points for different personas?

For developers, Hygraph reduces boilerplate code and streamlines query management. For content creators and project managers, it provides an intuitive interface for independent content updates. For business stakeholders, Hygraph lowers operational costs, supports scalability, and accelerates speed to market. These tailored solutions address the unique challenges faced by each persona. More details at Hygraph Product Page.

What KPIs and metrics are associated with the pain points Hygraph solves?

Key metrics include time saved on content updates, number of updates made without developer intervention, system uptime, speed of deployment, consistency in content across regions, user satisfaction scores, reduction in operational costs, ROI, time to market, maintenance costs, scalability metrics, and performance during peak usage. For more, see CMS KPIs Blog.

Support & Implementation

How easy is it to get started with Hygraph?

Hygraph is designed for quick onboarding, even for non-technical users. For example, Top Villas launched a new project in just 2 months from the initial touchpoint. Users can sign up for a free account and access documentation, video tutorials, and onboarding guides. Learn more at Hygraph Documentation.

What training and technical support does Hygraph offer?

Hygraph provides 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone. Enterprise customers receive dedicated onboarding and expert guidance. All users have access to documentation, video tutorials, webinars, and a community Slack channel. For more, visit Hygraph Contact Page.

How does Hygraph handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting?

Hygraph offers 24/7 support for maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting. Enterprise customers benefit from dedicated onboarding and expert guidance, while all users can access detailed documentation and the community Slack channel for additional help.

Product Information

What is the primary purpose of Hygraph?

Hygraph's primary purpose is to unify data and enable content federation, allowing businesses to create impactful digital experiences. Its GraphQL-native architecture removes traditional content management pain points, offering scalability, flexibility, and efficient data querying.

What feedback have customers given about Hygraph's ease of use?

Customers praise Hygraph for its intuitive interface and ease of use, noting that even non-technical users can start using it right away. The user interface is described as logical and user-friendly, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical teams.

Who are some of Hygraph's customers?

Hygraph is trusted by leading brands such as Sennheiser, HolidayCheck, Ancestry, Samsung, Dr. Oetker, Epic Games, Bandai Namco, Gamescom, Leo Vegas, and Clayton Homes. For more details and case studies, visit Hygraph Case Studies.

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Top 5 Storyblok Alternatives for 2025

Explore the top 5 Storyblok alternatives for 2025. Find out why these headless CMS platforms are better by comparing features, use cases, and pricing.
Nikola Gemes

Written by Nikola 

Apr 02, 2025
Top 5 Storyblok alternatives

#Summary

This article reviews the top 5 Storyblok alternatives for 2025—Hygraph, Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, and Contentstack. Readers will learn the strengths, weaknesses, and best use cases of each platform, plus when to choose Storyblok itself. The guide helps teams compare features, pricing, and scalability to select the right headless CMS for their needs.

  • Storyblok works for simple sites, but struggles with scale, structured data, and advanced workflows.
  • Hygraph offers GraphQL-native architecture for faster queries and greater flexibility.
  • Hygraph supports complex content modeling, making it fit for enterprises and data-driven teams.
  • Teams scaling beyond marketing pages choose Hygraph over Storyblok for performance and growth.

Ready to jump right in?

Build connected, scalable content with the #1 easiest-to-implement headless CMS.


Storyblok is a well‑known headless CMS with a visual editor and dozens of app integrations. However, many users don’t give it a 5‑star rating. Every tool has trade‑offs, and Storyblok’s pain points often prompt teams to seek storyblok alternatives.

The main complaints are:

  • Complex setup: Developers must configure templates, understand Storyblok’s data models, and manually set up live previews.

  • Outdated documentation: There’s a community on Discord, but it’s not active enough to answer urgent or nuanced questions.

  • Limited customization: Editing components in bulk is tedious, and Storyblok lacks integrations with CRM systems, forcing developers to build their own connectors.

  • Website‑centric focus: Storyblok offers few APIs for mobile apps or other non‑website channels, limiting its versatility.

These limitations may not be obvious on day one, but they become significant as your project grows. With that in mind, let’s look at the top Storyblok alternatives.

#1. Hygraph

Storyblok alternative - Hygraph

Hygraph is a modern, API‑first, headless CMS for creating and delivering structured content at scale. Built on GraphQL, it offers precise querying and an intuitive interface. Hygraph shines at managing complex relationships between content types, making it perfect for dynamic, data‑rich applications.

Why Hygraph beats Storyblok

Storyblok’s visual editor is great for simple sites, but it becomes cumbersome when you need deeply structured content. Hygraph’s GraphQL‑native architecture lets you model complex data and retrieve exactly what you need, improving performance and flexibility.

Hygraph also includes built‑in localization, multi‑tenancy, and granular permissions - features that Storyblok often leaves to third‑party integrations or custom builds. As a result, Hygraph is more scalable and enterprise‑ready than Storyblok.

Pros

  • GraphQL‑native platform with robust querying.

  • Highly scalable infrastructure and globally distributed CDN.

  • Flexible content modeling that supports complex relationships and modular components.

  • Localization and multi‑tenancy baked in.

  • Developer‑friendly ecosystem with APIs, SDKs, and CLI tools; strong integrations with modern frameworks like Next.js and Gatsby.

Cons

  • Limited plugin marketplace compared to Strapi or Contentful.

  • No built‑in WYSIWYG editor. Hygraph focuses on structured content; teams wanting drag‑and‑drop must adapt their workflows.

Hygraph use cases

Hygraph excels at data projects. Its schema builder handles nested content structures and rich data environments like product catalogs or media libraries. For example, the Oetker Group uses Hygraph to manage brands across 40 countries. Hygraph centralized their local technical solutions and allowed Oetker to deliver personalized content while maintaining control over first‑party data.

Hygraph is also ideal for knowledge management and portals. Statistics Finland chose Hygraph for its data governance features. Granular permissions protected the integrity of their data and allowed each user the right level of access without needing costly migrations.

For composable websites, Hygraph’s decoupled architecture allows you to manage content independently of presentation. Komax Group replaced a monolithic CMS with Hygraph to create modular page components and build pages 2–3 times faster. Similarly, BioCentury federated siloed content into a single hub, publishing millions of articles programmatically across web and mobile.

Ready to try Hygraph? Start exploring Storyblok’s strongest alternative by signing up for a free‑forever account.

#2. Contentful

Storyblok alternative - Contentful

Contentful is a headless CMS marketed as a composable content platform for digital‑first businesses. Developers can use custom content models, while editors can create experiences for any channel.

Contentful’s API‑first architecture makes it a solid storyblok alternative for teams who need flexibility but aren’t ready for Hygraph’s deeper structured modeling.

Pros

  • Powerful REST and GraphQL APIs.

  • Editor‑friendly UI and live preview.

  • Flexible content modeling with reusable components.

  • Roles, permissions, and localization support.

Cons

  • Limited rich text customization.

  • High price for startups or small teams.

Use cases

Contentful works well for multi‑channel content distribution and enterprise‑size sites where teams need environments, roles, and localization. It’s also ideal for headless architecture projects using frameworks like Next.js or Gatsby, and for reusing modular content across products.

For further reading, explore our article on Contentful alternatives.

#3. Sanity

Storyblok alternative - Sanity

Sanity is a headless CMS known for its real‑time collaboration and highly customizable content studio. It lets you control content structures using JavaScript, giving you flexibility that Storyblok’s visual interface can’t match.

Pros

  • Highly customizable Sanity Studio.

  • Real‑time collaboration (beta).

  • Queryable content lake via GROQ.

  • Integrations with Next.js, Vercel, and Netlify.

Cons

  • Requires JavaScript expertise for custom schemas.

  • No native visual editor.

  • GROQ is less common than GraphQL.

  • Too complex for simple blogs.

Use cases

Sanity shines for custom digital experiences that require tailored workflows, real‑time collaboration (product teams or newsrooms), and multi‑platform delivery across websites, mobile apps, or even AR/VR. If you’re curious about competitors, see our Sanity alternatives post.

#4. Strapi

Storyblok alternative - Strapi

Strapi is an open‑source headless CMS built with JavaScript. It gives developers full control over their API, supporting both REST and GraphQL. Since it’s self‑hosted, you own your infrastructure and data—something Storyblok cannot offer.

Pros

  • Open‑source and self‑hosted.

  • Customizable REST and GraphQL APIs.

  • Visual content modeling.

  • Built with Node.js; integrates well with modern JavaScript frameworks.

Cons

  • Backend‑heavy customization; you need to edit server‑side code.

  • No built‑in cloud hosting.

  • Lacks advanced approval workflows or localization.

  • Requires manual tuning for large‑scale performance.

Use cases

Strapi is ideal for custom web applications where you define routes and controllers while maintaining structured content. It’s great for self‑hosted deployments - useful for organizations with strict data governance - and for projects requiring open‑source flexibility. To explore further, check out our post on Strapi alternatives.

#5. Contentstack

Storyblok alternative - Contentstack

Contentstack is an enterprise‑grade headless CMS that cleanly separates content and presentation. Developers can build front ends with any framework while editors enjoy a user‑friendly interface.

Pros

  • Enterprise‑ready architecture with SLAs, CDN, and secure API.

  • Omnichannel delivery via REST and GraphQL.

  • Roles, approval workflows, versioning, and scheduling.

  • Reusable content blocks.

Cons

  • Expensive custom pricing.

  • Requires technical skills for API and content modeling.

  • Less suitable for lightweight projects.

  • Fewer options for bespoke editorial experiences than Hygraph or Sanity.

Use cases

Contentstack is best for omnichannel delivery across web, mobile, IoT devices, or voice interfaces, complex content workflows with advanced roles and approvals, and mission‑critical applications like financial services or large e‑commerce sites where uptime matters.

#Storyblok vs. Hygraph

Storyblok is known for its intuitive visual editor, making it a popular choice for marketing sites and simple content projects. Marketers can create, manage, and preview content in real time without technical barriers. Storyblok’s component‑based approach is ideal for modular marketing pages, corporate blogs, or landing pages where visual editing is paramount.

However, Storyblok isn’t designed for projects requiring deeply structured content models or complex data relationships. For that, Hygraph outperforms Storyblok on multiple fronts:

  • Structured Content: Hygraph’s schema builder and GraphQL queries allow you to model and fetch complex, nested data structures. Storyblok’s visual approach can’t match this precision.

  • Scalability: Hygraph’s globally distributed CDN and API layer deliver content faster. Storyblok is fine for simple sites, but enterprise applications need Hygraph’s robustness.

  • Localization and Governance: Hygraph includes multi‑tenancy and fine‑grained permissions, enabling global teams to collaborate securely. Storyblok’s basic localization works, but advanced governance requires workarounds.

  • Integration Ecosystem: Hygraph integrates seamlessly with modern frameworks and offers SDKs and a CLI, while Storyblok’s integrations are limited and often require custom builds.

In short, choose Storyblok if your project is a straightforward marketing site where drag‑and‑drop editing and speed matter most. But if you need to manage structured content at scale - think product catalogs, knowledge bases, or multi‑channel platforms - Hygraph is clearly the better fit. Don’t just take our word for it; explore how our own teams use Hygraph in our How Hygraph uses Hygraph series.

Conclusion

Use Storyblok if you need a user‑friendly CMS for marketing websites or simpler projects where visual editing and fast iteration are top priorities.

On the other hand, if your project demands complex content structures, rich data relationships, or enterprise‑grade scalability - like B2B information platforms or expansive product catalogs - Hygraph is your best choice. Its GraphQL‑native platform, flexible modeling, and robust feature set make it one of the strongest storyblok alternatives.

Explore Storyblok's best alternative by signing up for a free-forever account.

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Nikola Gemes

Nikola Gemes

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