Why HTMLess Features API Architecture Docs Pricing Roadmap GitHub
MIT Licensed · Self-Hosted · No platform tax

The headless CMS for teams who read the payload

PostgreSQL at the core. Three clean APIs. Drafts, preview, uploads, and webhooks without SaaS lock-in.

See Pricing → View Roadmap
Postgres source of truth CMA + CDA + Preview docker compose up

Quick Snapshot

1 Docker-based local setup
3 API surfaces: CMA, CDA, Preview
MIT Open source core with self-hosting
P9 Next focus: delivery speed + realtime
# 1. scaffold
$ npx create-htmless my-cms
# 2. start
$ cd my-cms && docker compose up -d
✓ API at localhost:3000 · Admin at localhost:3001

Get Started

Running in under 2 minutes

# One command. Full stack.
$ npx create-htmless my-cms
$ cd my-cms && docker compose up -d

✓ API running at localhost:3000
✓ Admin running at localhost:3001
✓ Postgres + Redis included

# Or pull pre-built images directly
$ docker pull poorman/htmless-api
$ docker pull poorman/htmless-admin

Default login: admin@htmless.com / admin123

@htmless/core @htmless/sdk Docker Hub GitHub

Who It Fits

Shorter homepage, clearer story

Instead of stacking long sections, HTMLess now shows the key reasons teams care most, with tabs for the audience and tradeoffs that matter.

Own the stack without fighting the CMS

HTMLess keeps content in PostgreSQL, exposes clear CMA, CDA, and Preview APIs, and stays simple enough for teams that want full control instead of a proprietary platform.

  • Structured content instead of page-builder sprawl
  • Docker-first setup for local and self-hosted environments
  • REST delivery now, richer query layer after Phase 9

Best Fit

PostgreSQL Relational source of truth with runtime-configurable content types.
  • No vendor lock-in or seat-based pricing
  • Preview and publish flow without custom CMS glue
  • Cleaner mental model than a fully proprietary stack

Structured workflows that are easier to design around

HTMLess helps design teams work from reusable content patterns, media, drafts, and preview instead of scattered text fields and ad-hoc page templates.

  • Reusable content blocks for landing pages and editorial layouts
  • Uploads, captions, alt text, and preview in the same workflow
  • Cleaner handoff between design systems and content teams

Why It Matters

Preview-first Drafts are easier to review before anything goes live.
  • Less dependency on developers for every copy update
  • More consistent layouts across pages and brands
  • Better fit for teams designing reusable systems

One CMS foundation for many client sites

HTMLess is aimed at agencies and studios that want one self-hosted content stack they can repeat across client work without being trapped by per-seat or per-space pricing.

  • Multi-site architecture is part of the core direction
  • Roadmap includes localization, plugins, and agency-friendly workflows
  • Roadmap and pricing now live on dedicated pages for easier client sharing

Agency Angle

Reusable Build once, adapt for brands, campaigns, and product sites.
  • Good fit for mixed technical and non-technical teams
  • Open source core makes client ownership easier
  • Hosted plans can later sit on top of the same foundation

Sanity is faster today on delivery. HTMLess is stronger on ownership.

That tradeoff stays visible on the homepage, but now it is compressed into one tab instead of a long table. HTMLess keeps PostgreSQL, self-hosting, and open source control while Phase 9 tackles the delivery gap.

  • HTMLess wins on self-hosting, MIT licensing, and simpler ownership
  • Sanity still leads today on CDN-native delivery, GROQ, and realtime
  • Phase 9 targets denormalized reads, batched references, and realtime updates

What Comes Next

Phase 9 Performance work without abandoning REST or PostgreSQL.
  • published_documents read model for CDA
  • Redis caching and CDN invalidation
  • SSE or WebSocket updates for preview and admin

Highlights

Swipe the essentials

Horizontal sliders keep the homepage lighter on phones while still surfacing the features and use cases people scan for first.

Core strengths

What makes HTMLess useful right now, plus the next delivery work already on the roadmap.

▢

Structured content

Model pages, stories, and reusable sections as clean content instead of fragile HTML blobs.

Core
👁

Draft, preview, publish

Give editors and designers confidence before anything reaches production.

Core
📦

Uploads and webhooks

Real media handling and signed event flows are part of the practical CMS foundation.

Core
🔧

Self-hosted control

Run HTMLess with Docker and keep the stack inside infrastructure your team owns.

Core
⚡

Phase 9 delivery engine

Denormalized CDA reads, caching, reference batching, and realtime updates are the next big push.

Roadmap

Common use cases

The shorter homepage still shows where HTMLess fits best without a long wall of content.

🌐

Marketing sites

Landing pages, campaigns, and brand sites.

📝

Editorial content

Articles, pages, updates, and changelog-style content.

💻

SaaS frontends

Apps that need content APIs without a CMS rewrite.

🏢

Agency rollouts

Shared CMS patterns for brands and client work.

🚀

Performance rebuilds

Teams that want open source control plus faster delivery over time.

Developer Snapshot

Clean enough for developers, simple enough to explain

Instead of a long API section, the homepage now keeps one compact developer view and sends deeper details to GitHub, the roadmap, and the pricing page.

Read setup guide →

Three APIs. One source of truth.

HTMLess separates content management, content delivery, and preview so teams can publish safely and fetch clean production content without mixing every concern into one endpoint.

That architecture stays intact while Phase 9 adds denormalized delivery, cache invalidation, and realtime updates on top of the same PostgreSQL-backed model.

CMA Editing, schema work, assets, publish
CDA Published content for sites and apps
Preview Draft review without production leakage
GET /cda/v1/content/article 
{
  "data": [{
    "id": "ent_8f3c",
    "type": "article",
    "slug": "hello-world",
    "fields": {
      "title": "Hello World",
      "body": [/* blocks */],
      "heroImage": {
        "url": "https://assets.htmless.com/photo.jpg"
      }
    },
    "state": "published"
  }],
  "meta": { "total": 1 }
}

Explore More

Roadmap and pricing now have their own pages

That keeps the homepage shorter on mobile while giving the roadmap and pricing enough room to be useful on their own.

Roadmap page

See completed phases, current work, and the May 8, 2025 project timeline in a dedicated visual roadmap instead of a homepage preview.

  • Completed phases included
  • Month-based timeline and progress
  • Phase 7, 8, and 9 sequencing
Open roadmap

Pricing page

See the free self-hosted option, hosted plan direction, and what each tier is meant for without forcing every visitor to scroll through pricing on mobile.

  • Free self-hosted core
  • Hosted plan direction and early access
  • Links back to GitHub setup and roadmap
Open pricing

Open source control, with room to become the best headless CMS in its class.

HTMLess is already useful for teams that want self-hosting, structure, and ownership. The next phases are about making it faster, more visual, and easier for every teammate to use.

View on GitHub Start with Docker