See how the two headless CMSs differ on governance, deployment, digital assets, pricing, and AI.
Liferay vs Contentstack: Headless CMS Comparison
Liferay vs Contentstack: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Capability | Liferay CMS | Contentstack |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Headless CMS. Content is stored as structured data, and every content structure automatically gets REST and GraphQL APIs. | Composable, API-first headless CMS, delivered as fully managed SaaS. |
| Governance | Role-based permissions control who can edit content and who can see it, in one platform, and are included in every subscription. Approvals are recorded, required fields are enforced in the content structure, and each group of customers, such as retail and professional clients, sees only the content approved for them. | Custom roles and workflows for authoring. Showing different content to different audience segments requires Contentstack Personalize, available only on its Starter Pro and Enterprise plans. Gartner notes Contentstack is not commonly applied to authenticated experience use cases, citing a lack of B2B-focused capabilities, and scored it lower in account services and in security and access control. |
| Deployment | Self-hosted or cloud native. | Fully SaaS, with no self-hosted option. |
| Data control | You decide where content and data reside, and who operates the environment. | Content and associated data are hosted and operated by the vendor, since Contentstack is delivered only as SaaS. |
| Digital asset management | Built-in DAM. Files and brand assets sit in the same library as content, under the same permissions and workflows. | DAM is a paid add-on (Contentstack Assets). |
| Pricing model | Priced by configuration. No usage-based charges, no per-user cost. | Plans for teams start at $299 per month (Growth, 10 users), with extra users at $25 per user per month. Enterprise is a custom quote. Plans have usage limits, with overage charges. |
| Artificial Intelligence | With the addition of Liferay AI Hub, pre-built and custom AI agents draft, tag, and translate content within your guardrails, using the AI models you approve. A person can review every output. | AI agents and a real-time customer data platform, built on its Lytics acquisition. |
| Front-end hosting and personalization | Not included. Liferay CMS is headless and delivers content to the front end you build. For personalization, see Liferay DXP. | Contentstack Personalize, on Starter Pro and Enterprise plans. |
| Try it | 30-day free trial. | Free plan. |
Where Each Platform Fits Best
Liferay CMS
For organizations that publish to many channels, markets, and teams, and need to control who can edit content and who can see it.
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Different content for different customers
Serve only the right content to each group of customers, such as retail and professional clients, from one content library.
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Regulated content
Approvals are recorded in the platform, required disclosures can't be skipped, and version history can be exported for audits.
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Data control
Run self-hosted or cloud native, so content and data stay where you decide.
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Teams, brands, and regions
Give each its own space, with its own folders, languages, and permissions, in one shared library.
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Translation
Translate side by side, automate a first pass with machine translation, or export XLIFF for your agency. 50+ languages out of the box.
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Digital assets
A built-in DAM keeps files and brand assets under the same permissions as content, with nothing extra to buy.
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Developer freedom
REST and GraphQL APIs for every content structure, delivered over open web standards.
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Predictable pricing
No usage-based charges, no per-user cost.
Contentstack
For teams that want a fully managed, composable SaaS platform, with front-end hosting and personalization from the same vendor.
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Composable architecture
API-first design that connects to front-end frameworks and third-party services.
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Front-end hosting
Contentstack Launch hosts and deploys the front end.
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Personalization
Contentstack Personalize is part of its platform.
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AI and innovation
Forrester credits Contentstack with strong innovation and roadmap scores, built around agentic AI.
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Managed SaaS
Contentstack runs the infrastructure, for teams that don't need to self-host.
Why teams choose Liferay CMS
Control who can see your content
Role-based permissions for authoring and delivery are included in every Liferay CMS subscription, so each group of customers sees only the content approved for them. Gartner scored Liferay DXP highest of 17 vendors for authenticated experiences, and scored Contentstack lower in account services and in security and access control.
Governance built into the content
Approvals run and are recorded in the platform, required fields can't be skipped, and you can roll back to the last approved version without changing the published URL.
Your choice of where content runs
Self-hosted and cloud native options let you decide where content and data reside, and who operates the environment.
One platform as you grow
DAM is built in, not a paid add-on. Add CMP for campaigns, AI Hub for AI agents, and the Liferay Data Platform for content analytics.
Open delivery for developers
Every content structure gets REST and GraphQL APIs automatically. An MCP server lets AI assistants and agents read and act on your content while respecting every role and permission.
See Liferay CMS with Your Own Content
Four questions to bring to your evaluation:
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Does any of your content need to reach only certain customers?
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Does Legal sign off before anything is published?
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Can anyone say which markets are running the current version?
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Where do your content and data need to reside, and who should operate the environment?
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are headless CMSs that store content as structured data and deliver it to any channel through APIs. Liferay CMS also controls who can see content once it is published, with a role-based permissions system that defines access for both authors and readers and is included in every subscription. It runs self-hosted or cloud native, includes a built-in DAM, and has no usage-based charges or per-user cost. Contentstack is a composable, API-first platform offered only as SaaS, with front-end hosting and personalization in its portfolio.
Choose Liferay CMS when different groups of customers need to see different content, such as retail and professional clients, or customers in markets with different approved products and terms. It also fits when Legal and Compliance need recorded approvals, required disclosures, and audit history; when you need to control where content and data reside and who operates the environment; or when you want digital asset management included with your content platform.
Contentstack suits teams that want a fully managed SaaS platform with front-end hosting and personalization from the same vendor. If you want personalization or page building from Liferay, look at Liferay DXP.
Yes. Role-based permissions, included in every Liferay CMS subscription, decide which content each group of customers can see, and Liferay works with your existing identity provider to know which group each customer belongs to. Your public website and each group of customers draw on one content library. Liferay CMS controls which content a person can see. Changing what appears inside a single piece of content for each reader is personalization, which is part of Liferay DXP.
In the 2025 Gartner® Critical Capabilities for Digital Experience Platforms, Liferay DXP scored highest of 17 vendors in the Authenticated Experience use case, at 3.98. Contentstack scored 2.32.
Liferay CMS runs self-hosted or cloud native, so you decide where content and data reside and who operates the environment. Contentstack is delivered only as SaaS. Its Enterprise plan offers a choice of data center and custom data residency, but Contentstack operates the environment. If you need to control who operates the environment as well as where data resides, this difference can decide the evaluation.
Yes. DAM capabilities are built into Liferay CMS, so files and brand assets sit in the same library as content, under the same permissions and workflows. Contentstack sells its DAM, Contentstack Assets, as a paid add-on.
Liferay CMS is priced by configuration, with no usage-based charges and no per-user cost, and a 30-day free trial. Contentstack publishes plans with usage limits and overage charges, and charges for extra users on its Growth plan. Contentstack says costs can rise with API calls and content volume.
With the addition of Liferay AI Hub, Liferay CMS brings pre-built and custom AI agents into the content workflow. They draft content and images, help authors write, and handle tagging and translation, within your organization's guardrails and using the AI models it approves. A person reviews every output before it is published. An MCP server lets AI assistants and agents work with your content while respecting every role and permission. The Forrester Wave™, Q4 2025, notes that Liferay DXP exposes its capabilities to AI agents through the Model Context Protocol.
Contentstack offers AI agents and a real-time customer data platform built on its Lytics acquisition, and Forrester credits it with strong innovation and roadmap scores.
Liferay CMS gives each team its own space, with its own folders, languages, and permissions. Administrators build content structures without code, authors translate side by side, and approvals run in the platform. Gartner notes that Contentstack presents a comparatively steep learning curve for nontechnical users.
Gartner notes that Contentstack's partner channel is comparatively small and concentrated in North America and Europe, and that buyers in other regions may find it hard to find a systems integrator. Liferay serves midsize to large enterprises across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia/Pacific.
No. Liferay CMS is available on its own. CMP, AI Hub, and the Liferay Data Platform can be added later.
Gartner, Critical Capabilities for Digital Experience Platforms, 28 January 2025.
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, 28 January 2025.
Forrester, The Forrester Wave™: Digital Experience Platforms, Q4 2025, 19 November 2025
IDC MarketScape for Worldwide AI-Enabled Full-Stack Content Management Systems 2025
CMSWire Contentstack Adds AI Metadata & Dedup to DAM Assets, 28 September 2026.
