CrafterCMS is an open-source headless CMS built on Java, Spring and a Git content store. It pairs a visual authoring tool with REST and GraphQL APIs, OpenSearch-based search and AI features, and runs self-hosted or as Crafter Cloud.
CrafterCMS has been open source since 2013 and is built by Crafter Software, spun out of a digital agency in 2019. Content lives in a Git repository, so developers branch, review and move content between environments the way they move code. Authoring (Crafter Studio) and delivery (Crafter Engine) are separate systems, so the public site never runs the editing tool.
Editors get in-context editing, drag-and-drop page building, multi-channel preview and workflow. Developers get REST and GraphQL APIs, FreeMarker templates and Groovy scripting on a Java and Spring stack. The newer AI layer adds an author assistant, Spring AI for building agents and RAG apps, OpenSearch as a vector database, and MCP servers and clients.
Strengths
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What each plan costs and what the bill is counted by: seats, sites, usage or a one-off license. The bottom of each card shows what you pay on top.
Free
Self-hosted. Open source under GPL v3.
Developers self-hosting with community support
Costs extra
You pay for your own hosting and any support.
Custom
Enterprises that run CrafterCMS on their own infrastructure
Costs extra
You pay for your own hosting on top of the license.
Custom
Free trial available.
Enterprises that want CrafterCMS fully managed
Costs extra
Prices checked See current prices on the vendor's site
Free, included in the cheapest plan, on a higher plan, or enterprise only. Open a feature to compare it across every platform.
