Is WordPress a headless CMS? Best use cases for WordPress vs. Sanity

Security vulnerabilities: WordPress is susceptible to security breaches, especially when multiple plugins are in use.
Customisation limits: Extensive customisation on WordPress can lead to development overreach, making projects unnecessarily complex.
Infrastructure costs: Scaling WordPress for large, complex sites can be costly and resource-intensive due to extensive plugin and theme requirements.

As businesses assess their content management needs, they often wonder if WordPress functions as a headless CMS. While WordPress is popular and adaptable, it isn’t inherently headless. This article explains why WordPress isn’t a headless CMS, along with recommended use cases for WordPress and Sanity (a headless CMS), and when each is not ideal.

Why WordPress is not a headless CMS

A headless CMS separates content management from content delivery, using APIs to push content across multiple platforms like websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices. WordPress, however, is a “coupled” CMS, meaning the back-end (where content is managed) and front-end (where content is displayed) are tightly integrated. Although WordPress can be used as a headless CMS with customisation, its primary design isn’t suited to the headless architecture.

Recommended use cases for WordPress

For many small-scale projects, WordPress is ideal because of its low-cost setup, user-friendly interface, and vast plugin library. Here are some of the best cases for using WordPress:

Small websites: Perfect for personal blogs, portfolios, and smaller sites.
Low-budget projects: With minimal setup costs and thousands of free plugins, WordPress is affordable.
Limited content types: WordPress handles basic content types well, like posts, pages, and media.
Startups and small businesses: New businesses benefit from WordPress’s easy-to-use features, themes, and plugins.