Contentful.
Headless CMS
Contentful is one of the first true headless CMSs and has grown into the enterprise standard. With billions of API calls per month and AI-driven personalization through the acquisition of Ninetailed since 2024, it positions itself as a complete content and experience platform.
What is Contentful?
A headless CMS separates content management from the presentation layer. Contentful was pioneering in this: it introduced the concept that content is pure data, reusable for web, app, IoT and other channels via APIs. Instead of storing a text block as HTML, you store structured fields (title, body, author, publication date) that you can deliver to any platform. Contentful is the system that made this approach mainstream.
What makes Contentful different?
Rich, flexible content modeling. Everything in Contentful is a reusable "content type". This provides unparalleled flexibility – the same content model can go to web, mobile, social and print. The downside: you need to set up your content models properly upfront, otherwise it becomes chaos with many duplicate fields.
Scale and stability. Contentful runs billions of API calls per month without issues. Enterprise features are baked in: granular permissions, workflows with approval chains, localized workflows. This feels robust and enterprise-grade.
AI-driven personalization. After the acquisition of Ninetailed in 2024, Contentful now offers native personalization and experimentation. Editors can test variants, set up segmentation, and track results without code. This isn't "AI gimmick" but productive functionality where customers (Kraft Heinz, Ruggable) are already seeing results.
Strengths
Extensive, rich APIs – GraphQL and REST APIs with extensive query options; developers have what they need.
Enterprise permissions & workflows – Role-based access control, content approvals, scheduling – everything enterprise teams expect.
Ninetailed personalization out-of-the-box – Segment content, test variants, measure impact – directly from Contentful Studio.
Scalable to billions of API calls – Proven performance at large media companies, e-commerce platforms, Fortune 500.
Active innovation track – Regular product updates, AI roadmap clear and ambitious.
Strong partner ecosystem – Easy to find implementation partners (nexum in NL, etc.).
Who uses Contentful?
Contentful is used by large media organizations, e-commerce companies, and enterprise organizations that need multi-channel content.
Spotify – Content distribution for global streaming platform
Danone – Omnichannel content management across brands
Bang & Olufsen – E-commerce and product information management
Staples Canada – Enterprise omnichannel retail
Lyft – Platform documentation and in-app content
Emakina Group – Pan-European agency with Contentful expertise
Our perspective
Contentful is the mature choice: you know what you're getting. The system works, support is solid, implementation partners are readily available. Pricing heavily depends on API usage, which sometimes brings surprises, but transparency in pricing modules helps here.
The Ninetailed integration (2024) is strategically smart: personalization has always been "extra work outside the CMS." Now it's baked in. For organizations that want content + personalization + analytics, you save complex stacks.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, we see Contentful increasingly at serious enterprise players. The overhead is higher than lightweight alternatives, but you also get robustness and support.
Suitable for
Enterprise organizations with multi-channel content (web, app, email, etc.)
Teams that want content personalization (via Ninetailed)
Companies with strict governance and approval workflows
E-commerce and retail with complex product information
Media companies with high API demand
Organizations that want a managed service (not build themselves)
Consider carefully
Pricing can run high based on API usage; plan your traffic well
Content modeling must be done well upfront; refactoring later is complex
Setup and training takes time; you need a partner
Dashboard/UX sometimes feels like "overhead" for small editorial teams
Ninetailed features are new (2024-2025); not all integrations mature yet
Is Contentful suitable for enterprise?
Yes, fully. Contentful is designed for enterprise. Role-based access, SLAs, dedicated support, compliance certifications, scale capacity – it's all there. The question is rather: do you want that much capability? For smaller companies this can be overkill.
Summary: Contentful is the "reliable choice" in the headless CMS world. It's not hip, not groundbreaking, but solid, scalable and with a strong support structure. The recent addition of Ninetailed personalization makes it more interesting for organizations that also want experience management. If you search for "enterprise CMS" in English, Contentful is usually the answer.
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Integrations & ecosystem
Contentful integrates with virtually every tool: e-commerce (Shopify, Salesforce Commerce), analytics (Google Analytics, Mixpanel), marketing automation (HubSpot, Marketo), DAM systems (Contentful has built-in asset management), and more. The GraphQL API is flexible enough for custom integrations. Webhooks for real-time synchronization. A rich ecosystem of third-party apps available via marketplace.
Implementation
Average implementation: 4-6 months for a mid-size project with training. You really need an experienced partner – this isn't DIY work. Content migration, content model design, workflow setup, and team training take time. Learning curve for editors: 2-4 weeks (feels intuitive once you understand the model).
Support & community
Contentful offers excellent official support: live chat, dedicated success manager (enterprise), extensive documentation, and online community. Many agencies and consultants can help. Response times are good; we have consistently positive experiences with Contentful support.
AI & product development
Ninetailed integration is the major step (2024). Current AI features: content generation, multi-language translation, personalization. Roadmap provides for more AI automation. Contentful is clearly investing in AI – not hype, but fundamental product strategy.
Compare with alternatives
How does Contentful compare to Sanity?
Both are headless CMSs, but different approaches. Contentful offers a "managed service" with pre-baked workflows; Sanity offers a platform to build your editor yourself. Contentful is older and matured; Sanity is more innovative on AI. For enterprise: Contentful. For dev teams that want control: Sanity. Contentful has better personalization (Ninetailed); Sanity has better customization.
Also check out our analyses of other headless CMS solutions:
Sanity – Developer-friendly headless CMS with custom editor and strong AI integration
Contentstack – Enterprise DXP with native hosting, strong on multi-tenant scenarios
Storyblok – Headless CMS with visual content builder, more "designed" UX
Sitecore – Traditional DXP platform with long heritage and marketing focus
Frequently asked questions
How much does Contentful actually cost?
What's the difference between Contentful and traditional CMSs like WordPress?
Can I test Contentful for my project?
How good is the Ninetailed integration?
What if I need to modify my content model?
Is Contentful suitable for small websites?
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