What is Crafter CMS?
Crafter CMS is an open source, Git-backed content platform written in Java. Content, templates and configuration live in a Git repository, so every change is versioned and can be promoted between environments like code. Its vendor describes it as API-first, with REST and GraphQL APIs, OpenSearch for search, and optional server-side rendering with FreeMarker.
As of October 2026 the vendor sells it as a free Community edition, a self-managed Enterprise edition with support, and a managed Cloud service. The vendor site does not publish prices for these, so we do not quote any. Check craftercms.com for current terms.
Who Crafter suits
Crafter suits organizations where many people touch content and each change needs an approval. Think universities, health systems, public bodies and large publishers. It also suits Java teams that want to extend the CMS with code they already know how to test and deploy.
It is a poor fit for a five-person marketing team that wants a plugin store and a visual page builder by Friday. The community is much smaller than WordPress, Drupal or Strapi, so hiring and Stack Overflow answers are thinner.
What makes it different
| Question | Crafter CMS | Database-first CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Where does content live? | In a Git repository | In a database |
| How do you move changes between environments? | Git pull and publish targets | Export, import or sync scripts |
| How do you roll back? | Revert a commit | Restore a backup or revision |
| Who reviews changes? | Editorial workflow plus normal code review | Workflow plugin, if any |
The Git model is the main reason to pick Crafter. If your compliance team asks who changed a page and when, the repository history answers it.
Keep Crafter and add a headless frontend
Crafter can render pages itself, which is why it counts as a hybrid CMS. Many teams outgrow the FreeMarker templates once they need app-like interactivity or one content source for a site and a mobile app.
You can keep the authoring side, workflows and Git history, and move delivery to Next.js or Astro that reads the REST or GraphQL APIs. Editors keep the in-context preview they know, and we wire previews into the new frontend so they do not lose it. See our headless CMS development page for how we choose the stack.
When to move off Crafter, and to what
Move when the platform costs more to own than the control is worth. Typical triggers are a shortage of Java engineers on your side, a team that wants hosted SaaS with no servers to run, or a content model that has become simple.
- For a Node.js team that wants Git-friendly schemas, look at Payload or the git-based headless CMS list.
- For a Java or enterprise shop that wants a larger ecosystem, Drupal is the common landing point.
We run these moves as content migrations: model mapping, media, URL redirects and a staged cutover. Details are on our migration services page.
What we build on Crafter
- Content types, workflows and role models mapped to your approval chain.
- Headless frontends on Next.js or Astro that read the Crafter APIs.
- Integrations with CRM, search, identity providers and analytics.
- Migrations into Crafter from legacy CMS platforms, and out of it when the time comes.
- Environment setup: author and delivery tiers, publish targets, CI for the content repository.
If you need an engineer on your team, hire Crafter CMS developers.
