---
title: "CMS and headless CMS – which fits your site? | Sweet Lava"
description: "A CMS manages content without code; a headless CMS sends content via API to any frontend. See the difference and when headless pays off."
url: https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/cms-headless-cms/
lang: en
alternate_pl: https://sweetlava.eu/pl/slownik/cms-headless-cms/
---

Technology 

# What is CMS & headless CMS?

A CMS (content management system) lets you manage website content without writing code. A headless CMS separates the editing panel from the presentation layer: content travels via API to any frontend – a website, an app, an in-store screen.

A classic CMS (e.g. WordPress) glues everything together: panel, content database and presentation. Convenient at the start, but constraining – the site looks the way the theme allows, and every plugin slows the whole and can open a security hole.

A headless CMS (e.g. Sanity, Strapi) cuts off the "head": editors work in a comfortable panel while content is served via API to any number of channels. The frontend can be built in a modern, lightning-fast technology and replaced without touching the content.

This is how we built our own website: content is edited in Sanity and the fast frontend is generated by Astro. The two layers evolve independently, so a redesign doesn't touch the content, and editorial work doesn't require a developer.

**Which when:** classic CMS – simple sites, small budgets, familiar panel. Headless – demanding performance and security, multiple content channels, custom design.

## Related services

- [ Custom website design & development → ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/services/websites/)

## Related articles

Development · 12 May 2026

## [ How much does a website cost in 2026? A realistic pricing guide ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/blog/how-much-does-a-website-cost/) 

From €800 for a template site to €40,000+ for a corporate platform. We break down what actually drives the price of a website and how to read agency quotes.

## Related terms

- [API](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/api/)
- [Frontend](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/frontend/)
- [JAMstack](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/jamstack/)

## Planning a new company website?

Design and code grow in one team, so what you approve in the mock-up reaches production with no surprises. Scope and quote within a few days.

[ Get in touch ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/contact/?source=glossary-cms)