KeystoneJSvs
Appwrite
Appwrite: Open-source Backend as a Service with REST API and SDKs
KeystoneJS
Powerful Node.js headless CMS framework and API platform
As of 30 August 2026, KeystoneJS is free to use. KeystoneJS is a powerful, flexible headless CMS and API platform built on Node. Softwr lists it under APIs. KeystoneJS is made by Keystatic/KeystoneJS, launched in 2016, available on API, Self-hosted.
Overview
What KeystoneJS does
KeystoneJS is a powerful, flexible headless CMS and API platform built on Node.js. It provides REST and GraphQL APIs with a customizable admin interface for rapid development of data-driven applications.
What people use it for
- Headless CMS implementation
- Content management systems
- Customizable API-driven applications
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about KeystoneJS.
- Database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite
- Keystone 5 is a separate legacy product documented on a different site and is not covered by the Keystone 6 docs
- Upgrading requires following a dedicated Migrate to 8.0.0 guide, so major versions are not drop-in
- Free support is a community Slack; enterprise-grade consulting and support is a separate paid engagement with Thinkmill and no published price
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of KeystoneJS
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- KeystoneJSvsHasura
Hasura: GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases
- KeystoneJSvsPocketBase
PocketBase: Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI
- KeystoneJSvsSanity
Sanity: Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs
Pricing
What KeystoneJS costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Open Source
Free
- Full KeystoneJS
- Community support
Capabilities
Features
REST API
GraphQL API
Admin interface
Node.js
Integration with Node.js
Next.js
Integration with Next.js
React
Integration with React
Databases
Integration with Databases
Node.js support
Available on Node.js
Self-hosted support
Available on Self-hosted
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is KeystoneJS free?
Yes, KeystoneJS is free and open source with no licensing fees. Core platform has no lock-in and is contributed to by 250+ developers.
SourceWhat are hosting costs for KeystoneJS?
KeystoneJS is self-hosted and deployment-agnostic. Hosting costs depend on your chosen deployment platform (Vercel, AWS, Heroku, etc.) and infrastructure, not KeystoneJS itself.
SourceDoes KeystoneJS offer paid support?
Enterprise support with tailored options is available from Thinkmill, the company behind KeystoneJS. Pricing details available upon request.
SourceBehind it
Who makes KeystoneJS
- Company
- Keystatic/KeystoneJS
- Based in
- Global
Keep looking
Where to go from KeystoneJS
- KeystoneJS alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- KeystoneJS pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- KeystoneJS badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All APIs softwareThe full category
- Best APIs softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best APIs software for
Compare KeystoneJS with
- PocketBase
- Sanity
- Appwrite
- Hasura
- Strapi
- Parse Server
- Payload CMS
- Directus
- Kong
- Swagger/OpenAPI
- Gravitee
- Tyk
- Trustly
- Tuum
- Unit
- Vodeno
- Weavr
- Apollo GraphQL
Other APIs software
Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI
Free plan9 researched notesHeadless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs
Free, then $15/mo13 researched notesGraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases
Free, then $5/mo9 researched notesOpen-source Backend as a Service platform with REST and GraphQL APIs
Free plan13 researched notesModern TypeScript-first headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs
Free plan13 researched notesAPI specification and documentation framework using OpenAPI standard
Free plan9 researched notesPay-by-bank payments network, majority-owned by private equity firm Nordic Capital
Pricing on request10 researched notesModular core banking platform from Estonia, formerly branded Modularbank
Pricing on request10 researched notesBanking as a service platform for embedding deposit accounts, cards and payments, with a sponsor bank behind it
Pricing on request14 researched notesBanking-as-a-service platform running on a partner bank licence, backing NatWest's UK BaaS venture
Pricing on request10 researched notesPackaged embedded finance for B2B SaaS, with an in-house EU e-money licence
Pricing on request11 researched notesGraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs
Free, then $5/mo9 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for KeystoneJS, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on KeystoneJS
KeystoneJS alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
KeystoneJS pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare KeystoneJS
Put it head to head with anything we hold
KeystoneJS badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best APIs software alternatives
European bank API aggregation with a free restricted production tier for your own accounts
Per connected account per month
Digital and AI-native engagement banking platform for customer-facing banking experiences
quote