# Open source Sanity alternatives for AI agents

2 alternatives to Sanity. 2 have an interface an agent can drive. 2 are open source.

Page: alternatives/sanity.html

## Payload CMS

Next.js-native headless CMS with an official MCP plugin that exposes every collection to an agent.

- Listing: apps/payloadcms--payload.html
- JSON: apps/payloadcms--payload.json
- License: MIT
- Agent interface: MCP server, from the builder
- Reach: 4 of 10 jobs
- Last activity: 2026-09-03
- Effort: light-edit
- Agent cannot reach: Define collections, fields, and blocks; Configure access control; Live preview and on-demand revalidation
- Use it when: I want a CMS inside my Next.js app that my agent can fill and update without me building endpoints
- Use it when: I need a content backend with auth and drafts that deploys to Vercel or Cloudflare in one click
- Gotcha: plugin-mcp is versioned 4.0.0-canary.14 in the monorepo; check whether the release you install is stable
- Gotcha: Each collection must be explicitly enabled in the plugin config before an agent can reach it
- Gotcha: MCP requests need a user API key created in the admin panel; keys inherit that user's access control
- Gotcha: Payload runs inside Next.js; there is no standalone server binary

## Strapi

Open-core headless CMS: content types in the admin, auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, env-file config.

- Listing: apps/strapi--strapi.html
- JSON: apps/strapi--strapi.json
- License: MIT core with EE license under ee/ (GitHub NOASSERTION)
- Agent interface: API, from the builder
- Reach: 6 of 10 jobs
- Last activity: 2026-09-02
- Effort: light-edit
- Agent cannot reach: Define content types and components; Manage admin roles and API tokens; Customize the admin panel
- Use it when: I need a content API for a site or app fast, and editors who want a normal CMS screen
- Use it when: I want my agent to push entries and media through a documented API while the content model stays under my control
- Gotcha: Open-core: anything under ee/ is not MIT; the license file also says a registered Cloud account changes the terms
- Gotcha: All content types are private by default; grant public access or use an API token before the API answers
- Gotcha: No official Docker image; generate one with npx @strapi-community/dockerize
- Gotcha: Content types cannot be created through the API; define them in the admin or as schema.json files

## Questions

### Is there an open source alternative to Sanity?

Yes. Both listings here are open source: Payload CMS (MIT), Strapi (MIT core with EE license under ee/ (GitHub NOASSERTION)).

### Which Sanity alternatives have an MCP server?

Payload CMS has an MCP server from its builder.

### Which Sanity alternative can an agent do the most with?

Strapi: 6 of 10 recorded jobs reachable. Jobs differ by listing, so read each list before you choose.