Behind Craft CMS Pricing: Why It’s More Than Just a Number

When looking into content management systems, it can be since there’s a lot to consider—features, usability, scalability—but one platform that kept catching my eye was Craft CMS. It’s a flexible, powerful system that stands out for its developer-friendly design and robust capabilities.

But no matter how great the features are, pricing often determines whether a CMS makes sense for you. That’s why I’m here to break it all down—plans, features, costs, and what they mean for different types of users.

A CMS might check all the boxes feature-wise, but if the pricing doesn’t fit, it’s a non-starter. That’s why digging into the price of Craft CMS is so important. It’s not just about the upfront cost—it’s about value over time.

Are you getting enough bang for your buck? Does the plan scale with your needs? I’ll cover all of that here, so you can weigh the benefits against your budget without any guesswork.

Craft CMS offers four distinct pricing tiers, each tailored to different users—from solo creators to sprawling enterprises. Whether you’re building a personal blog or managing a complex business site, there’s a plan designed for you. Let’s dive into each one, breaking down the costs, features, and who they’re best suited for, while adding some extra context to help you decide.

Solo Plan

• Cost: Free
• Features: 1 user, content modeling, localization, multi-site, Twig templating, GraphQL API.
• Suitability: Perfect for personal projects, hobbyists, or individual developers.
• Note: Not ideal for client work due to limited support and features.

The Solo plan is Craft CMS’s free tier, and I think it’s a brilliant entry point if you’re just starting out or working on something personal. For no cost, you get a solid set of tools: content modeling lets you define how your content is structured, localization supports multiple languages, and multi-site means you can manage several websites from one installation.

Team Plan

• Cost: $279 per project (includes 1 year of updates; $99/year thereafter).
• Features: Everything in Solo, plus up to 5 user accounts, 1 user group, and developer support.
• Suitability: Ideal for small teams needing collaboration tools.
• Note: Non-profit discounts available.

The Team plan steps things up for small groups, and at $279 per project, it’s a reasonable jump from Solo. You get all the Solo features, plus the ability to add up to five user accounts, which is perfect if you’re working with a handful of collaborators.

The single user group lets you set basic permissions, and the inclusion of developer support is a game-changer—email access to the Craft CMS team for technical help can save you when you’re stuck.

Pro Plan

• Cost: $399 per project (includes 1 year of updates; $99/year thereafter).
• Features: Everything in Team, plus unlimited users, unlimited user groups, branded control panel.
• Suitability: Suited for businesses requiring advanced customization.
• Note: Non-profit discounts available.

For businesses ready to scale, the Pro plan at $399 per project is where Craft CMS starts to shine. It builds on the Team plan, removing the user cap so you can have unlimited accounts and user groups—essential for managing complex teams or permissions.

The branded control panel is a standout: you can customize the admin interface with your logo and colors, which I’ve found impresses clients and adds a professional polish.

Enterprise Plan

• Cost: Contact sales for custom pricing.
• Features: Everything in Pro, plus SAML SSO, custom license agreements, and priority support.
• Suitability: Designed for large organizations with complex needs.

The Enterprise plan is the top tier, and it’s built for organizations with big demands. Pricing isn’t listed—you’ll need to reach out to sales for a custom quote—but it includes everything in Pro, plus extras like SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) for secure, seamless logins across systems.

Priority support means faster help when issues arise, and custom license agreements let you tailor terms to your needs.

Licensing and Usage Terms

The Craft CMS price per project model can feel a bit tricky at first, but once you get it, it’s straightforward. A “project” is one Craft CMS installation, and within that, you can manage multiple sites—think a main site and a blog under one roof. This is a big deal for developers or agencies, as it means you don’t need a separate license for every site, just each installation.

Here’s what else you should know:

• Licenses are perpetual—you own them forever—but updates cost $99 per year after the first included year.
• You can test Craft CMS on non-public domains (like localhost) for free, which I’ve found super helpful during development.
• Agencies or freelancers need a license per client project unless they’re all within one installation.

It’s a clean system, but double-check your setup to ensure it aligns with the “single project” definition.

Most content management systems (CMS) charge a recurring fee, month after month, year after year. Craft CMS, though, flips that script with a one-time license fee per project, plus an optional annual update cost. 

Understanding the Craft Pricing Model

Craft CMS offers a straightforward pricing model with a one-time license fee—$279 for Team or $399 for Pro, allowing perpetual ownership. The first year of updates (security patches, bug fixes, new features) is included, with an optional $99 annual fee thereafter.

This contrasts with subscription-based CMS like Sanity ($15/month, totaling $540 over three years) and Contentful ($300/month, ballooning to $10,800 over three years), making Craft CMS cost-effective for long-term projects.

• Key Benefits: The one-time fee eliminates recurring charges, offering control and flexibility. However, hosting and support aren’t bundled—self-hosting costs $10–$100+ monthly, or you can use Craft Cloud (pricing undisclosed). Additional developer support or plugins may also apply.
• Updates Trade-Off: Post-first-year updates are optional, saving money if skipped, but forgoing them risks security vulnerabilities—a critical consideration.
• Comparison: Unlike Sanity and Contentful’s ongoing fees, Craft CMS’s model suits projects needing longevity without subscription overhead. Budgeting for hosting and weighing update costs is essential to maximize its value.

Comparing the Price of Craft CMS With Other CMSs

To really understand the price of Craft CMS, I put together a comparison of what you’d pay over three years with Craft CMS versus Sanity and Contentful. Numbers tell the story best, so here’s a table to break it down:

Craft CMS offers significant long-term savings with its one-time fee structure.

• The Team plan costs $477 over three years, beating Sanity’s $540 and Contentful’s $10,800, while the Pro plan at $597 remains a bargain.
• Unlike subscription platforms that include hosting and support, Craft requires separate hosting ($120–$1,200 annually) and plugins like SEOmatic or Feed Me ($59–$99 each).
• Despite these extras, its pricing model ensures predictability and ownership, ideal for multi-year projects.

• Pricing Opinions:
  • “Pay once and you’re set for years.” – Long-term project fans.
  • “It’s fair, but a lot upfront if you’re testing.” – Solo devs.

Benefits of Craft CMS

Challenges of Craft CMS

• Learning Curve: Tricky for beginners to set up custom content.
• Plugin Reliance: Core is great, but extras like SEOmatic ($99) or Feed Me ($59) cost more.
• Pricing: Upfront fees + plugins can feel steep.

Pricing Impact

• Big Teams/Agencies: One-time fee ($279 Team, $399 Pro) saves big long-term.
• Solo Devs/Small Projects: Free Solo plan limits push you to pricey upgrades.
• User Stories:
  • Agency saved thousands vs. Contentful over 3 years.
  • Freelancer hit $500 with plugins on one gig.

When I first explored Craft CMS pricing, I was struck by how its unique model—a one-time license fee per project—offered a refreshing alternative to the subscription-heavy CMS world. But picking the right plan isn’t just about cost; it’s about ensuring the features align with your project’s needs, team dynamics, and long-term vision.

Key Considerations for Choosing a Plan

Selecting a Craft CMS plan starts with understanding your project’s scope and requirements. Here are the factors I found most critical when making my own decisions:

• Project Type and Scale
  • Craft Solo (free) suits personal blogs or portfolios with content modeling, multi-site support, and Twig/GraphQL APIs—great for experimenting.
  • Craft Team ($279/project) supports client work with five users and developer support.
  • Craft Pro ($399/project) fits complex business sites with unlimited users and a branded control panel.
  • Craft Enterprise (custom pricing) offers SAML SSO and custom licensing for large projects.
     
• Team Size
  • Craft Solo: Single admin for solo developers.
  • Craft Team: Up to five users for small teams.
  • Craft Pro: Unlimited users for larger teams.
  • Craft Enterprise: Advanced user management for complex organizations.

• Features Needed
  • Solo: Content modeling, multi-site, Twig/GraphQL.
  • Team: Adds five users, support.
  • Pro: Unlimited users, branded panel.
  • Enterprise: SAML SSO, custom agreements.

• Future Growth
  • Pro avoids upgrade costs ($120 from Team).
  • Enterprise suits scalable, compliance-heavy projects.

Testing with Trial Options

One of my favorite things about Craft CMS is how it lets you test Craft Pro and Craft Team without committing upfront. You can set up the platform on non-public domains—like “mysite.dev” for local development or “staging.mysite.com” for testing environments—and explore its full feature set for free.

This trial lets you build prototypes, tweak templates, and see if Craft’s workflow suits your needs. I used this to test a small site before committing to Team, and it gave me confidence in my choice.

This trial option fills a gap from earlier analyses, which didn’t emphasize how flexible and risk-free this testing phase is.

Plan Recommendations

Based on my research and user feedback, here’s how I’d match Craft CMS plans to different users:

• Hobbyists and Personal Projects: Craft Solo is the way to go. It’s free, user-friendly, and packed with features like content modeling and multi-site support, making it ideal for learning or building personal sites. I’ve used it for small side projects, and it’s surprisingly powerful for no cost.
   
• Small Teams and Freelancers: Craft Team strikes the perfect balance. At $279 per project, it supports up to five users and includes developer support, which I found essential for small client projects. It’s great for freelancers or small agencies needing collaboration without a huge investment.
   
• Agencies and Larger Businesses: Craft Pro is worth the $399 price tag. Unlimited users, unlimited user groups, and a branded control panel make it ideal for managing multiple clients or internal projects. I’ve seen agencies praise the branded panel for impressing clients during handoffs.
   

Final Thoughts on Craft CMS Pricing

Reflecting on Craft CMS pricing, its one-time fee model stands out. Craft Solo (free) suits hobbyists with features like content modeling. Craft Team ($279/project) supports small teams, while Craft Pro ($399/project) offers unlimited users for agencies. Craft Enterprise (custom pricing) fits complex projects.

Expect $99/year updates after year one, plus hosting ($10–$100+/month) and plugins ($59–$99). Users give an 83% satisfaction rate, loving flexibility but noting a learning curve. Test Team or Pro on non-public domains, and non-profits get 15% off. Understanding the pricing of Craft CMS ensures you pick a plan that maximizes value for your needs.