NEWJoin 1M+ SaaS Professionals|Get Weekly Insights, Trends & Expert PicksSubscribe Free →

Spotsaas logo

Craft CMS vs Umbraco CMS vs Story Chief Comparison

Last updated:

Craft CMS

4.3(52 reviews)

Starting at $199

  • Individuals
  • Freelancers / Consultants

Craft is flexible and powerful content management software that helps manage website; from writing, to publishing, to editing and refinement. Craft features a simple content editing interface for users who are not as fam…

Umbraco CMS

4.4(2 reviews)

Starting at $7,100 /Year

  • Freelancers / Consultants
  • Large Enterprises

Umbraco CMS is a free open source, enterprise ready content management system. Umbraco has been built from the ground up to make it easy for organizations of any size and technical ability to manage their online content.…

Story Chief

4.5(20 reviews)

Starting at $12 /Month

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

StoryChief is a cloud-based content management system that allows editors and designers to manage and automate the process of creating brand-specific content for editorial and marketing teams within an organization. Stor…

Umbraco CMS leads on user satisfaction with a 4.4-star rating across 2 reviews.

Craft CMS vs Umbraco CMS vs Story Chief — at a glance

FeatureCraft CMSUmbraco CMSStory Chief
Rating4.3 / 54.4 / 54.5 / 5
Reviews52220
Starting price$199$7,100 /Year$12 /Month
Free trial No No Yes
Free version No No No
Best forIndividuals, Freelancers / Consultants, Medium BusinessFreelancers / Consultants, Large Enterprises, Medium BusinessLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business
CategoryContent Management SoftwareContent Management SoftwareContent Management Software
PlatformsSaaS/Web/CloudSaaS/Web/CloudSaaS/Web/Cloud
APIAvailable
Support modesOnlineOnlineBusiness Hours, Online
CertificationsGDPRGDPRGDPR
Data residencyUSGlobalGlobal

Key differences between Craft CMS and Umbraco CMS

  • Pricing: Craft CMS starts at $199, while Umbraco CMS starts at $7,100 /Year.
  • Target audience: Craft CMS is built for Individuals and Freelancers / Consultants, while Umbraco CMS targets Freelancers / Consultants and Large Enterprises.
  • User satisfaction: Umbraco CMS scores higher with a 4.4-star average.
  • Deployment: Craft CMS supports SaaS/Web/Cloud; Umbraco CMS supports SaaS/Web/Cloud.

Compare Craft CMS vs Umbraco CMS vs Story Chief — and walk away knowing which one fits.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Content Management Software tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Craft CMS - Content Management Software
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert
Umbraco CMS - Content Management Software
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert

Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Craft CMS

Best for developers needing flexible, customizable CMS with intuitive editing.

Choose if
  • You require a highly flexible and customizable data structure for complex sites.
  • Your team includes developers and designers collaborating on intricate website builds.
  • You want a user-friendly back-end editor with live preview for content editors.
Consider alternatives if
  • You are a non-technical user without developer support for setup and maintenance.
  • You need extensive out-of-the-box front-end features like advanced form handling.

Umbraco CMS

Best for enterprises needing flexible, open source CMS with developer customization.

Choose if
  • You require a CMS that balances ease of use with deep developer flexibility.
  • Your team includes web developers or technical resources to handle setup and customization.
  • You want an open source platform with strong community support and extensibility.
Consider alternatives if
  • You need a fully managed, out-of-the-box CMS with minimal setup or technical involvement.
  • Your organization lacks developer support and technical expertise to manage customization.

Story Chief

Best for streamlined multi-channel content creation and SEO guidance.

Choose if
  • You need simple, intuitive content editing with built-in SEO tips.
  • Your team requires easy distribution across multiple social and publishing channels.
  • You are a small to medium business focused on content or digital marketing.
Consider alternatives if
  • Your organization demands extensive template design customization.
  • You require real-time simultaneous collaboration on content creation.

Craft CMS: Best for developers needing flexible, customizable CMS with intuitive editing. Umbraco CMS: Best for enterprises needing flexible, open source CMS with developer customization.

Description

Craft is flexible and powerful content management software that helps manage website; from writing, to publishing, to editing and refinement. Craft features a simple content editing ... Read More about Craft CMS

Umbraco CMS is a free open source, enterprise ready content management system. Umbraco has been built from the ground up to make it easy for organizations of any size and technical ability ... Read More about Umbraco CMS

StoryChief is a cloud-based content management system that allows editors and designers to manage and automate the process of creating brand-specific content for editorial and marketing ... Read More about Story Chief

Entry Level Pricing

  • Starts from $199
  • Starts from $7,100
  • Starts from $12 , Billed Yearly

Free Trial Availability

  • No free trial
  • No free trial

Spotsaas Score

What's this? ↗

9.1/10

8.7/10

9.1/10

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

4.3

(52)

4.4

(2)

4.5

(20)

Best Company Size

Small BusinessMedium Business
Small BusinessLarge Enterprises
Small BusinessMedium Business
Get pricing help
Get pricing help

Software Demo

Demo

No software demo available

Craft CMS has not given any software demo yet

If you're the owner of this profile, add your demo.Contact us

Need a second opinion?

Get shortlist help from a software advisor

Share your priorities, budget, and team needs, and we’ll help you narrow the options and understand the tradeoffs before you talk to vendors.

How do Craft CMS, Umbraco CMS and Story Chief Compare on Features?

Total Features

10 Features

10 Features

10 Features

Unique Features

No unique features

No unique features

No unique features

Get Quote
Get Quote

Compare Craft CMS, Umbraco CMS and Story Chief on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

        Starting From

        • $199
        • $7,100
        • $12 , Billed Yearly

        Pricing Plans

        • Not Available
        • Not Available
        • Free

          • World-class online editor

          • Invite team members & guest writers

          • Get approval from stakeholders

          Show more +

        • Essential

          • Unlimited Stories & Social Updates

          • Measure Article Performance

          • Removed StoryChief Branding

          Show more +

        • Pro

          • Includes featurtes of Essential plan, plus

          • Smart Content Calendar

          • Editorial Briefing

          Show more +

        • Browse all pricing plans

        Pricing Page

        Craft CMS pricing
        Umbraco CMS pricing
        Story Chief pricing

        Other Details

        Organization Types supported

        • Medium Business
        • Large Enterprises
        • Small Business
        • Freelancers
        • Individuals
        • Medium Business
        • Large Enterprises
        • Small Business
        • Freelancers
        • Individuals
        • Medium Business
        • Large Enterprises
        • Small Business
        • Freelancers
        • Individuals

        Platforms Supported

        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Windows
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - Android
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Windows
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - Android
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Windows
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - Android
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Browser Based (Cloud)

        Modes of support

        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online
        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online
        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online

        API Support

        • Not Available
        • Available
        • Not Available
        Get help choosing
        Get help choosing

        Security & Compliance

        Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

        HIPAA

        ✗ No
        ✗ No

        GDPR

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Single Sign-On (SSO)

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Data Encryption

        ✓ Yes
        ✓ Yes

        Audit Logs

        ✓ Yes

        Data Residency

        🇺🇸 US
        🌐 Global

        Craft CMS vs Umbraco CMS User Reviews & Rating Comparison

        User Ratings

        Rating Distribution

        17

        11

        3

        1

        0

        2

        0

        0

        0

        0

        20

        1

        1

        0

        0

        Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

        Buyer sentiment

        Overall positive sentiment highlighting flexibility and developer-friendliness, tempered by concerns about bugs and pricing.

        What buyers like

        • Flexibility and customization
        • Intuitive content editing interface
        • Active community support

        Common complaints

        • Bugs and stability issues
        • Pricing concerns

        Buyer sentiment

        Buyers appreciate Umbraco CMS for its flexibility and enterprise readiness but note a learning curve and pricing opacity.

        What buyers like

        • Flexibility
        • Open source nature
        • Enterprise features

        Common complaints

        • Complex setup
        • Unclear pricing

        Buyer sentiment

        Users generally express high satisfaction with StoryChief’s ease of use, SEO features, and multi-channel distribution, though some desire more customization and collaboration capabilities.

        What buyers like

        • Ease of use
        • SEO guidance
        • Multi-channel publishing

        Common complaints

        • Limited template customization
        • Lack of simultaneous collaboration

        Pros and Cons

        • Highly flexible and customizable data structure

        • User-friendly back-end editor with live preview

        • Strong support and active developer community

        • Occasional bugs and stability issues, especially with text formatting and asset management

        • Pricing can be a barrier for smaller businesses

        • Open source with enterprise readiness

        • Flexible content management for various skill levels

        • Strong community and extensibility

        • Requires some technical knowledge for setup and customization

        • Limited out-of-the-box features compared to some SaaS CMS

        • Intuitive editor with collaboration tools

        • SEO guidance and readability analysis

        • Seamless multi-channel content distribution

        • Limited customization options in design and templates

        • Restricted native posting channels (e.g., no Vkontakte or Telegram)

        Positive Reviews

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        Media and Screenshots

        Screenshots

        Settings

        8 Screenshots

        Content

        2 Screenshots

        Videos

        No videos available.

        video-0

        1 Videos

        Expand your shortlist

        Add another option to compare side by side

        Search by product name to compare pricing, fit, and buyer feedback in one view.

        Compare similar software options

        Related Blogs and Articles for Content Management Software

        Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

        Frequently asked questions

        Which is better, Craft CMS or Umbraco CMS?
        Umbraco CMS edges out the other on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.3). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
        Do Craft CMS and Umbraco CMS offer a free trial?
        Neither Craft CMS nor Umbraco CMS currently lists a free trial.
        What is the starting price of Craft CMS vs Umbraco CMS?
        Craft CMS starts at $199. Umbraco CMS starts at $7,100 /Year.
        What are the top alternatives to Craft CMS?
        Top alternatives to Craft CMS include Story Chief, WordPress, Webflow, TalentLMS, Drupal.
        What are the top alternatives to Umbraco CMS?
        Top alternatives to Umbraco CMS include Story Chief, WordPress, TalentLMS, Sitefinity, Concrete5.

        Grow your pipeline with buyers who are already looking for you

        254,000+ buyers use Spotsaas every month to evaluate and shortlist software. Get in front of them — for free, or with a managed growth plan built around your category.