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Agency Website5 platforms compared

Best CMS for Agency Websites in 2026

Compare the best CMS platforms for building agency websites. Showcase your work, generate leads, and manage content your team can update.

Your agency site should be the best showcase of what you build for clients.

TL;DR — Our Top Pick

Next.js + Sanity is our top recommendation for agency website sites.

Full creative control with visual editing for the team. Case studies, blog, and team pages all managed from one content studio.

What a Agency Website CMS Needs

Digital agencies, creative studios, and consultancies building their own marketing site.

Portfolio/case study showcase
Team member profiles
Lead capture and contact forms
Blog for content marketing
Easy content updates by non-technical team members

Top 5 Platforms Ranked

1

Next.js + Sanity

React framework for production with SSR, SSG, and API routes

TOP PICK

Full creative control with visual editing for the team. Case studies, blog, and team pages all managed from one content studio.

94
Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React)Free (open-source)

Strengths

  • Hybrid rendering — SSG, SSR, ISR, and client-side in one app
  • Most popular React framework with massive community
  • Built-in image optimization, API routes, and middleware

Trade-offs

  • React learning curve for non-JavaScript developers
  • App Router introduced complexity with Server Components
2

Webflow

Visual web development platform with clean code output

Designers can build and update without developers. Beautiful interactions and animations. CMS handles case studies and blog posts.

90
Visual (generates HTML/CSS/JS)Free / $14-39/month

Strengths

  • Generates clean, semantic HTML/CSS — no code bloat
  • Full CSS control with a visual interface (like coding without typing)
  • Built-in CMS with API access and structured content

Trade-offs

  • Steep learning curve for non-designers (CSS concepts required)
  • CMS is limited to 10,000 items on the highest plan
3

Astro + Payload

Content-focused framework that ships zero JavaScript by default

Fast static site with a self-hosted admin panel. Full data ownership and custom admin UI for managing projects and content.

87
Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic)Free (open-source)

Strengths

  • Ships zero JS to the client by default (Islands Architecture)
  • Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework in the same project
  • Content collections with type-safe Markdown/MDX

Trade-offs

  • Not ideal for highly interactive apps (designed for content sites)
  • Smaller ecosystem than Next.js — fewer integrations available
4

Payload CMS

TypeScript-first headless CMS that lives in your Next.js app

Code-first CMS that doubles as an admin panel. Custom fields for case studies, team bios, and testimonials. Lives in your codebase.

85
Open SourceTypeScript / Node.jsFree (self-hosted) / Cloud plans available

Strengths

  • Lives inside your Next.js codebase — zero API latency
  • Config-as-code with full TypeScript type safety
  • Built-in auth, access control, and file uploads

Trade-offs

  • Tightly coupled to Next.js ecosystem
  • Newer platform with a smaller community and fewer plugins
5

Sanity + Remix

Real-time collaborative headless CMS with customizable Studio

Real-time collaboration for agency teams. Customizable studio for managing complex content relationships between projects, clients, and services.

83
Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)Free / $15+/month per user

Strengths

  • GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
  • Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
  • Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel

Trade-offs

  • GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
  • Studio customization requires React development knowledge

How to Decide

1

If your agency builds client sites in Webflow, building your own site in Webflow makes sense

2

Next.js + headless CMS is the most flexible long-term option

3

Your agency site IS your portfolio — invest in custom design over templates

4

Add case studies and blog content regularly for SEO and lead generation

Ready to migrate from WordPress?

WordPress → Next.jsWordPress → WebflowWordPress → Astro

Frequently Asked Questions

Should we use what we sell to clients?
Yes, it demonstrates expertise. If you build Next.js sites for clients, your agency site should run on Next.js. It's your best case study.
How do we handle client testimonials?
Store them in your CMS with fields for client name, company, role, quote, and optional photo. Display them dynamically across your site.
Is Webflow good enough for an agency site?
For design-focused agencies, yes. Webflow handles portfolios, blogs, and lead capture well. For dev-focused agencies, build a custom Next.js site to demonstrate technical capability.

Best CMS for Other Use Cases

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