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Drupal

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Sanity

Drupal vs Sanity

Drupal vs Sanity: which is right for your project? Drupal is enterprise php cms for complex content architectures. Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

Sanity wins overall, but Drupal is better for large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control. Choose Drupal for Large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control. Choose Sanity for Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience.

Official docs: Drupal Documentation · Sanity Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

FeatureDrupalSanity
Ease of Use
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scalability
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Drupal

Pros

  • Powerful content modeling with custom entity types and fields
  • Enterprise-grade access control and user permissions
  • Built-in multilingual support for global sites
  • Strong security track record used by governments and universities

Cons

  • Steep learning curve — requires developer expertise
  • Fewer themes and modules compared to WordPress
  • Major version upgrades (e.g. Drupal 7→10) are complex migrations
  • Slow without aggressive caching configuration

Sanity

Pros

  • GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
  • Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
  • Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel
  • Portable Text format gives structured rich text (not raw HTML)

Cons

  • GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
  • Studio customization requires React development knowledge
  • Per-user pricing gets expensive for large editorial teams
  • Steeper setup curve than GUI-first headless CMS options

Platform Details

DetailDrupalSanity
Language / Stack
PHPJavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
Type
traditional cmsheadless cms
Pricing
Free (self-hosted)Free / $15+/month per user
Open Source
YesYes
Best For
Large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access controlDeveloper-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
Export Method
JSON:API module or Views data exportGROQ API, GraphQL API, or Sanity CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Drupal if…

  • You need large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control
  • Your team is comfortable with PHP
  • You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Choose Sanity if…

  • You need developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
  • Your team is comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
  • You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Drupal and Sanity depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Drupal is a traditional cms built with PHP, while Sanity is a headless cms built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Drupal's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.

From a cost perspective, both platforms are open-source, so the real cost difference is hosting and operational overhead. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Drupal better than Sanity?
Sanity scores higher overall (24/30 vs 20/30) thanks to better performance. However, Drupal remains the better choice for Large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control.
Can I migrate from Drupal to Sanity?
Yes. Export your Drupal content via JSON:API module or Views data export, then import it into Sanity. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.
What are the main differences between Drupal and Sanity?
Drupal is enterprise php cms for complex content architectures, while Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. Key differences: ease of use (Drupal: 2/5, Sanity: 3/5), pricing (Free (self-hosted) vs Free / $15+/month per user), and scalability (Drupal: 4/5, Sanity: 5/5).
How much does Drupal cost compared to Sanity?
Drupal: Free (self-hosted). Sanity: Free / $15+/month per user. Both are open-source, so the main cost difference is hosting and infrastructure.
Which is easier to learn, Drupal or Sanity?
Sanity is easier to pick up (3/5 vs 2/5). GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL. Drupal Steep learning curve — requires developer expertise.
Which performs better, Drupal or Sanity?
Sanity has the performance edge (5/5 vs 3/5). Sanity has strong performance characteristics. Drupal Slow without aggressive caching configuration.

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