CMS Comparison
TinaCMS vs CloudCannon
Compare TinaCMS and CloudCannon side-by-side. Explore setup, editing experience, non-technical usability, collaboration, Git workflow, and pricing.
TinaCMS
Git-Based CMSTinaCMS is an open-source, Git-backed headless CMS originally developed by Forestry.io and acquired by SSW (Superior Software for Windows). It provides a visual editing interface on top of Markdown, MDX, and JSON files stored in Git, giving developers full control over the content model while abstracting Git complexity for content editors.
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CloudCannon
Git-Based CMSCloudCannon is a Git-based CMS platform built for agencies and development teams managing client websites at scale. It offers a great visual editing experience and deep SSG integration, but requires developer configuration before editors can get started. CloudCannon is best suited for teams with dedicated developers who need a robust, enterprise-grade content workflow.
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| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| CMS type | Git-Based (open-source, TinaCloud optional) | Git-Based (commercial, agency-focused) |
| SSG support | Astro, Next.js, Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby, Remix, 11ty, SvelteKit + other frameworks | Jekyll, Hugo, Eleventy (11ty), Astro, Next.js, SvelteKit, Gatsby, MkDocs |
| Pricing entry point | $24/mo (monthly) or $290/yr (annual) — Team plan. No lifetime option. | $55/mo (monthly) or $49/mo (annual). No lifetime option. |
| Free plan | ⚠️ Yes but — Free forever, limited to 2 users and 1 project. | ❌ No — No free plan. 21-day trial only. |
| Free trial (without credit card) | ❌ No — No time-limited trial. The permanent free plan (2 users, 1 project) serves this role. | ⚠️ Yes but — 21 days, credit card required at the end of the trial. |
| Content security | ✅ Yes — Highly secured. No database; files in Git. SOC 2 framework alignment, AWS-hosted infrastructure, encryption at rest and in transit. | ✅ Yes — Highly secured. No database to hack since files are stored in your Git repo. |
| Native language support | ❌ No — English only for the CMS interface. | ❌ No — No native support. Content translation is handled via third-party tools (e.g. Rosey). |
| Mobile friendly | ✅ Yes — Mobile and tablet optimized as of TinaCMS v2.0 (iOS and Android supported). | ❌ No — No dedicated mobile-optimized editing experience. |
Setup & Configuration
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| Non-technical setup | ❌ No — A developer must configure the /tina folder and schema before editors can use the CMS. | ❌ No — Developer-led setup required. Needs a cloudcannon.config.yml file to configure inputs and structures. |
| Starter templates | ⚠️ Yes but — A small set of official CLI starters (Next.js, Astro). Some community starters, no large library. | ❌ No — Only an Astro starter with prebuilt components. Fewer SSG-specific options overall. |
| Edit schema modifier | ❌ No — Schema is defined in code via TypeScript/JavaScript config files, edited outside the CMS. No visual schema editor. | ⚠️ Yes but — Via the cloudcannon.config file, editable in-app through Configuration Mode. No visual schema editor. |
Editing Experience
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| Editor | Visual (contextual/inline) editor + Rich Text (Plate-based) + Markdown + Code. | WYSIWYG Visual Editor — true on-page editing. |
| Live preview system | ⚠️ Yes but — Contextual, on-page visual editing with real-time inline preview. Requires developer setup to wire to the frontend. | ✅ Yes — Real-time in-page preview rendered inside an iFrame. Changes are visible immediately without a full rebuild. |
| AI assistant integration | ❌ No — Listed as “Coming Soon” on paid plans. TinaGPT is a support chatbot only. | ⚠️ Yes but — “AI-ready infrastructure” designed for external AI agents, not an in-editor writing assistant. |
| Collaborative editing | ❌ No — TinaCMS is single-user per document. Simultaneous multi-user editing is not supported. | ⚠️ Yes but — Only one user edits a file at a time; others can view live in read-only mode. |
| iFrame embed preview | ⚠️ Yes but — Not native. iFrame/embed support depends on custom MDX component configuration by a developer. | ✅ Yes — iFrames are used natively in the Visual Editor for live page previews. |
| Shortcode support | ✅ Yes — Custom Markdown shortcodes via the rich-text field’s custom MDX syntax configuration. | ✅ Yes — Shortcodes can be mapped to visual editing components via configuration. |
| SEO tools | ❌ No — SEO fields are developer-configurable, but there’s no built-in SEO analysis, SERP preview, or content scoring. | ⚠️ Yes but — Built-in SEO optimization tools. No SERP preview. |
| Dark mode | ❌ No — Not confirmed as a switchable CMS setting (dark mode exists in the separate TinaDocs product only). | ✅ Yes — Light and dark mode available, follows browser default. |
Non-Technical User Experience
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for non-technicals | ⚠️ Yes but — Editors can use it once set up, but initial configuration and schema changes always require a developer. | ⚠️ Yes but — Requires a developer for initial setup and configuration before editors can use it. |
| Version rollback | ⚠️ Yes but — Content is Git-backed so rollback is possible. No dedicated non-technical rollback UI. | ⚠️ Yes but — Requires technical knowledge or developer access to execute. |
| Initial setup by non-dev | ❌ No — A developer must install the package, configure the schema, and deploy the admin route first. | ❌ No — A developer must configure the CMS and instrument templates before editors can use it. |
Media Management
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| Media management | ⚠️ Yes but — Upload, view, and delete via the Media Manager. External providers (Cloudinary, S3, Digital Ocean Spaces). No file renaming. | ✅ Yes — Drag-and-drop media library. Integrates with DAMs (Amazon S3, Cloudinary, Google Cloud Storage) and Git LFS for large-scale asset management. |
| External image URL support | ⚠️ Yes but — Handled via external media provider plugins. No direct inline external URL support. | ⚠️ Yes but — Handled via DAM integrations. No direct inline external URL support. |
Collaboration & Teams
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| User access | ✅ Yes — Invite via TinaCloud. Editors need only a TinaCloud account, no GitHub account required. | ✅ Yes — Editors can be invited via email without needing a personal Git account. |
| Custom roles | ⚠️ Yes but — Two roles (Admin, Editor) on Free, Team, and Team Plus. Three roles on Business (beta). Custom roles on Enterprise only. | ✅ Yes — Default permissions on the Standard plan. Custom Permission Groups available on Team and Enterprise. |
| Organization management | ✅ Yes — Organizations are supported in TinaCloud to manage multiple projects. | ✅ Yes — Organization-level management supported on all plans. |
| Branch workflows | ⚠️ Yes but — Branch creation, protected branches, PR review, and preview links — available on the Team Plus plan and above only. | ⚠️ Yes but — Advanced branching workflows are only available on the Team and Enterprise plans. |
Git & Deployment
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| Git providers | GitHub only via TinaCloud, including GitHub Enterprise on the Enterprise plan. GitLab not supported natively. | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket. |
| Vendor lock-in | ✅ No — No vendor lock-in. Content stored as Markdown/MDX/JSON in your own GitHub repository. TinaCloud is optional; self-hosting is available. | ✅ No — All content stored as standard files (Markdown, JSON, YAML) in your own Git repository. |
| Deployment | Pushes content changes to your Git repo, triggering builds on Vercel, Netlify, GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Cloudflare Workers, and Alibaba Cloud. | Pushes to your Git repo, triggering builds on external hosts (Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages). Also offers built-in hosting on a global Cloudflare CDN. |
Accessibilities
| Feature | TinaCMS | CloudCannon |
|---|---|---|
| Global search | ⚠️ Yes but — Built-in via TinaCloud with indexer token configuration. Not available in self-hosted mode. | ❌ No — No dedicated global search across CMS content. |
| Edit configs as code | ✅ Yes — All configuration is done in code via /tina/config.ts. | ✅ Yes — Configuration Mode allows editing the cloudcannon.config file directly within the app. |
| Mermaid diagram preview | ✅ Yes — Mermaid diagram rendering is supported in the rich-text editor using the Mermaid npm package. | ❌ No — Not a supported feature. |
Worth Knowing
There's a third option: Sitepins
TinaCMS caps its free plan at 2 users and 1 project, and CloudCannon skips a free plan entirely at $55/mo. Sitepins gives you a visual editor, AI writing assistant, real-time collaboration, and one-click Vercel deploys with zero setup required — free forever, or a $199 one-time lifetime deal instead of a recurring subscription. Sitepins is open source too (AGPL-3.0, on GitHub), so you can self-host it or contribute.
Note: If you found any wrong information here, please contact us and we will fix it.
Which one is right for you?
A quick summary to help you choose the right Git-based CMS.
Choose TinaCMS if:
- You want a genuine free tier to start on, even if capped at 2 users and 1 project
- You need Mermaid diagrams and a mobile-optimized editor without paying agency-tier pricing
- You want GitHub Enterprise support available on a growth plan
- You're building on a wide range of SSGs, including Hugo, Jekyll, and Gatsby
- You'd rather self-host and avoid an agency-priced subscription
Choose CloudCannon if:
- You need a true on-page WYSIWYG visual editor with real-time preview, no developer wiring required
- You want built-in DAM integrations (S3, Cloudinary, Google Cloud Storage) and Git LFS for large media libraries
- Your team needs GitLab or Bitbucket support, not just GitHub
- You want default role-based permissions from your first paid plan, not gated behind an enterprise tier
- You're managing multiple client sites and need agency-grade workflows and support
Migration Support
Already using another CMS?
Whether you are coming from WordPress, Contentful, Sanity, or any other platform, our team is ready to help you migrate your content, structure, and workflows with zero downtime. Migration support is available for all users on the Team plan or the Lifetime deal. We handle the boring, tedious tasks so you can focus on launching as soon as possible.
Get Started with Sitepins
Get started for free today and discover easy, flexible, and full control over your content.