A headless CMS for your SME, built without a preference for one system. Payload, Sanity or Strapi: the choice follows data location, editing experience and operating model. Noevu builds, your team maintains — proven by the platforms for VRM Gebäudetechnik and the AIHK social insurance fund.
When headless, when not
When a headless CMS pays off — and when it doesn't
A headless CMS separates content from the visible website. Texts and images sit structured in the editing system; the site is built separately and therefore loads fast. It pays off when content serves several channels, data has to stay in Switzerland or custom workflows come into play. Typical examples are pension calculators, application forms and member areas.
A small site with few changes does not need it. There a website builder like Squarespace costs less. Setting up a headless system is agency work. The daily routine afterwards sits with your team: it maintains posts, pages and translations itself. The design frame is predefined and protects the look, no matter who writes. The basics are in the article Headless CMS for Swiss SMEs.
Payload, Sanity, Strapi
What sets the three systems apart
All three can be driven by AI tools through their interfaces. The difference lies in data location, editing experience and operating model.
| Payload | Sanity | Strapi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data location | On your server, including in Switzerland | In Sanity's cloud, EU region selectable | On your server, including in Switzerland |
| Editing experience | Clean interface with live preview | Editing directly on the page, AI features in the Studio | Roles and approvals for editorial teams |
| Operating model | Self-hosted, supported through the service package | Sanity runs the content database; Studio and website through the service package | Self-hosted, supported through the service package |
| Licence | Open source, MIT licence | Studio open, backend proprietary | Open source, Community Edition |
| Frontend | Astro or Next.js | Astro or Next.js | Astro |
As of September 2026. Licence and data location in detail are on each system page.
Three system pages
One deciding reason per system
Each system page shows the use case, the evidence, the frontend combination, plus licence and data location.
Payload CMS
Fits when data stays in Switzerland and the website needs its own application logic. Example: the pension platform for VRM Gebäudetechnik.
To the Payload page
Sanity CMS
Fits when your team wants to edit directly on the page and AI features matter day to day. Setup is quick; Sanity runs the content database.
To the Sanity page
Strapi CMS
Fits institutions with an editorial team, roles and approvals like the AIHK social insurance fund. Or when a Strapi installation already exists.
To the Strapi page Two social insurance funds, two replacements
From Typo3 to headless
Both social insurance funds replaced a Typo3 site that had grown over the years. The path was the same: read out the content, transfer it into the new structure, editors approve. At the AIHK social insurance fund, AI moved the content into the new Strapi structure; the team only approved. The Migros social insurance fund moved to Umbraco together with OPTEN AG — Swiss hosting included.
AIHK social insurance fund: Strapi and Astro
321 addresses and a structure following the org chart became a site organised around five life situations. Strapi 5 runs on a Swiss server and Astro delivers the pages. Launch coincided with the opening of the new AIHK building.
Migros social insurance fund: Umbraco with OPTEN AG
The wish was a visual refresh. It became a rebuild with navigation by life situation and plain language instead of official jargon. Hosting stayed in Switzerland, compliant with ISDS and the Swiss Data Protection Act.
The visible website
Astro or Next.js up front, your system behind it
The visible website is built with Astro or Next.js — your choice with Payload and Sanity, Astro with Strapi. The measured PageSpeed scores, with date and address, are on the custom website design overview.
The process
Four steps to your headless CMS
Analysis and system choice
Listen, sort, recommend.
It starts with your requirements. Three questions frame the decision: where the data lives, who maintains the content, which workflows come into play. From that follows the recommendation for Payload, Sanity or Strapi — with reasons, so you can follow the decision. A written fixed-price offer comes with it.
Content model and prototype
See what is being built — before you sign.
Your content shapes the structure: which page types, which fields, which languages. In parallel, a clickable preview of the website grows — genuinely built and usable in the browser. You see what your customers will see and decide on that basis. At VRM Gebäudetechnik the preview stood before the signature.
Build
Build and migrate the content.
Now the editing interface, the design frame and the visible website in Astro or Next.js take shape. AI carries existing content from the old system into the new structure. At the AIHK social insurance fund that was the complete website; the team only gave final approval. Connections to forms, calculators or directories follow in the same step.
Handover and operations
Your team takes over.
After a short introduction, your team maintains posts, pages, images and translations itself. The design frame protects the look. Hosting, updates and security run through the service package; smaller adjustments and enhancements are covered without extra budget. AI-assisted monitoring reports problems before anyone notices them.
The right headless CMS for your next project.
Payload, Sanity or Strapi: which system fits your data, team and budget becomes clear in a 30-minute call. A recommendation with reasons and a written fixed-price offer follow.
Brilliant — I'm really happy, the site looks fantastic. After an intensive and exceptionally productive collaboration everything runs smoothly; the new website presents the foundation in a modern, accessible way. Many thanks for the enormous effort — much appreciated.
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Expert knowledge on headless CMS, Payload, Sanity and Strapi.
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All CMS articles Answers to common questions about headless CMS:
What is a headless CMS in one sentence?
A headless CMS manages content separately from the website that displays it. Texts and images sit structured in the editing system; website, app or newsletter fetch them through an interface. For you that means one source for every channel, a fast website and input forms that match your workflows. The background is explained in the article Headless CMS: the future of content management.
Who is a headless CMS not worth it for?
Small websites with a few pages and a handful of changes per year. Setting up a headless system is agency work and costs more than a website builder. Content structure, input forms and the visible website are built specifically for you. If that does not pay off at your size, a website builder fits better; the Squarespace page shows when. Your team's technical background plays no role in the decision. After setup, it handles the daily work with posts, pages and images itself in any of the three systems.
Who maintains the content day to day?
Your team. After setup, the editors work in a browser interface: creating pages, changing texts, uploading images, approving translations. The design frame is predefined, so the look stays consistent no matter who writes — a safeguard, not a limitation. At VRM Gebäudetechnik the team has maintained the trilingual platform itself since launch. Smaller adjustments and enhancements to the setup are covered by the service package without extra budget.
Where is the data stored?
It depends on the system. Payload and Strapi run on a server you choose — including in Switzerland. Strapi for the AIHK social insurance fund runs on a Swiss server. Sanity stores content in its own cloud with a selectable EU region. Under Swiss data protection law the EU counts as a territory with an adequate level of protection. If a Swiss data location is mandatory, for example for pension or health data, the choice falls on Payload or Strapi.
What does the setup roughly cost?
From around CHF 8,000 for a website with its own content model, editing interface and visible site; the price depends on scope, languages and integrations. Add hosting and the service package for operations, updates and smaller adjustments. Payload and Strapi are licence-free in their base version; with Sanity a licence may apply depending on the number of users. It becomes binding with a written fixed-price offer after the first call.
