A REST API exposes content as resources at fixed URLs, read and written with standard HTTP methods and usually returned as JSON. Any language with an HTTP client can use it, responses cache well at the HTTP layer, and fetching related content often takes several requests or query parameters. Some tools generate the REST endpoints from the content model. A record holds this value when its documentation describes a REST or JSON API for content, built in or as an official module. Many also offer GraphQL.
55 projects deliver content over REST, listed alphabetically. Mostly content management systems, e-commerce and Headless CMSs, of 16 categories in all. 176 records do not record this field, and cannot appear here either way. For 362 the question does not apply. Counts only projects with momentum; the full list has the rest.
A
ArangoDBMulti-model database for documents, graphs and key-value data, queried with the AQL query language.
- Atomic Server
Self-hostable server for storage, search, sharing and sync of Atomic Data, with a web app and a RESTful API.
B
baserCMSOpen-source PHP content management system built on CakePHP for building and customizing websites, with a REST API.
Better AuthFramework-agnostic authentication and authorization framework for TypeScript.
C
Concrete CMSOpen-source content management system for teams, written in PHP, with a built-in REST API and a MySQL or MariaDB database.
CoreMedia Content CloudProprietary enterprise content management system and digital experience platform, offered as a hybrid headless CMS.
Countly LiteSelf-hosted analytics and engagement server that collects data from web, mobile and desktop applications and shows it in dashboards.
D
- Django REST framework
Toolkit for building Web APIs on Django, with serialization, views, authentication and permissions.
- dotCMS
Java content management system with an admin console, REST and GraphQL APIs and multi-site management, distributed as a Docker image and as a managed cloud service.
E
- Easy CMS
Embedded headless CMS that runs inside a Nuxt or Next.js app, with a typed local API, a REST API and an admin at /admin.
- EmDash
Full-stack TypeScript CMS built on Astro, with an admin panel, a REST API and a plugin system, that runs on Cloudflare or a Node.js server.
EnhanceHosting control panel for running websites, email, databases and backups across one or more Linux servers in a single cluster.
EverShopOpen-source TypeScript e-commerce platform built on Node.js and PostgreSQL, with a GraphQL API and React storefront and admin.
F
FessJava enterprise search server with a built-in crawler, an admin console and a search UI, built on OpenSearch.
FlagsmithOpen-source feature flag and remote config platform, available self-hosted or as a cloud service, with SDKs for web, mobile and server-side apps.
Frappe FrameworkPython and JavaScript low-code web framework for building data-driven web applications, with a built-in admin interface, roles and permissions.
G
GrandNodeOpen-source e-commerce platform built on ASP.NET Core and MongoDB, with multi-store and multi-vendor support.
GravFlat-file PHP content management system that stores pages as Markdown and YAML files without a database.
GrowthBookOpen-core feature flagging, experimentation and product analytics platform, available self-hosted or as a cloud service, with SDKs for application code.
H
Hasura GraphQL EngineOpen-source GraphQL server that generates a GraphQL API over existing databases and other data sources, with a hosted Hasura Cloud edition.
HexclaveOpen-source user infrastructure platform for authentication, teams, payments, email and analytics, with a managed cloud and a self-hostable server.
HyperswitchOpen-source payments orchestration platform that routes transactions across payment processors, with a vault, a control center and reconciliation, self-hosted or hosted by Juspay.
I
InngestWorkflow orchestration platform for durable functions with step retries, scheduling and flow control, run by applications through language SDKs and self-hostable as a single server.
K
- KahunaCart
E-commerce plugin for the Grav CMS that adds a catalog, checkout, payments, shipping and customer accounts.
L
LimeSurveyOpen-source survey platform for creating surveys that respondents take through a link or an embed on a website.
- Litekart
Self-hosted ecommerce platform whose Go backend, GoCommerce, serves the API and an admin panel for a separate SvelteKit storefront.
M
MagnoliaMagnolia is a Java digital experience platform for managing and delivering web content, with a Community Edition under GPLv3 and a licensed DX Core.
MedusaOpen-source headless commerce platform for Node.js with commerce modules, an admin dashboard and REST store and admin APIs.
microfeedSelf-hosted content management system for podcasts, blogs, photos, documents and links, running on Cloudflare Workers with D1 and R2 storage.
Movable TypeCommercial publishing and blogging system from Six Apart that publishes static pages, dynamic pages or both from templates.
N
- NocoDB
Spreadsheet-style interface for building online databases on SQLite, PostgreSQL or an existing database, self-hosted with Docker or offered as NocoDB Cloud.
NovuOpen-source notification infrastructure with one API for sending messages across in-app inbox, email, SMS, push and chat channels, self-hostable or available as a cloud service.
O
- Open Web Analytics
Open source web analytics framework that records visits to websites and applications and reports on them, with a JavaScript tracker and a PHP server.
OpenMeterOpen-source usage metering and billing platform that ingests usage events and bills customers for the usage.
Optimizely CMSCommercial .NET content management system from Optimizely, installed from NuGet packages on Microsoft SQL Server.
P
Parse ServerOpen source backend for web and mobile apps that runs on Node.js, stores data in MongoDB or PostgreSQL, and can be mounted on an Express app.
PayloadTypeScript framework that runs inside a Next.js app and generates an admin panel, database schema and REST, GraphQL and local APIs from one config, used as a headless CMS or application backend.
PimcoreOpen-core PHP platform for product experience management, combining PIM, DAM, CMS and digital commerce modules.
PocketBaseOpen-source Go backend shipped as a single executable, with an embedded SQLite database, realtime subscriptions, authentication and a dashboard.
PoeticMetricOpen source website analytics tool that uses no cookies, offered as a managed service on poeticmetric.com or self-hosted with Docker Compose.
PostgRESTStandalone web server that serves a RESTful API directly from a PostgreSQL database schema.
PostHogProduct analytics platform with session replay, feature flags, experiments, error tracking and surveys, self-hosted from its code or run as PostHog Cloud.
- Prefect
Python workflow orchestration framework that runs flows on schedules, events or API calls, with a self-hostable server.
Progress SitefinityCommercial .NET content management and digital experience platform from Progress, offered on-premises or as a cloud service.
PushwordSymfony-based content management system for websites, with Markdown or database content and an optional static export.
Q
QdrantVector search engine and vector database, run as a server with a REST and gRPC API, also offered as Qdrant Cloud.
S
ServiceStackServices framework for .NET that builds HTTP and message-based web services from typed request DTOs.
Spree CommerceOpen-source commerce platform built on Ruby on Rails, with a REST API, TypeScript SDKs and a Next.js storefront.
StatamicLaravel-based content management system that stores content in flat files or a database, with a control panel and optional static site generation.
Stirling PDFOpen-core PDF editing and processing platform for self-hosted servers and a hosted service, with a REST API.
T
TheliaOpen-source e-commerce CMS and framework built on Symfony for online stores and web content.
ToolJetOpen-source low-code platform for building internal tools and dashboards on existing databases and APIs, self-hosted or as ToolJet Cloud.
- Trigger.dev
Open-source platform for building durable AI agents and background tasks in TypeScript, offered as a cloud service and for self-hosting.
U
UsertourOpen-source user onboarding platform for in-app product tours, checklists and surveys.
W
WordPressOpen-source PHP content management system for websites and blogs, with a block editor, themes and plugins.
Which of these is best?
No idea. We list software, we don't rate it. Open the records that look close and compare them side by side.