I. Introduction
Headless CMS has rapidly gained popularity among businesses. Unlike traditional CMSs, headless CMS separates the back-end content management from the front-end presentation layer. This approach provides greater flexibility and enables easy content delivery across different devices and platforms. However, the problem lies in the cost of headless CMS, which can be expensive for small or budgeted projects.
If you need affordable or free headless CMS for your project, read on for some tips and tricks to get it for free!
II. Exploit free trials of headless CMSs
Most headless CMSs offer free trials, which is an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience with the CMS and free headless credits. During a trial period, you can see if the headless CMS meets your project requirements or not.
Here are some popular headless CMSs offering free trials with free headless credits:
- Contentful (14-days free trial with 500 USD worth of free API requests)
- Prismic (Unlimited trial with 1 GB storage)
- Sanity (First 5000 documents or 30-days trial)
- DatoCMS (30-day free trial with 50.GB of asset storage)
To make the best use of the trial period, it’s recommended to:
- Sign up for multiple trials simultaneously
- Start with small projects to test the functionalities of CMS without wasting trial periods.
- Create a checklist of essential features and verify them during the trial.
III. Attend Meetups and get free samples
Attending tech meetups offers great opportunities to learn about the latest trends in technology and network with like-minded people. Some meetup events also offer free product samples and vouchers, including headless CMS.
Here are the tips to get free headless by attending meetups:
- Find relevant tech meetups that focus on headless CMS or web development.
- Join active and popular headless CMS communities on social media platforms like Twitter, Slack, or LinkedIn and keep an eye on the events announced by CMS providers.
- Prepare a pitch and explain your project details and requirements. Your chances of getting free headless increase by demonstrating genuine interest and the need for free credits.
Some of the popular headless CMS providers that offer free samples or vouchers include:
- GraphCMS (Free access to all features and headless for one project)
- Strapi (Free trial, samples, and vouchers available on requests through emails)
- ButterCMS (Free sandbox environment with full access to API and headless)
IV. Leverage Open-source CMSs
Open-source CMSs are free and provide access to the source code, allowing developers to customize the CMS as per their project requirements. By leveraging open-source headless CMS, developers can save costs on buying headless credits for their projects.
Here are some of the popular open-source headless CMSs:
- Strapi (Offers a fully customizable, open-source headless CMS)
- Cockpit (Another popular open-source headless CMS)
- Directus (Provides a free, open-source, and fully customizable headless CMS)
While open source CMSs offer great opportunities to save money, it’s important to research and choose the right CMS based on the project’s size, requirements, and complexity. Moreover, open-source CMS also requires adequate development and technical skills to ensure smooth implementation.
V. Use Cloud-based CMSs
Cloud-based headless CMS providers offer a flexible and scalable solution to headless CMS requirements. Many providers offer free vouchers or credits to new customers, making it an excellent opportunity to get free headless credits.
Here are some of the popular cloud-based headless CMS providers that offer free credit vouchers:
- Surge.sh (Offers free credits for static site generation and deployment)
- Netlify (Offers 100GB-month bandwidth,100 form submissions, and 300 build minutes for free)
- ZEIT Now (Offers free headless hosting solutions)
When using cloud-based CMSs, it’s important to make the best use of the free credits by implementing them on smaller projects or optimizing your code and design practices to save resources.
VI. Ask Influencers
Influencers work with headless CMS providers to create sponsored content and are potential sources of getting free headless credits. By working with influencers, businesses can create brand awareness and promote their CMS services through sponsored content, sponsored reviews, or partnerships.
Here are the tips for finding relevant influencers that work with headless CMSs:
- Use social media platforms to identify relevant influencers in the headless CMS niche.
- Check out the influencer’s interests, follower count, and engagement rate to ensure high-quality partnership.
- Reach out to the influencer with a proposal that highlights the benefits of working with the CMS provider and the mutual branding opportunities.
Depending on the influencer’s preference, businesses can negotiate to get free headless credits or promotional discounts for their projects.
VII. Join forums and communities
Online forums and communities offer a platform for like-minded people to interact, share knowledge, and grow together. Many headless CMS providers have active communities that offer free headless credit promotions, giveaways, beta versions, and discounts.
Here are some popular online communities that offer free opportunities:
- Contentful Community (Offers learning resources, beta testing opportunities, and promotional discounts)
- Strapi Forum (Offers beta program access, code snippets, and promotional discounts)
- Sanity Community (Offers learning resources, free workshops, and promotions)
By regularly participating in these communities, businesses can learn about the latest trends, best practices, and win free headless credits.
VIII. Join a referral program or ambassador
A referral program or ambassadorship is a loyalty program that rewards its members for promoting the headless CMS provider’s services. By becoming a referral member or ambassador, you’ll receive exclusive discounts, promotional codes, and free credits for every successful referral.
Here are some of the popular headless CMS providers that offer referral programs or ambassadorship:
- DatoCMS (Offers exclusive dashboard access, promotional opportunities, and discounts)
- Sanity (Offers Ambassadorship program with benefits such as exclusive swag, mentorships, and promotion)
- Contentful (Offers referral bonuses, exclusive access to events, and promotional discounts).
By actively promoting the CMSs services, you can increase your chances of winning free headless credits and promotional discounts.
IX. Conclusion
Getting free headless credits for your project may seem challenging, but with the right tips and tricks, it’s possible to save costs and still have access to quality headless CMSs. By exploiting free trials, attending meetups, leveraging open-source CMSs, using cloud-based solutions, partnering with influencers, joining forums and communities, and referral programs, businesses can find affordable or free headless credit options.
Remember, exploring different options before paying for headless is crucial, and with the tips shared in this article, we encourage you to take action and try them out.
