Headless CMS agency UK — own your content, pick your frontend.
A headless CMS separates your content store from the frontend that displays it. Editors manage content in a clean admin interface; the frontend fetches it via API and renders it however the design requires. As a headless CMS agency, I build the full stack: content model, CMS configuration, high-performance frontend, deployment. My default is Payload CMS. Open-source, self-hostable, no licence fees. From £3,000.
From £3,000
Final timeline depends on page count and whether existing content needs migrating from another CMS.
What headless means, in plain English
Your content lives in its own system, with its own admin interface. The website (or app, or email feed) pulls that content via API each time it's needed. Your editors get a clean, purpose-built interface. Your developers get structured data they can work with in any frontend framework. Nothing is tangled together: redesigning the site doesn't touch the content; updating content doesn't require a developer.
When you'd hire me for this
- You're starting a new site and you don't want to be locked into a SaaS CMS subscription that charges per seat or per API call as you grow
- You've already chosen a headless CMS (Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok, Strapi, Hygraph) and you need a modern, high-performance frontend built on top of it
- You're on WordPress and the editing experience is holding back your content output. Payload with a custom frontend is the cleanest onramp: familiar admin, modern stack, a codebase you own outright
- You want to own the codebase and the database outright. No vendor dependency, no monthly platform fees beyond hosting
- You're planning a multi-channel content strategy (web, app, email, third-party feeds) and a traditional CMS architecture won't stretch to it
What you get
- A working, deployed content-managed site you can update yourself from day one. High-performance frontend. A configured content layer (Payload or your CMS of choice). API or GraphQL integration wired through.
- The content model is designed around your actual editorial workflow, not a generic schema copied from a template.
- Deployed on Vercel or your preferred host. Full code and data ownership from day one.
- For Payload projects, the database is yours (SQLite via Turso for managed deploys, or self-hosted Postgres). No Payload Cloud subscription required.
- Documentation covering the content types and first month of post-launch partnership are included.
How I work
Content modelling
Every headless project starts with content modelling. Before any code is written, I map what types of content you manage (pages, articles, products, team members, FAQs), what fields each type needs, and what the editorial flow looks like in practice. A well-designed content model takes a day and saves weeks of rework later.
CMS selection and setup
Payload is my default unless you have a reason to go elsewhere. I've used it in production: this site (sheendigitalmedia.com) runs on Payload CMS. The choice isn't brand loyalty — it's that for a UK SMB who wants to own their data and avoid recurring CMS fees, Payload with a modern frontend is the most practical combination I've found.
Frontend build
If you've already chosen Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok, Strapi, or Hygraph, the process is the same: I map the content model you have, identify any gaps, and build the frontend to consume it. I don't require you to switch CMS to work with me.
Launch
Content-managed builds on this stack typically run four to eight weeks from scoping to launch, depending on page count and integration complexity. Deployment to Vercel with full documentation, training walkthrough, and continued partnership from launch onward.
What it costs
Headless CMS builds cost more than theme-based builds. Content modelling, CMS configuration, and a custom-built frontend take more time than dropping a theme over an existing platform. That's a one-time investment against ongoing platform fees you don't pay and architectural constraints you don't hit later.
A straightforward greenfield headless build (new site, Payload, up to eight content pages, deploy on Vercel) typically runs £3,000 to £5,000. This figure comes from the scoping model I use: setup and infrastructure overhead (typically £600 in total) plus per-page build and CMS rates across a typical mix of page types.
For projects migrating existing content from WordPress or another CMS, add a content migration modifier (£800 to £2,500 depending on content volume and source complexity). For clients who already have a headless CMS and only need the frontend, the scope is narrower and the cost reflects it.
Post-launch monthly partnership (Maintain from 6% of build price per month) — most clients continue from there.
Every project scoped individually. Bands are honest guides, not menu prices.
FAQ
Let's talk about your headless build
15-minute call. Bring your brief: what content you manage today, what platform you're on or thinking about, and what problem you're trying to solve. I'll map your content model requirements on the call and follow up with a written proposal within three working days.