Visual CMS vs Headless CMS: Understanding the Difference
Both approaches have their place in modern web development. Understanding when to use each—and when to use a hybrid solution—can dramatically improve your team's productivity and content quality.
The Fundamental Difference
Headless CMS
A content repository that stores data and delivers it via APIs. Content editors work in forms and fields, with no visual preview of how content will appear on the actual website.
Think of it like:
Editing a spreadsheet. You enter data in rows and columns, but you don't see the final formatted document.
Visual CMS
An editing interface that shows content exactly as it will appear on the live website. Content editors see real-time previews and can directly manipulate visual elements.
Think of it like:
Using a word processor like Microsoft Word. What you see on screen is what prints out.
The "Preview Problem" with Headless CMS
This is the #1 complaint about traditional headless CMS platforms from content teams.
Real User Quote:
"The headless CMS preview problem is real. Our content team is frustrated because what they see in the CMS never matches what appears on the site. We waste hours going back and forth."
— Content Manager at a SaaS Company
Why This Happens:
Disconnected Editing Experience
Content editors fill out forms with text fields and dropdowns. They can't see margins, spacing, typography, or how elements interact with each other. The "preview" (if one exists) is often a separate page that doesn't accurately reflect the production site.
No Context for Content
Editors don't know how their text will wrap, whether an image will be cropped, or if a button will be visible above the fold. They're working blind, making educated guesses about what will look good.
Slow Feedback Loop
Make a change → Save → Switch to preview → Wait for build → Check result → Go back to edit. This cycle repeats dozens of times per day, killing productivity.
// Headless CMS: Content teams work in a disconnected interface
{
"title": "Our Latest Product",
"description": "Check out our amazing new features",
"image": "/images/product-hero.jpg",
"cta_text": "Learn More"
}
// Developers then map this to components
// Content team can't see how it actually looks until publishedHow Visual CMS Solves This
Visual editors give content teams what they actually need: accurate, real-time feedback.
WYSIWYG Editing ("What You See Is What You Get")
Content editors work directly on the page layout. They see exactly how text will wrap, how images will display, and how elements interact. No surprises when publishing.
Instant Feedback
Make a change and see the result immediately. No waiting for builds, no switching between tabs, no guessing. Edit with confidence knowing exactly what the output will be.
Reduced Developer Dependency
Content teams can make layout changes, adjust spacing, and reorganize sections without developer help. This frees developers to focus on features and functionality.
Faster Content Production
Teams ship pages 5-10x faster with visual editing. No more back-and-forth about alignment or spacing—content creators see and control everything.
// Visual CMS: Content teams see exactly what they're building
<Hero
title="Our Latest Product"
description="Check out our amazing new features"
image="/images/product-hero.jpg"
ctaText="Learn More"
/>
// What you see in the editor IS what appears on the site
// No disconnect between editing and outputWhen to Use Each Approach
Use Headless CMS When:
- Multi-platform content:
Delivering the same content to web, mobile apps, IoT devices, etc.
- API-first architecture:
Your frontend is completely decoupled and you need pure data APIs.
- Developer-managed content:
Developers are the primary content creators and understand code structure.
- Structured data:
Content is highly structured (product catalogs, data feeds) rather than visual pages.
Use Visual CMS When:
- Content team velocity:
You need marketers and content creators to publish quickly without developer help.
- Marketing websites:
Landing pages, campaigns, blogs where visual layout matters.
- Design-driven content:
Pages where spacing, typography, and layout are critical to success.
- Frequent updates:
Content changes daily and teams need to iterate quickly based on feedback.
The Reality for Most Teams
95% of websites benefit from visual editing. If you're building marketing sites, content-heavy applications, or anything where non-developers manage content, a visual CMS dramatically improves team productivity and content quality.
The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds
BlocksWeb combines visual editing with headless architecture—developers get clean React code and APIs, content teams get visual editing.
For Developers
Write real React components with TypeScript. Full control over code. Clean APIs for data access.
For Content Teams
Visual drag-and-drop editor. Real-time preview. Publish changes immediately without developer help.
For Everyone
No compromise. Performance, TypeScript, visual editing, and APIs—all included.
How BlocksWeb Works:
// BlocksWeb: Best of both worlds
import { IBlockswebComponent } from '@blocksweb/core';
export const Hero: IBlockswebComponent<{
title: string;
description: string;
image: string;
ctaText: string;
}> = (props) => {
return (
<section className="hero">
<img src={props.image} alt="" />
<h1>{props.title}</h1>
<p>{props.description}</p>
<button>{props.ctaText}</button>
</section>
);
};
// Developers get clean React code
// Content teams get visual editing
// Everyone gets accurate previewsWhat Developers Get:
- Real React components (not abstractions)
- Full TypeScript type safety
- Component-level code splitting
- Headless APIs for multi-platform
- No proprietary runtime overhead
- Deploy anywhere (Vercel, Netlify, etc.)
What Content Teams Get:
- Live visual editor with accurate preview
- Drag-and-drop component placement
- Inline text and image editing
- Responsive preview (desktop/tablet/mobile)
- One-click publishing
- No developer dependency for content
Real Migration Stories
From Contentful to BlocksWeb
"Our content team was spending 3 hours per landing page going back and forth with developers about spacing and layout. After switching to BlocksWeb's visual editor, they publish pages independently in 20 minutes."
— Marketing Director, SaaS Startup
From Strapi to BlocksWeb
"Strapi gave us APIs but no visual editing. We loved the headless architecture but hated the content workflow. BlocksWeb gave us both—clean React code AND a visual editor that content teams actually enjoy using."
— Lead Developer, Digital Agency
From WordPress to BlocksWeb
"WordPress had great visual editing but terrible performance and security. BlocksWeb gave us the same editing experience our team loved, but with modern React, better performance, and no PHP security worries."
— CTO, E-commerce Company
Experience Visual CMS for React
Stop choosing between developer experience and content team productivity. BlocksWeb delivers both with visual editing, TypeScript support, and clean React code.