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Sanity

StartupLaunched August 2026

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The Story

Sanity is a content platform built around structured documents rather than pages. Content is stored as typed documents with references between them, and the editing interface is configured in code to match that model.

The Studio is the distinguishing piece. It is a React application that a team configures and deploys, so the editing experience can be shaped to a content model - custom field components, validation, and previews - rather than accepting a fixed admin panel. The content itself is served through a query API over the Content Lake.

Because content is structured, the same document can render into a website, a mobile application, and a feed without duplication. References between documents are resolved by the API rather than by embedding copies, which is what keeps a change in one place from drifting across surfaces.

Overview

Sanity stores documents, and lets a team shape the editor that writes them.

Content is a set of typed documents with references between them. A page is a document that references other documents rather than a blob of HTML, so the same content can be rendered by a website, an app, and a feed.

The Studio is a React application configured in code. A team defines the schema, and can add custom field components, validation rules, and previews. The editing experience is therefore part of the codebase and can be reviewed like it.

Content is read through a query API. References are resolved at query time, so a change to a referenced document appears everywhere it is used instead of being copied into each surface.

What you get free, and what changes when you pay

FeatureFreeGrowthEnterprise
Free viewersIncludedIncludedIncluded
User AttributesNot included —Not included —Included
# roles available25Custom
AdministratorIncludedIncludedIncluded
ViewerIncludedIncludedIncluded
EditorNot included —IncludedIncluded
DeveloperNot included —IncludedIncluded
ContributorNot included —IncludedIncluded
Custom rolesNot included —Not included —Included
Datasets22Custom
Additional datasetsNot included —$999 per dataset (Add-On)Custom
Documents10k25kCustom
Additional documentsNot included —$299 for 50k in total (Add-On)Custom
Unique attributes (per dataset)2k10kCustom
GROQ-powered webhooks24Custom
API CDN requests (per month)1m1mCustom
Additional requestsNot included —$1 per 250kCustom
API requests (per month)250k250kCustom
Additional requestsNot included —$1 per 25kCustom
Assets100GB100GBCustom

Read from the vendor's pricing page · checked 2026-09-21 · Prices change; confirm before you buy.

Key Features

  • Structured documents

    Content is typed documents with references, not page blobs.

  • Configurable Studio

    The editing interface is a React application configured in code and deployed by the team.

  • Query API

    Content is read through an API that resolves references at query time.

  • Open-source tooling

    The Studio and client libraries are published in public repositories.

Where Sanity is a strong choice, and where it is not

Choose Sanity if your content is structured and reused across several surfaces, and you want to shape the editing experience rather than accept a fixed admin panel.

Look elsewhere if you want a hosted CMS with no front-end deployment of your own, or if your content is simple enough that Markdown files in a repository already work.

Getting started

A studio runs locally in minutes; the schema design is the work that determines everything after.

  • ~15 min
    Time to first document

    Scaffold a project, define one document type, and the studio renders an editing form for it.

  • Free
    Cost to start

    The free tier covers a dataset with a monthly API allowance. Paid plans scale with usage.

  • Node
    Prerequisites

    Node.js to run the studio locally. The content API is hosted.

Known limitations

Constraints confirmed from the platform's documentation.

  • Schema changes are code changes. Editing the content model means a deploy, which is deliberate and slower than a UI-driven CMS.
  • The studio is yours to build. The generated editor is a starting point; a tailored workflow is development work.
  • Hosted content API. Content lives with the vendor, which matters for data residency requirements.
  • Query language has a learning curve. The API is powerful and not a REST endpoint you can guess at.
OUR VERDICT

Pick Sanity when the content model is non-trivial

It is for teams whose content does not fit a page-and-post shape, and who want the editing interface shaped to their workflow.

The differentiator is that the schema is code and the studio is a React application, so both can be versioned and customised.

If the requirement is a standard blog with a default editing form, a conventional CMS ships that without the setup work.

FAQ

What is Sanity?

Sanity is a structured content platform that stores typed documents and provides a code-configured React editing environment called the Studio.

Is Sanity free?

Sanity lists a free tier alongside usage-based paid plans. Check the pricing page for current limits.

Is the Sanity Studio open source?

The Studio and client libraries are published in public repositories. The hosted Content Lake is a separate service.

Can I customize the Sanity editing interface?

Yes. The Studio is a React application configured in code, so custom field components, validation, and previews can be added.

What stack is Sanity built with?

CompassPad records Sanity as a React and TypeScript Studio with a Node.js service layer and a query API, based on public documentation and repositories.

What we checked

  • LIVE
    Site and primary link

    The marketing site resolved and the primary product link reached the product itself.

  • PRICING
    Pricing page

    The pricing page resolved and lists the current plans and limits.

  • DOCS
    Documentation

    Public documentation resolved and covers the product's core surfaces.

  • BLOG
    Blog page

    The linked blog page resolved and is reachable without an account.

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