LessHeadCMS vs. headless WordPress
01In short
WordPress is the most widely used open-source CMS, written in PHP and running on almost any shared hosting with MySQL or MariaDB. Used headless, its built-in REST API delivers posts, pages, taxonomies and media to a separate frontend, while the theme layer stays unused. Custom content types, custom fields, GraphQL and multilingual content are usually added with code or plugins.
LessHeadCMS is a free, open-source headless CMS written in PHP and built only for the headless use case. It generates real database tables, relations, a REST API and the editorial interface from a content model written as a PlantUML diagram, and stores everything in a single SQLite file. Field-level permissions and approval workflows are included.
02Side by side
| Aspect | LessHeadCMS | Headless WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | PHP 8 | PHP (8.3 or newer recommended) |
| Database | SQLite (single file) | MySQL (8.0 or newer recommended) or MariaDB (10.11 or newer recommended) |
| Hosting requirements | Standard shared hosting with PHP and SQLite | Standard shared hosting with PHP and MySQL/MariaDB; offered by almost every host |
| Installation | composer create-project or upload via FTP | Upload or one-click install at most hosts; database setup required |
| Content modelling | PlantUML class diagram; every content type becomes its own table with typed fields | Posts and pages built in; custom post types and fields defined in code or via plugins; custom fields stored as key–value metadata unless a plugin uses its own tables |
| Relations | 1:1, 1:n and n:n relations, self-references and inheritance defined in the diagram | Taxonomies built in; relations between custom content types usually via plugins or custom code |
| API | REST, paginated, server-side sorting and filtering | REST API built into core; GraphQL via the free WPGraphQL plugin |
| Roles and permissions | Per role, group or individual user, down to single fields and actions | Built-in roles (Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber) with capabilities; field-level permissions via plugins or custom code |
| Editorial workflows | Approval workflows defined as text (states, transitions, permissions, assignments, actions), versioned alongside the content model; included at no cost | Built-in "Pending Review" status for contributors; multi-step workflows via plugins |
| Multilingual content | Modelled in the diagram (language field + "translation of" relation) | Via plugins |
| Licence | GNU AGPL v3 | GNU GPL v2 or later |
| Cost | Free | Free; some plugins and themes are commercial |
| Hosted cloud offering | None – runs on your own hosting | Available from many hosting providers, including WordPress.com |
WordPress details according to wordpress.org and developer.wordpress.org, as of October 2026. Plugin availability and features vary – check the linked sources.
03Which one fits your project?
Choose WordPress if …
- your editors already know WordPress and should keep their familiar interface and block editor.
- you need a traditional website with themes as well as an API – or want to switch between both later.
- your content is mostly posts and pages, with a few custom fields.
- you rely on the large plugin ecosystem, for example for SEO, forms, e-commerce or established multilingual solutions.
- you want GraphQL via WPGraphQL or need the widest choice of hosts and agencies.
Choose LessHeadCMS if …
- your content consists of many related content types – products, people, events, locations – rather than posts with metadata.
- you want each content type in its own typed table, with relations defined explicitly instead of through plugins.
- you need field-level permissions and multi-step approval workflows without additional plugins.
- you want a CMS that does only the headless part, without a theme layer or a plugin stack to maintain and update.
- you prefer a single SQLite file over a separate MySQL/MariaDB database.
04Switching from WordPress
There is no automatic importer from WordPress. A typical path: model your post types, custom fields and taxonomies as classes and relations in a PlantUML diagram, apply the model in LessHeadCMS, and transfer the content with a script that reads from the WordPress REST API and writes to the LessHeadCMS REST API. Block editor content arrives as HTML and should be checked, since LessHeadCMS stores rich text as Markdown.
05Sources
- WordPressWordPress server requirements
https://wordpress.org/about/requirements/ - WordPressWordPress REST API Handbook
https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/ - WordPressWordPress roles and capabilities
https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/roles-and-capabilities/ - WordPressWordPress licence
https://wordpress.org/about/license/ - WordPressWPGraphQL plugin
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-graphql/ - LessHeadCMSLessHeadCMS documentation and source
https://github.com/elverdaderobutschito/LessHeadCMS