What is KeystoneJS used for?

KeystoneJS is a headless CMS and app framework for Node.js that generates a GraphQL API and an admin UI from a schema, built with TypeScript, GraphQL and React. It is a good fit for headless content backends for websites, code-first admin panels for app data and GraphQL APIs for internal tools.

Is KeystoneJS open source?

Yes. KeystoneJS is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at keystonejs/keystone and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. KeystoneJS is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host KeystoneJS?

Yes. KeystoneJS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is KeystoneJS an alternative to?

KeystoneJS is an open-source alternative to Contentstack, Hygraph, Storyblok and Contentful. Other open-source alternatives to Contentstack include Strapi, Payload and Webiny.

Is KeystoneJS actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to KeystoneJS was on 28 September 2026, and the latest release is 2026-08-31, published on 31 August 2026. The project has 10k stars on GitHub.

KeystoneJS: open-source alternative to Contentstack, Hygraph

About KeystoneJS

Keystone is a headless CMS and application framework for Node.js. You describe your schema in code, and it produces a GraphQL API and a management UI for your content and data, without boilerplate or bootstrapping, while still letting you extend the back end like a custom one.

Keystone 6 is published on npm under the @keystone-6 namespace, and its packages target the Node maintenance and active LTS versions. The documentation includes a Why Keystone page, a getting-started guide using the create-keystone-app CLI, examples, an API reference and practical guides. Keystone 5 is in maintenance mode and lives in a separate repository.

The project is written in TypeScript and licensed under MIT. You host it yourself on a Node.js server with a database of your choice, and it is used by developers who want a code-first CMS with a typed GraphQL API for websites, apps and internal tools.

Key features

Schema-driven GraphQL API
Generated admin management UI
Headless CMS for Node.js
create-keystone-app starter CLI
Type-safe TypeScript codebase
Examples, guides and API reference

Good fit for

→Headless content backends for websites
→Code-first admin panels for app data
→GraphQL APIs for internal tools

Built with: TypeScript; GraphQL; Node.js; React
Tags: headless-cms; cms; graphql; nodejs; typescript; react; admin-ui; api

KeystoneJS: questions and answers

What is KeystoneJS used for?: KeystoneJS is a headless CMS and app framework for Node.js that generates a GraphQL API and an admin UI from a schema, built with TypeScript, GraphQL and React. It is a good fit for headless content backends for websites, code-first admin panels for app data and GraphQL APIs for internal tools.
Is KeystoneJS open source?: Yes. KeystoneJS is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at keystonejs/keystone and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is KeystoneJS free?: Yes. KeystoneJS is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host KeystoneJS?: Yes. KeystoneJS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is KeystoneJS an alternative to?: KeystoneJS is an open-source alternative to Contentstack, Hygraph, Storyblok and Contentful. Other open-source alternatives to Contentstack include Strapi, Payload and Webiny.
Is KeystoneJS actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to KeystoneJS was on 28 September 2026, and the latest release is 2026-08-31, published on 31 August 2026. The project has 10k stars on GitHub.