Cockpit
Self-hosted, MIT-licensed content API from Agentejo in Buxtehude, installed in minutes with no account
Quick Overview
| Company | Agentejo (Artur Heinze) |
|---|---|
| Category | Headless CMS |
| Headquarters | Buxtehude, Germany |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Germany (EU) |
| Data Location | Wherever you host it |
| Open Source | MIT (core) |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes - the product is self-hosted |
| Main Features | Flexible content models, REST and GraphQL APIs, localization, roles and permissions, revisions, asset manager with image API, Pro add-ons for AI, search, sync, layouts and pages |
| Pricing | Core free; Pro add-ons, see website; 50% off for non-profits |
| Best For | Developers and public bodies that want a content API on their own server |
| Replaces | Contentful |
Detailed Review
Cockpit is built by Agentejo, run from Buxtehude by Artur Heinze, and the site frames it as a sovereign content platform: you download it, put it on your server and run it without an account. Its imprint lists a German tax ID and the site has carried copyright since 2011.
The core is MIT-licensed according to the vendor, and content is served through a JSON API with REST and GraphQL support.
What the Core Gives You
The core covers flexible content models with multiple field types and conditional fields, content previews, localization, roles and permissions, and revisions you can revert to. Assets come with nestable folders, cloud storage support, colour extraction and an image API for thumbnails.
Pro Add-ons
Extra modules cover Autopilot for AI-assisted writing and image creation, Detektivo for full-text search powered by Meilisearch, Sync for moving content between dev, staging and production, Webhooks, Layouts for component-based page building, Pages for routes, SEO and menus, Lokalize with DeepL or LibreTranslate suggestions, and Personi for audience-based personalization.
Data Sovereignty
Because Cockpit runs on your own infrastructure, the data location and the access chain are yours to decide. The site pitches this to public bodies, with GDPR compliance by design, and offers 50 percent off for non-profits.
Limitations to Consider
You run it yourself, so hosting, updates, backups and uptime are your job, and there is no managed cloud on the pages checked. The Pro add-on prices are not shown on the pricing page. It has no visual page editor in the core and a smaller ecosystem than Storyblok or DatoCMS.
Who Should Use Cockpit
Developers, agencies and public-sector teams that want a content API on a server they control and are comfortable operating it.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- MIT-licensed core
- Installs without an account or subscription
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- Add-ons for search, sync and AI
- Data stays on your own infrastructure
Cons
- You operate and patch it yourself
- No managed cloud on the pages checked
- Pro add-on prices not displayed
- Small ecosystem compared with hosted platforms
Alternatives to Cockpit
Other European headless cms worth comparing before you decide:
Prepr
Netherlands · Headless CMS with built-in personalization and A/B testing
Caisy
Germany · Stuttgart-built CMS with typed GraphQL API and live co-editing
Squidex
Germany · MIT-licensed event-sourced CMS, cloud hosted in Frankfurt
Storyblok
Austria · Headless CMS where editors work in a visual page editor
See all European headless cms or compare them directly against Contentful on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The core is described as free and MIT-licensed with no subscription. Optional Pro add-ons exist, and their prices are not shown on the pages checked.
The pages checked describe Cockpit as self-hosted only, with a five-minute setup and no account required.
Agentejo, represented by Artur Heinze, with its imprint address in Buxtehude, Germany.