Quick answer
Prismic - Prismic wins for most builders because its free tier is truly $0 with broader core capacity, while Hygraph is the better pick only if you need more built-in workflow depth and can live with a much tighter free quota set.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers are aimed at different kinds of builder. Prismic is the easier default for a small team shipping a website or content-driven product, because it gives you a real $0 plan with generous API calls, CDN bandwidth, unlimited documents, and unlimited assets. Its main tradeoff is that the free tier is narrower on team size and it is more clearly structured around repository pricing once you outgrow it. Hygraph’s Hobby plan is much smaller on raw capacity, but it includes some workflow and modeling features that matter for structured content operations, like commenting, assignment workflow, content stages, and more seats than Prismic’s free plan. In practice, Prismic is the better free tier for most builders. Hygraph is better if your content model and editorial workflow are the center of the product and the lower quotas are acceptable.
Hygraph vs Prismic free tier, side by side
| HygraphFTV 67 | PrismicFTV 34 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price of free tierPrismic’s free plan is explicitly free. Hygraph’s input gives a value estimate, not a posted price. | Not stated as $0 in the input; free Hobby plan included | $0/month |
| Seats / usersHygraph allows more collaborators on the free plan. | 3 seats | 1 user account |
| API callsPrismic is far more generous on raw API volume. | 500,000 API calls | 4 million API calls/month |
| Asset storage / assetsPrismic’s free tier does not state a max upload size in the provided input. | Unlimited asset storage, 50 MB max asset upload size | Unlimited assets |
| LocalesNo difference on the free tier. | 2 locales | 2 locales |
| Content limitsHygraph is more constrained on content quantity but includes more modeling detail in the input. | 1,000 entries, 10 components, 2 models, 2 content stages | Unlimited documents, unlimited types |
| Bandwidth / trafficDifferent wording, same headline free-tier scale. | 100 GB asset traffic | 100 GB of built-in CDN bandwidth/month |
| Workflow featuresThese are feature differences, not just quotas. | Live preview, commenting, assignment workflow | Visual Page Builder, image optimization, Migration API access |
| Card required for free planOnly Hygraph’s no-card status is explicit. | No card required | Not stated in input |
After you outgrow the free tier
After free, Hygraph jumps to Growth at $199/month with a flat plan, then Enterprise by sales. Prismic starts much lower at Starter for $10/month per repository paid annually, then moves through flat repository tiers: Small $25, Medium $150, Platinum $675, and Enterprise by sales. The big divergence is that Prismic keeps the low end inexpensive, while Hygraph’s first paid step is already enterprise-adjacent. For a small team, Prismic is cheaper by a wide margin; Hygraph only makes sense if its workflow and modeling fit justify the higher entry price.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Hygraph | Prismic |
|---|---|---|
| small team moving off freeHygraph’s first paid tier is far more expensive. | $199/mo | $10/mo |
| 3 users, 3 locales, 100 GB CDN bandwidth/moPrismic Starter includes 3 users, 3 locales, and 100 GB bandwidth. | $199/mo | $10/mo |
| 7 users, 4 localesPrismic Small is the first tier with 7 users and 4 locales. | $199/mo | $25/mo |
| 25 users, 5 million API calls/mo, 500 GB CDN bandwidth/moPrismic Medium matches these quotas in the provided plans; Hygraph Enterprise is custom. | contact sales / varies by usage | $150/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Hygraph when…
- You want a $0 CMS that is ready for a solo builder or tiny team without a card requirement.
- You expect to push lots of API traffic early and want 4 million API calls/month in the free tier.
- You are building a website or page-driven product and want visual page editing, previews, and published content flow.
- You need unlimited documents, unlimited types, and unlimited assets on the free plan.
- You want the cleanest upgrade path from free to low-cost paid tiers starting at $10/month per repository paid annually.
Pick Prismic when…
- You need 3 seats on the free plan instead of 1 user.
- Your content work depends on commenting, assignment workflow, and content staging from day one.
- You care more about structured content modeling features than visual page building.
- You can stay within 1,000 entries and 500,000 API calls on the free tier.
- You want a headless CMS free plan that includes live preview and a more editor-friendly collaboration setup.
Bottom line
For most builders, Prismic is the better free-tier choice because it is genuinely $0 and gives much more headroom on API calls, documents, and assets. Hygraph’s free tier is useful if you value structured content workflows and can work inside tighter caps, especially on entries and API volume. But if the question is which free tier carries a solo builder or small team farther before money is required, Prismic wins. Its paid path is also much less expensive once you do need to upgrade.
Read the full listings: Hygraph and Prismic. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.