Quick answer
Hygraph - Hygraph wins for most builders who want a broader free CMS tier with more headroom on seats, requests, and workflow features, while Storyblok wins if you specifically want the visual editor and a simpler starter package.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers aim at different kinds of CMS users. Hygraph’s Hobby plan is broader on raw capacity and workflow surface: more seats, more API calls, more traffic, more roles, more content components, and extras like live preview, commenting, assignment workflow, and unlimited asset storage. Storyblok’s Starter plan is tighter on quotas but starts from a more visual, editor-friendly product shape with a single space, up to 2 seats, 100k API requests, 100GB traffic, and 25k AI credits. If you are testing a content-heavy app, Hygraph gives you more runway before you pay. If you are a small marketing or content team that values the visual editing workflow first, Storyblok is the cleaner fit. Both are no-CC free tiers, but Hygraph’s free plan feels less constrained overall.
Hygraph vs Storyblok free tier, side by side
| HygraphFTV 67 | StoryblokFTV 60 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan seatsHygraph is more generous for small teams. | 3 seats | 1 user seat included, up to 2 user seats total |
| API usageHygraph offers 5x the request allowance on free. | 500,000 API calls | 100,000 API requests per month |
| TrafficSame headline allowance, but Hygraph frames it as asset traffic. | 100 GB asset traffic | 100GB traffic per month |
| LocalesEqual on the free tier. | 2 locales | 2 locales |
| Asset storageHygraph explicitly includes unlimited storage. | Unlimited asset storage | Not specified |
| Max asset upload sizeOnly Hygraph states an upload-size cap. | 50 MB | Not specified |
| RolesHygraph includes role management on free. | 2 standard roles | Not specified |
| Workflows and editingDifferent workflow emphasis rather than direct quota parity. | Live preview, commenting and assignment workflow, 2 content stages | Visual editor, workflows, content locking |
| AI allowanceThese are different units, so not directly comparable. | 100,000 AI tokens | 25,000 AI credits |
| Content model capacityHygraph discloses model structure limits on free. | 10 components, 2 models | Not specified |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use flat monthly plans at the top of their self-serve ladder, then move to custom enterprise-style pricing. Hygraph’s first paid tier is Growth at $199/month, so the jump off free is steeper than Storyblok’s $99/month Growth plan. Storyblok is cheaper at the first paid step and stays cheaper at the next listed step, Growth Plus at $349/month. After that, both switch to contact sales for custom plans. Since neither free tier is usage-priced, there are no usage-based cost scenarios to calculate from the provided data.
When to pick each one
Pick Hygraph when…
- You need more than 1 user right away, since Hygraph includes 3 seats on free.
- You are building a content API with higher request volume, because Hygraph gives 500,000 API calls vs Storyblok's 100,000.
- You want richer workflow basics on free, like live preview, commenting, assignment workflow, and 2 content stages.
- You expect to store lots of assets and do not want the free plan to cap total asset storage, since Hygraph lists unlimited asset storage.
- You need more structure in the content model, such as 10 components and 2 models on free.
Pick Storyblok when…
- You want a visual editor-first CMS experience for editors and marketers.
- You are starting with a very small site or campaign and only need 1 space and up to 2 seats.
- You care about AI credits on the free tier, since Storyblok includes 25,000 AI credits.
- You want a straightforward starter plan path where the first paid tier is a clean $99/month Growth plan.
- You are fine with tighter free quotas because your traffic and API needs are modest.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Hygraph is the better free tier because it gives you more room to build before you have to pay, especially on seats, API volume, workflow features, and content modeling. Storyblok is still a strong choice if your team cares more about the editor experience than raw free-tier capacity, but its starter limits are tighter. If you are choosing purely on how far the free plan will carry a real project, Hygraph is the safer pick.
Read the full listings: Hygraph and Storyblok. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.