As a studio, we’re always testing new tools, refining our stack, and looking for platforms that help us build faster without compromising on design, performance, or editorial experience. Over the last few months, Craft CMS has quietly moved from “something we’re trying” to “something we genuinely enjoy working with.” It’s flexible, smart, and designed in a way that feels like it was built by people who actually care about the details.
Here’s what’s stood out to us so far.
⸻
- The Content Model Works the Way You Think
A lot of CMS platforms force you into their idea of how content should work. Craft flips that: you define the structure, the fields, and the relationships — and Craft just gets out of the way.
Sections, Entry Types, Matrix fields, Categories, Relations… it’s like having LEGO bricks for content. It means we can design a content model that supports the project long-term instead of cramming everything into a single “page builder” monster.
For clients, this means a clean, intuitive editing experience. For us, it means sanity.
⸻
- The Control Panel Is Actually Nice to Use
Many CMS dashboards feel dated or cluttered, but Craft’s control panel is one of the cleanest we’ve used. It looks modern, it’s logically laid out, and clients genuinely enjoy editing in it.
Little touches make a big difference: • Drag-and-drop reordering • Inline image editing • Matrix blocks that feel like building components • Real-time validation • A search that actually works
When clients don’t need training videos just to update a page, that’s a win.
⸻
- It Plays Well With Modern Front-Ends
Craft has become a bit of a playground for us when it comes to front-end choices.
We can: • Build with Twig if we want something classic and server-rendered • Pair Craft with Astro for high-performance static output • Go fully headless with its GraphQL API • Or mix approaches depending on the page type
That freedom lets us design the architecture around the project — not around the CMS’ limitations. Our recent experiments using Craft as a content layer feeding an Astro front-end have been incredibly fast and surprisingly simple to set up.
⸻
- It’s Great for “Mini-Apps” Like Our Locker Room Area
One of our ongoing builds includes a private member environment with its own nav, UI, and content structure. Craft has handled this beautifully through: • User groups • Permissions • Dedicated sections • Separate templates • Tight control over routing
The whole thing feels stable, scalable, and controlled without adding unnecessary plugins. Craft behaves more like a framework than a CMS when you need it to.
⸻
- The Ecosystem Is Mature — But Not Bloated
Craft’s plugin store is curated, not chaotic. There’s plenty of choice, but it avoids the “30,000 questionable plugins” problem you get elsewhere.
Essentially: you get quality over quantity. And because Craft’s core is so capable, you usually need fewer plugins anyway.
⸻
- Performance Is Excellent Out of the Box
Even before optimisation, Craft sites tend to run fast. Caching, templating, and asset handling all feel built for scalability. Pair it with a modern front-end and it’s not hard to hit the performance numbers clients expect in 2025.
⸻
In Short
Craft CMS has become a tool we actually look forward to using. It’s flexible for us, friendly for clients, and powerful enough to scale with projects as they grow. Whether we’re building a content-heavy site, a members’ area, or a hybrid headless setup, Craft gives us the control we want without the friction.
We’ll be using it a lot more throughout the year — and sharing more behind-the-scenes as we go.