Exploring Headless Architecture: Discover Its Wonders and Trending Technologies

But what is headless architecture? Well, it’s not that easy to answer that question quickly. To grasp it, instead of only defining the term, sometimes it’s better to simply check the tools associated with the approach and actual use cases. To dig even a little deeper, we analyzed the current trends regarding the Jamstack tech stack and defined what are the most popular headless technologies.

In the sections to follow, we'll delve deeper into the advantages, popular technologies, and trends within the world of headless architecture. Stay tuned!

Here’s what to expect from reading this article:

• Defining Headless Architecture: An Introduction

• Leading Headless Technologies in Today's Digital Landscape

• Embracing the Advantages: Noteworthy Third-Party Services for the Headless Strategy

• Delving into Headless CMSes: Unlocking Its Full Potential

• Dive Deep into Headless CMS Frameworks and Essential Libraries

• Emerging Trends in the World of Headless Architecture

• Transitioning from Complexity: Unveiling the Benefits of Going Headless

• The Business Perspective: Evaluating the Value of Adopting Headless Architecture

What is Headless Architecture? The Meaning Behind the Term

Headless architecture is a new method of website development that allows for a more dynamic, flexible, and scalable interaction with the content and visual layer. It is a term that you are likely to encounter when you enter the era where technology’s wonders change the way we communicate with digital content.

In traditional website architecture, the front end (the part of the website users see and interact with) and the back end (where data is stored and managed) are deeply intertwined, or coupled. This coupling can limit flexibility as changes made to one side often impact the other. This architecture is called a monolithic architecture.

The headless architecture was crafted as the opposite of monolithic, offering a refreshing solution. The headless architecture breaks away from this conventional structure by decoupling the front end from the back end. Imagine your website as a human body: the head represents the front end and the body symbolizes the back end. In a headless architecture, the head is removed, allowing the body to operate independently. You can also attach successive heads to the body, or change them whenever you want… No matter how odd this sounds!

This means you can manage your content (the body) in one place and display it on any front end (or heads), such as a website, mobile app, IoT device, or even a smartwatch, without having to adjust the back end for each platform. This decoupling offers a far more efficient and scalable system, perfect for the fast-paced digital world we live in today. Now that you know what headless architecture means, we can move on to more advanced topics.

Advantages of Jamstack's Headless Tech Stack

Thanks to decoupling, meaning separating front-end development from back-end development, this technology turns formerly limited static websites into modern, fast, and customizable ones, while keeping them lightweight and flexible. That's a slightly different approach than the one we call monolithic or traditional architecture.

You might have across similar terms like microservice architecture, composable architecture, composable web, modern web development, microservice-based, API-first, cloud-native, headless (MACH) architecture, and Jamstack development.

Well, no wonder: all these terms describe more or less the same concept: a decoupled architecture, in which developers have a great dose of freedom in choosing tools and technologies they need for their projects. They’re no longer limited to particular suits or single platforms’ capabilities but can create web apps as if they would use Lego bricks.

To be ultra-specific, Jamstack and headless architecture are not at odds but rather, Jamstack is a specific, highly effective way to implement headless architecture. The core idea behind both is to boost performance, security, and development efficiency, ensuring that your business can stay agile in an ever-changing digital landscape. 

If you want to learn more about headless architecture and Jamstack, feel free to check one of our articles: What is Jamstack?

Most Popular Headless Technologies Taking Over the Digital World

A typical headless technology stack is a composite of several elements, each tailored to streamline a specific facet of web development and deployment. To create a headless website or app you’ll need:

Microservices & Third-party Tools: These tools offer specialized functionalities through APIs. By integrating these services, developers can add robust features to their applications without building them from scratch.

Headless Content Management Systems (CMS): In headless CMS architecture pages function as the backbone, allowing for content creation, management, and storage without being tied to a specific presentation layer. Their role is to facilitate seamless content delivery via APIs, ensuring the content is accessible to any front-end platform.

Frontend Frameworks: Modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue.js, and Next.js are commonly leveraged to create the user interface in a headless architecture. These frameworks consume the content delivered by the headless CMS and render it, providing the end-user with a dynamic and interactive experience.

API Gateways and Middleware: Tools like GraphQL or Express.js serve as intermediaries, helping in managing API requests. They can aggregate multiple API calls, transform data, or handle authentication, ensuring the front end communicates efficiently with various backends.

Deployment Platforms & CDNs: Platforms like Netlify, Vercel, or AWS Amplify come into play to deploy, host, and scale the front-end applications. These platforms connect directly with code repositories, enabling continuous integration and deployment, ensuring that the application is always up-to-date and available for users. They often come with built-in CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) or can be easily integrated with one. CDN’s primary function is to deliver web content to users from the nearest server location, reducing latency and speeding up access for users regardless of their geographic location.

For the last few years, we’ve observed that headless technologies are growing in popularity. Well, according to the dynamic development of e-commerce and SaaS, this is not surprising at all – Jamstack development obviously delivers a number of benefits highly valued in those industries, such as high flexibility and adaptability.

Below you can find the list of the most frequently chosen Jamstack frameworks, third-party services, and headless CMS. We crafted the list on the basis of the following resources:

• The 2022 Web Almanac, an all-encompassing review of the current status of the web and internet, substantiated by concrete data and web development experts

• Jamstack Community Survey 2022, a research based on around 7,000 responses delivered by Jamstack front-end as well as back-end developers

• Stack Overflow 2023 Developer Survey, one of the most opinionated sources of knowledge of the current trends in software development that has been published for 13 years now; this year, over 90,000 developers participated!

• Salesforce’s 2022 State of Commerce, with over 4,000 worldwide leaders surveyed

• Our own experience of cooperating with e-commerce, SaaS, and enterprise-level companies from all over the world

Let’s check them out now!

Power of Headless Technology – Top Third-Party Services for Headless Approach

In headless infrastructure, using third-party APIs and systems is simply inevitable. The combination and ability to easily integrate a headless tech stack with other systems and technologies makes the development process much faster and enables developers to build a fully functional back end without a huge coding workload. Basically, you’ll be able to expand your website with any solution that sends an API. The possibilities are limitless.

These services not only streamline your operations but also provide you with the flexibility to deliver a top-notch user experience. Using third-party services allows Jamstack websites to equip them with dynamic elements and expand static sites by building additional features at any time.

So, what are the best choices for third-party services when it comes to headless architecture enthusiasts?

Search Engine Services

• Aim: The primary goal of these services is to deliver an advanced, customizable search experience within your digital platforms. They can easily process vast amounts of data, provide instant search results, and even offer predictive search capabilities

• Benefits: Integrating a robust search service can significantly enhance the user experience on your website, making it easier for visitors to navigate and find what they're looking for. This, in turn, boosts user engagement and conversion rates. For enterprise-level companies dealing with a large array of products or services, these search services can mean the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity

• Examples: Algolia, Elasticsearch, Amazon CloudSearch

Payment Gateways

• Aim: Payment gateways facilitate online transactions by transferring information between a payment portal (like a website or mobile app) and the bank. They ensure that transaction details are passed securely from the customer to the merchant and from the merchant to the payment processor

• Benefits: Integrating a reliable payment gateway is crucial for e-commerce businesses to accept and manage online transactions smoothly. They bolster customer trust by providing secure transactions, support various payment methods (credit/debit cards, digital wallets, etc.), and help improve conversion rates

• Examples: PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net

Shipping and Fulfillment Services

• Aim: These services manage and streamline the process of storing inventory, packing, and shipping orders to customers. Some services also handle returns and exchanges

• Benefits: Efficient shipping and fulfillment are as crucial as having a great product. By integrating these services, businesses can ensure timely, reliable delivery, which enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. They also free up business resources to focus on core functions

• Examples: ShipBob, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), ShipMonk

Customer Support Platforms

• Aim: These are the tools focused on managing and streamlining customer service interactions. They often include features for managing support tickets, live chat, customer feedback, and knowledge-base articles

• Benefits: They help e-commerce businesses provide timely, efficient, and personalized customer support, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. They also provide valuable insights into common customer issues, helping businesses improve their products and services

• Examples: Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout

Authentication Services

• Aim: In an era where data breaches are all too common, these services aim to fortify the security of user data and manage access to certain resources. They provide various methods for users to prove their identity, from simple username/password systems to multifactor authentication and single sign-on

• Benefits: Incorporating these services into your digital architecture enhances your website's security, building user trust and loyalty. It ensures compliance with data protection regulations and offers a seamless user experience with features like social login and passwordless authentication. These services can significantly lower the risk of data breaches while maintaining a user-friendly experience

• Examples: Auth0, Firebase Authentication, Okta

Review and Rating Systems

• Aim: These systems allow customers to leave reviews and ratings for products they've purchased. They provide an open forum for customer feedback and foster transparency.

• Benefits: These systems help boost customer trust and increase conversion rates. They provide valuable user-generated content that can improve SEO performance and offer insights for product development.

• Examples: Yotpo, Bazaarvoice, PowerReviews

Sales Tax Automation Tools

• Aim: These tools automatically calculate sales tax in real-time during the checkout process. They adjust calculations based on various factors like product type, customer location, and more

• Benefits: Sales tax automation tools ensure accuracy, compliance with tax laws, and a smooth checkout process for customers. They save e-commerce companies from the complicated task of sales tax management, especially when operating in multiple jurisdictions

• Examples: Avalara, TaxJar, Vertex

Personalization Engines

• Aim: Personalization engines strive to offer a unique, tailored user experience based on individual user behavior, history, and preferences. They leverage data analytics and machine learning to deliver dynamic content, recommendations, and targeted marketing messages

• Benefits: Integrating a personalization engine can significantly enhance user engagement, satisfaction, and conversion rates. It allows enterprises to provide a 'one-to-one' experience to their users, leading to increased customer loyalty and revenue

• Examples: Optimizely, Dynamic Yield, Monetate

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

• Aim: CRM systems aim to manage a company's interactions with current and potential customers. They analyze customer data and interactions, helping businesses improve customer service, customer retention, and sales

• Benefits: With a CRM, enterprise-level companies can efficiently manage customer relationships, streamline processes, and improve profitability. It allows for better customer segmentation, targeted marketing, and improved customer service

• Examples: Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365

Data Management Platforms (DMPs)

• Aim: These platforms aim to collect, integrate, and manage large amounts of structured and unstructured data from various sources. They allow for data organization, processing, and delivery to relevant systems

• Benefits: DMPs enable enterprises to unlock valuable insights from their data, enhancing decision-making and strategy formulation. With a DMP, businesses can deliver personalized user experiences, drive marketing effectiveness, and boost overall performance

• Examples: Adobe Audience Manager, Oracle BlueKai, Lotame

Digital Experience Platforms (DXP)

• Aim: DXPs are integrated software frameworks designed to engage and interact with users across a wide array of digital touchpoints. They provide tools and features for delivering consistent, personalized, and engaging user experiences

• Benefits: DXPs enable businesses to manage all their digital experiences from a single platform. They allow for seamless integration of various technologies, enabling a consistent experience across multiple channels. For enterprise-level organizations, DXPs can significantly improve customer engagement, increase conversion rates, and support digital transformation initiatives

• Examples: Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore Experience Platform, Liferay DXP

Unlocking the Potential of Headless Architecture – CMSes

In headless architecture, the content management system also plays a pivotal role. In traditional CMS, the back end where content is managed, and the front end where content is displayed are inherently linked. But a headless CMS decouples this relationship, acting as a content repository that delivers content anywhere it's needed through APIs.

The primary purpose of using a headless CMS is to provide an efficient, flexible, and future-proof way to manage and deliver content. Since the front end (the "head") is detached, developers have complete control over how and where the content is presented. It opens up possibilities for content to be seamlessly distributed across multiple channels (website, mobile apps, IoT devices, etc.), ensuring a consistent user experience.

What’s more, a headless CMS puts the power back in the hands of content marketers. With the increased flexibility, scalability, and agility it offers, content marketers can focus on crafting engaging, personalized content experiences for their audience without worrying about technological limitations and the development team’s overload. As the front-end delivery is handled independently, deploying content updates or new features doesn't require a complete site overhaul. This results in quicker updates, making it easier for marketers to keep up with rapidly changing market trends.

Data backs that up: 83% of businesses that adopted a headless CMS observed enhancements in time efficiency, budget management, productivity, achievement of their KPIs, and revenue growth.

Let’s now take a look at the most likable CMS according to the Jamstack Community Survey 2022. Below are the tools which were pointed as the most satisfying to work with by Jamstack developers. If you want more details, take a look at the specific section of the survey dedicated to content management systems.

Sanity

Sanity is a CMS that prioritizes flexibility and customization, putting you in full control of your content creation and management process. It delivers richly expressive interfaces that let your team craft content for any conceivable use case. The platform empowers businesses to become content-centered, operating from a single source of truth that enhances efficiency and encourages independent work as content needs scale.

Sanity promotes confident content creation, providing powerful collaboration tools and detailed revision history. With the Sanity Studio, content creation becomes a fearlessly real-time process, avoiding document lockouts and minimizing collisions with other authors' work in progress.

Note: according to Jamstack developers, Sanity is the most satisfactory tool to work with.

• Type of CMS: Open-source

• Best Features: Real-time collaboration, revision history, and highly customizable schema

• Best For: Projects requiring real-time updates and custom content structures

• Why It Fits Headless: Sanity's focus on content structuring and real-time updates aligns with the flexibility and immediacy of headless architecture

Strapi

Strapi is a Content Management System (CMS) that stands out for its unparalleled flexibility and user-friendliness. It enables content managers to model and publish content the way they desire, offering the freedom to create any page on the go without developers needing to constantly assist. With Strapi, content creators can be fully autonomous, creating dynamic, reusable components quickly and effectively.

Strapi shines in its use of Repeatable Components – reusable structures shared across all content types. These components, be it for meta information, links, or any repeatable content, can be included in any content type as a single entry or a list of entries.

Automatic size optimization ensures no loss in quality, while features such as Live Editing and Simple Media Replacement enhance usability. Additionally, Strapi generates responsive formats for each upload, supports drag-and-drop, and allows for single or multiple uploads, keeping all your media assets conveniently in one place.

Content can be translated, the messaging adjusted, and the structure of the page tailored to each version, allowing you to deliver personalized messages to your audiences.

• Type of CMS: Open-source

• Best Features: Highly customizable, plugin-oriented, and offers GraphQL support

• Best For: Projects that require extensive customization and prefer GraphQL over REST

• Why It Fits Headless: Strapi's customizable nature and API options offer the flexibility expected in a headless setup

Storyblok

Storyblok accelerates the launch of your digital experiences by separating content from presentation, which simplifies management and promotes agile development across multiple channels. Being cloud-native, it eliminates the need for manual software updates, providing you with flexibility as your needs evolve.

The visual interface of Storyblok is user-friendly, allowing creatives, designers, and content teams to independently create and manage content. Its collaborative visual editor and live omnichannel preview ensure you can easily orchestrate and publish content, boosting productivity and streamlining your content creation process. Storyblok ensures efficient collaboration with its custom collaboration workflows and a central platform for creating, managing, and publishing all your stories.

Its native field-level and folder-level internationalization capabilities let you easily localize content to reach a global audience. You can also tailor your capabilities with a host of free apps from the Storyblok App Directory, and create your own custom apps, plugins, and field types with Storyblok's Custom Extensions feature.

Just like Strapi, Storyblok is seen as one of the most satisfactory headless CMS to work with!

• Type of CMS: Software as a Service (SaaS)

• Best Features: Visual editor, component-based architecture, and comprehensive content APIs

• Best For: Projects that want the power of a headless CMS with the familiarity of a page builder

• Why It Fits Headless: Storyblok's visual editor and component-based system blend traditional and headless CMS benefits

You can read more on why our Jamstack developers like working with Storyblok on their blog!

Prismic

Prismic is a headless Content Management System (CMS) that prides itself on performance. Thanks to its headless architecture, developers can opt for their preferred tech stack to pair up with Prismic. This results in efficient APIs that deliver content swiftly, enhancing load times and user experience and ensuring that your audience stays engaged and connected. Prismic's API is backed by Content Delivery Network (CDN) benefits, ensuring your content is delivered to users within milliseconds, regardless of their location worldwide.

Prismic's flagship feature, Slices, revolutionizes the creation of modern, eye-catching websites. Slices are customizable website sections that can be reused, ensuring consistency in your branding while allowing for quick implementation of new ideas. Scheduling and preview capabilities facilitate the planning of content launches and gathering of feedback.

Custom controls give you mastery over the details, with editable fields for SEO, social sharing images, analytics, and more. The need for clunky plugins is eliminated, and Prismic maintains both the software and infrastructure, allowing you to focus on your projects.

• Type of CMS: SaaS

• Best Features: Slice-based editing, scheduling, and multi-language support

• Best For: Multi-language websites and projects requiring advanced content scheduling

• Why It Fits Headless: Prismic's API-first approach and robust content editing tools align perfectly with the requirements of headless architecture

Ghost

Ghost is a dynamic, all-in-one platform designed for new-media creators and modern businesses. It provides robust tools to build websites, publish content, send newsletters, and offer paid subscriptions to members. Ghost supports rich media and dynamic cards, enabling creators to enhance their stories with image galleries, gifs, video, audio, products, info boxes, accordion toggles, downloadable files, bookmarks, and much more.

Ghost simplifies the process of building an indie publication with memberships and subscriptions. With native signup forms, Ghost transforms anonymous views into logged-in members, and allows people to sign up for free or purchase paid subscriptions to support creators' work. This functionality provides creators with an easy means to monetize their content.

Ghost offers native analytics, providing detailed engagement metrics for understanding what content is garnering the most attention and identifying who the biggest fans are. It integrates smoothly with a host of other tools including referral programs, push notifications, social sharing, payment gateways, A/B testing, desktop editors, mobile apps, comments, and notifications.

• Type of CMS: Open-source

• Best Features: Markdown editor, built-in SEO, and integrated content scheduling

• Best For: Publishers, bloggers, and content-focused websites

• Why It Fits Headless: Ghost's markdown support and API-driven approach resonate with the content delivery system in headless architecture

Contentful

Supporting 70 billion API calls per month and thousands of purpose-built apps and integrations, Contentful is a robust, enterprise-grade platform trusted to support your security and data residency requirements.

It’s a state-of-the-art headless platform that enables powerful orchestration of content and tools across brands, teams, and marketing channels, designed to enhance various e-commerce and marketing strategies.

Contentful Marketplace, a diverse selection of ready-made apps and integrations, is one of the most important assets. These apps, built by Contentful and its partners, are designed to integrate seamlessly with any service. Contentful comes with powerful AI tools that help scale your content efficiently, including an AI Content Generator in the Contentful Marketplace that augments your processes for a more impactful experience.

Contentful's Live Preview provides an enhanced visualization and content optimization experience. Moreover, with Contentful Studio, content creation, publishing, and governance are automated and streamlined, giving your content teams more room for creativity.

• Type of CMS: SaaS

• Best Features: Multi-language support, content modeling, and extensive API support

• Best For: Large-scale businesses needing a robust content infrastructure and multi-language support

• Why It Fits Headless: Contentful's robust APIs and flexible content modeling system make it an ideal choice for headless architecture

Headless WordPress

Classic WordPress is a monolithic solution, created more than 20 years ago on the basis of PHP. It’s running 43.2% of all websites and this is the very reason why WordPress was included in the Jamstack Community Survey 2022 as still the most popular content management system. Clients are simply used to their already-known interface and have content teams skilled in working with WordPress so they expect developers to create websites on its basis.

However, in the realm of Jamstack and Headless, WordPress isn’t anyone’s favorite, especially developers who rated it as the least satisfactory CMS to work on while developing projects. Here’s a positive thing, though: WordPress can also be implemented within the headless approach.

Headless WordPress has a few advantages. First, decoupled nature paves the way for designing the front end with diverse technologies, fostering bespoke digital experiences. Second, it can be faster than traditional WordPress. By steering clear of the traditional theme and plugin mechanism, headless WordPress zeroes in on content delivery. Integrating it with contemporary JavaScript frameworks ensures websites that resonate with swiftness and responsiveness. Third, headless WordPress's API-centric structure ensures content is delivered flawlessly across platforms, promising a uniform, quality user experience, be it on desktops or IoT devices.

Still: WordPress wasn't intended to work with the headless approach and although it has its advantages, you may want to consider other headless platforms.

• Type of CMS: Open-source

• Best Features: Familiar WordPress interface, extensive plugin library, and RESTful API

• Best For: WordPress users who want to leverage the benefits of a headless architecture while staying with their favorite interface

• Why It Fits Headless: It mostly doesn’t, however WordPress's popularity and extensive features combined with RESTful API make it somehow suitable for a headless approach

Note: we’re really into headless CMS’ role in modern web development and you may need to know that there are more than 100 headless CMS to choose from. Read more about the best headless CMS out there if you want to deepen your knowledge in this matter!

Mastering Headless CMS Architecture: Frameworks and Libraries To Take a Closer Look At

The landscape of web development is ever-evolving, with an array of frameworks and libraries available for developers to choose from, especially in the headless realm. Both the Jamstack chapter of the 2022 Web Almanac and the Jamstack Community Survey 2022 reveal some of the top contenders in this domain. Based on both satisfaction scores and usage stats, below are some of the technologies that stand out.

React

For several years, React has reigned supreme in the JavaScript realm, reaching an unprecedented 71% market share in 2022, outperforming all other frameworks. Although there's an array of choices for crafting reactive web applications, the vast and thriving ecosystem surrounding React consistently positions it as a preferred choice for numerous Jamstack developers.

An immensely popular library, React development is best suited for building interactive UIs. It makes creating complex user interfaces with reusable components a breeze. Key features include the virtual DOM for enhanced performance, a component-based architecture that enhances modularity, and a rich ecosystem that fosters extensibility.

It’s important to know, though, that React is a library so it requires developers to come up with many solutions from scratch. It’s not always advisable to reinvent the wheel so the majority of headless projects are created on the basis of React-based frameworks. You’ll find the most popular below.

Next

A top-tier React framework, Next is designed for server-rendered applications. It shines in creating scalable applications that require server-side rendering for SEO or performance reasons. It offers features like static site generation, incremental static regeneration, automatic code-splitting, and integrated styling solutions.

Web powered by this technology is user-friendly, performant and provides developers with great flexibility to build dynamic elements. Next.js development ensures a fast time to market, responsiveness, scalability, and access to knowledge accumulated by a big and still growing community. Next is recommended for large multi-user websites and headless e-commerce portals, as well as more simple projects like B2B or SaaS websites

Next is assessed highly: almost 50% of all Jamstack developers use Next.js for e-commerce and web development projects. And no wonder: it’s a great tool that we love, too!

Vue

Vue development is the go-to for building single-page applications and UI components. Its simplicity, coupled with a progressive framework design, allows developers to integrate it into projects incrementally. Key features include a reactive data-binding system and a virtual DOM implementation similar to React.

Svelte

Svelte stands apart as a compiler rather than a traditional framework. Best used for creating fast web & mobile apps, it shifts much of the work to compile time. It removes the need for a virtual DOM, resulting in faster updates and less boilerplate code.

No wonder Svelte is gaining traction: it tops the list for developers as the framework they're most eager to learn next.

We crafted a well-researched article on Svelte.js popularity that you can read to gather more insights on this highly-developing framework.

Astro

Astro is making waves for its ability to deliver faster websites with less client-side JavaScript. It's perfect for content-heavy sites that need to be lean and fast. With features like partial hydration and built-in support for multiple front-end frameworks, it's a game-changer.

11ty

A simple static site generator, 11ty excels in creating blogs, documentation, and other content-driven sites. It's data-driven, using JavaScript, JSON, or even Markdown. Being configuration-free and using the existing JavaScript ecosystem makes it developer-friendly.

11ty will be the right option for those who are seeking simple solutions that can be learned fast. It is usually difficult to detect whether a website was built with 11ty, as the technology is transparent, but also portable, deployable at any hosting provider and easy to integrate with external APIs.

Nuxt

An intuitive framework built on Vue, Nuxt is designed for universal applications. Best suited for projects needing server-side rendering or static site generation out of the box, it offers automatic route configuration, asynchronous data options, and a modular architecture.

According to Jamstack Community Survey 2022, 22% of developers working in the Jamstack space have used Nuxt for some of their projects. Including ours!

Gatsby

Leveraging React, Gatsby is best for building blazing-fast websites and applications. It excels in producing static sites using modern web technologies, with a rich plugin ecosystem, GraphQL support, and impressive optimizations for performance.

What is Gatsby best for? Developers love to use Gatsby mostly due to its well-prepared documentation and the great availability of ready-to-use features and plugins. Those features make the development process smooth and enjoyable, and the produced websites are SEO-optimized and easy to scale. It is then recommended for various kinds of websites, including corporate, e-commerce, and SaaS websites, but also personal blogs and landing pages.

Other Trends in Headless Architecture

In today's digital landscape, headless architecture stands out as a game-changer, helping businesses step confidently into the future. It's significantly growing: 80% of businesses that don’t have headless architecture today say they plan to implement it in the next two years. Yet, it's not a solo player. Alongside it, other exciting technologies complement and amplify its strengths, creating a powerful mix for better user experiences.

As the online world keeps changing, it's vital to understand how headless blends with these new trends, offering more than just flexible systems. Beyond the tech jargon, there's a realm where better performance and adaptability aren't luxuries but necessities. As you dive deeper, you'll see how the world of web development is expanding and evolving, gearing up for a smoother digital tomorrow. Let's explore how headless architecture, while central, is part of a bigger, dynamic picture.

Serverless and Edge Functions

Businesses nowadays need enhanced performance, reduced latency, and significantly improved user experience to cater to their visitors’ needs better and better. A couple of the most popular technologies that support them in doing so are serverless and edge functions. They easily go in pairs with headless architecture as part of the ever-evolving modern web development movement.

Serverless architecture provides a framework for developers to create and execute services without the need to oversee the infrastructure. This approach allows for more efficient system scalability, offloading server management tasks, and executing application logic closer to the user, enhancing headless' potential. Serverless databases and computing permit developers to run code in response to events without the hassle of managing server infrastructure. When we talk about edge functions, they operate in a similar vein but are executed at the network's edge, ensuring responsiveness and minimal latency.

Jamstack Community Survey 2022 threw light on the burgeoning trend of serverless technology. In 2021, an unexpected 46% adoption rate for serverless was reported, and the numbers have leaped to an impressive 71% this year. The growth trajectory was much steeper than anticipated and we can easily expect further usage development.

It looks like serverless functions aren’t now reserved only for enterprises like it used to be. The adoption of serverless is growing, as for developers, it minimizes the need to manage the infrastructure on their own.

Headless Commerce

As e-commerce grows globally, businesses need the flexibility to serve diverse markets and rapidly adapt to changing consumer behaviors. A headless architecture is somewhat of a Holy Grail for e-commerce, offering flexibility and scalability and letting brands quickly innovate and customize their user interfaces.

With headless commerce (or composable commerce), brands can provide a more tailored shopping experience, easily integrate with third-party tools, and deploy updates without disrupting the entire system. They can use any front-end framework of their choice while maintaining a robust e-commerce back-end. What’s more, using headless e-commerce ensures lower total costs of ownership in the long term: 82% of its adopters anticipate a decrease in money spending in the next 3 years.

Microservices

As applications grow in complexity, monolithic architectures become cumbersome. Microservices allow developers to maintain, update, and scale specific parts of an application independently, making it more resilient and adaptable. Microservices architecture dovetails with headless in its emphasis on decoupling. While headless separates the front end from the back end, microservices break down the back end into modular services.

Microservices architecture involves creating applications as a collection of small, independent services that communicate through well-defined APIs. Each service is responsible for specific functionality and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.

In modern web development projects, it's not uncommon to see these two paradigms used together. For example, a headless CMS might be one of several microservices within a broader microservices ecosystem. This allows businesses to leverage the strengths of both patterns – using microservices for modularity, scalability, and independent deployments while taking advantage of the flexibility and versatility offered by headless systems for content delivery.

Implementing microservices can result in faster deployment cycles, better scalability, and easier maintenance. This ultimately translates to quicker feature releases and more stable applications for end-users.

From Complexity to Flexibility: Discover the Benefits of Headless Architecture

These are the most important pros of headless architecture for business. Developers and companies value the Jamstack and headless tech stack for many reasons. Below you’ll find the most important ones.

• Scalability and ability to respond to customers’ changing needs

• Freedom in choosing user experience design and the possibility to quickly adjust to business changes

• Flexibility in choosing back-end components and functionalities, and the possibility to scale and deploy individual parts of the application

• Possibility to combine it with the latest technologies and third-party solutions like CRMs, e-commerce platforms, and personalization engines

• Easy maintenance combined with an enjoyable, time-saving, and highly satisfying development experience

• Great reusability of pre-made and already existing components

• Easy integration with third-party technologies, systems, and APIs (headless e-commerce, CMS, search, payment platforms, and more)

• Faster time-to-market: Decoupling the front end from the back end means that front-end developers can work on the user interface without waiting for backend changes. This parallel development can accelerate product launches and feature updates

• Improved security: with a headless approach, the presentation layer is separate from the content layer, reducing the risk of attacks. Many traditional CMSs are frequent targets for attacks, but decoupling can minimize these vectors

• Marketers can push content updates in real time across all channels without relying heavily on IT or waiting for full deployment cycles. This is especially valuable for timely campaigns or rapid content updates

• Businesses can potentially reduce costs over time by avoiding full-stack overhauls when only front-end changes are needed. Additionally, the API-driven approach can lead to more efficient scaling as the business grows.

• A fast and structured learning process, easy to pick up for software development enthusiasts

• Support of the vibrant Jamstack community as well as communities gathering around specific tools

According to the Jamstack Community Survey 2022, the features most valued by developers are performance, uptime, security, development speed, and compliance.

In general, you can harness the power of headless architecture and Jamstack to create immersive digital experiences that adapt to the needs of your users and the demands of your business.

What Does Headless Architecture Mean For Business – Is It Worth It?

If you wish to benefit from headless architecture’s flexibility and scalability yourselves, we bet it’s a great choice and opportunity. We can assure you that you will truly enjoy a fast development process and great flexibility in choosing functionalities and building a great user experience.

Having over 10 years of experience as an eCommerce & web development company, we see headless architecture as a revolutionary solution that breaks down many limitations we previously fought with while implementing the monolithic architecture.

If you’re looking for a technology partner to explore the Jamstack and headless tech stack, check out our Jamstack development services or contact us right away. Based on the experience of our developers, we will provide you with recommendations according to the choice of technologies best matching the specifics of your project.

Let’s simply get in touch and do something cool together!