Sanity vs Strapi for a franchise network website in London (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a network of 40 franchisees who must update their local page without touching the brand guidelines, Sanity is the safest choice if you want a smooth editor, granular roles and no server to maintain. Self-hosted Strapi becomes cheaper once you pass 30 editors and have a supplier able to handle updates. Headless WordPress is a transition option, but locking the layout per franchisee costs more to build than most teams expect.

What head office really needs to control

The hard part of a franchise network is not the CMS itself. It is the line between what head office imposes (logo, fonts, national offers, legal notices) and what a franchisee may change (opening hours, team photos, local promotions, Google reviews, directions). A good content model separates these two layers: a branch page is a document where only 8 to 12 fields are editable by the manager, and everything else is inherited from head office.

In both Sanity and Strapi, this split is built through schemas. The difference lies in three points: per-document permissions (a franchisee only sees their own page), the approval workflow (head office reviews promotions before they go live) and the quality of the live preview, which drives adoption among non-technical managers.

The real three-year cost for 40 editors

The licence is only part of the budget. The heaviest line is integration: content modelling, local page templates, roles, approval workflow and manager training. For a network website in London, budget a base of 12,000 to 20,000 EUR for the site itself, then a CMS integration premium of 2,000 to 5,000 EUR depending on the level of locking required.

The Sanity range depends on the plan. If only 5 or 6 head office staff need advanced roles and franchisees use a simplified editing form, the bill stays low. If all 40 managers get a named seat on a paid plan, Strapi regains the cost advantage. These are 2026 ballpark figures, to be checked against the price list in force at signature.

How to decide in one meeting

Ask the steering committee four questions. How many people will actually edit each month (often only 60% of franchisees)? Does head office have a supplier to maintain a server? Must the data stay on a specific server for a contractual requirement? Do franchisees publish promotions that legally bind the network, which requires approval?

If the answer is "few active editors, no tech team, approval needed", choose Sanity. If it is "many editors, supplier in place, sovereign hosting", Strapi wins. Either way, the Next.js front end stays the same, which limits the risk if you change your mind in three years.

Mini case study

Nadia, digital lead of a 40-branch home services network based in London, received about twenty local page change requests every week. Her team spent around 6 hours a week on them, 288 hours a year at 45 EUR loaded cost: 12,960 EUR a year. The network chose Sanity with 6 head office seats on a paid plan (6 x 15 EUR x 12 = 1,080 EUR a year) and a restricted editing form for managers, with an integration premium of 3,200 EUR. After three months, 26 of 40 managers were updating their own hours and promotions, and head office time had dropped to 1.5 hours a week. Net saving in year one: about 9,720 EUR of time minus 4,280 EUR of costs, so 5,440 EUR, then close to 8,600 EUR in following years.

FAQ

Can a franchisee break the brand guidelines with Sanity or Strapi?

No, if the content model is well built: the manager only fills 8 to 12 fields (short texts, cropped photos, hours) and the layout is enforced by the template. Colours and fonts are never exposed in the editor.

How long does it take to set up the CMS on an existing network site?

Allow 3 to 6 weeks for modelling, migrating 40 local pages and training. Moving existing content often accounts for 20 to 30% of that time.

Is self-hosted Strapi a security risk?

The risk mostly comes from missed updates. Plan 1 to 2 days a year of maintenance and daily backups, around 600 to 1,000 EUR a year with a supplier.

Can we keep WordPress and just add a modern front end?

Yes, headless WordPress lets teams keep their habits. However, locking fields per franchisee requires 3,000 to 5,000 EUR of custom development, which brings its cost close to Sanity or Strapi.

Does the CMS choice affect local SEO?

Very little, SEO depends on the front end and structured data. What matters is that each branch page has its own URL, a LocalBusiness schema and genuinely local content, which all three options support.

Let's scope your project. We define the content model, franchisee roles and CMS budget for your network, with a costed range and a 4 to 8 week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.