The framework is Apache-2.0 licensed and free, and the backend is self-hostable. TinaCloud, the managed backend, is free for up to 2 users and then $24 a month for Team, $41 for Team Plus and $249 for Business.

Where does TinaCMS store content?

In your git repository, as Markdown or JSON files. Each edit becomes a commit, so history, review and rollback are handled by git rather than by a proprietary versioning system.

TinaCMS or Decap CMS?

Both are git-based and open source. Tina has far better visual editing and a managed backend, and costs money above two users. Decap is completely free and self-contained but the editing experience is a form over Markdown rather than a live preview.

TinaCMS review

Best git-backed visual editing

Reviewed by Eugene SuslovUpdated August 2026No affiliate links

Tina keeps content in your git repository as Markdown or JSON and puts a visual editing layer over it. An editor clicks into a heading on the live site, changes it in the sidebar, and Tina commits the change to the repo. Review, history and rollback are just git, because the content really is in git.

TinaCloud provides authentication, the editing API and an indexed GraphQL layer over the repo, which is what makes editing feel like a CMS rather than a pull request. The backend can be self-hosted, and the framework is Apache-2.0.

Who TinaCMS is for

Developer-led teams and documentation sites that want content in the repo but need non-developers to be able to edit it without learning git.

The wrong choice for high content volume, many simultaneous editors, or anything that needs relational content modelling.

Strengths and limits

What it does well

Content in git means no export process, no vendor content store and a complete history that already fits your existing review workflow.
The visual sidebar is a real editing experience, not a form. Non-developers can use it without touching a repository.
Apache-2.0 licensed with a self-hostable backend, so TinaCloud is a convenience rather than a dependency.
Free tier covers two users, which is enough for a solo developer plus one editor.

Where it falls short

Git as a database has hard ceilings: concurrent editing, large media and thousands of entries are all uncomfortable.
Every publish is a commit and therefore usually a rebuild, so time-to-live for a typo fix is a deploy cycle rather than instant.
TinaCloud pricing is per user and steps up sharply, from $24 a month at Team to $249 at Business.
Content modelling is file-shaped. Relations between entries are possible but never as natural as in a database-backed CMS.

TinaCMS pricing

The TinaCMS framework is Apache-2.0 and free, and the backend can be self-hosted at no cost.

TinaCloud, the managed backend, is free forever for up to 2 users. Team is $24 a month, or $290 annually, with 3 users included and up to 10. Team Plus is $41 a month, or $490 annually, with 5 included and up to 20. Business is $249 a month, or $2,990 annually, with 20 included and no user cap. Enterprise is quote-only.

Check current TinaCMS pricing

Verdict

The best git-based option here for teams that want repo-stored content without forcing editors into pull requests. For documentation sites and developer-led marketing sites it hits a sweet spot nothing else does.

Size it honestly against your content volume. Git is an excellent version store and a poor database, and Tina cannot change that.

Visit TinaCMS

TinaCMS FAQ

Is TinaCMS free?
The framework is Apache-2.0 licensed and free, and the backend is self-hostable. TinaCloud, the managed backend, is free for up to 2 users and then $24 a month for Team, $41 for Team Plus and $249 for Business.
Where does TinaCMS store content?
In your git repository, as Markdown or JSON files. Each edit becomes a commit, so history, review and rollback are handled by git rather than by a proprietary versioning system.
TinaCMS or Decap CMS?
Both are git-based and open source. Tina has far better visual editing and a managed backend, and costs money above two users. Decap is completely free and self-contained but the editing experience is a form over Markdown rather than a live preview.

This is an independent review. We have no affiliate relationship with TinaCMS, earn nothing if you sign up, and no vendor pays for placement in the directory. Prices were read from the vendor's own pages in August 2026 and change without notice.