---
title: "Front Matter CMS"
description: "Best for developers who edit content in VS Code. Free (MIT). Number 9 of 16 in the Git-based CMS ranking, checked against frontmatter.codes on 2026-09-03."
url: "https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/front-matter"
updated: "2026-09-04"
source: "bestgitbasedcms.com"
---

# Front Matter CMS

> Best for developers who edit content in VS Code. Free (MIT). Number 9 of 16 in the Git-based CMS ranking, checked against frontmatter.codes on 2026-09-03.

Source: https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/front-matter. Updated 2026-09-04. Written by Andrew Chemerynskiy.

Any page of this site has a Markdown version at its own address plus /index.md. The whole site is at /llms-full.txt, the index at /llms.txt.

- Rank: 9 of 16
- Category: Developer tool
- Price: Free (MIT)
- Model: VS Code extension
- Setup: Local clone, frontmatter.json
- Review flow: No
- Git hosts: Any host. It works on a local clone
- Site: https://frontmatter.codes
- Profile: https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/front-matter
- Facts checked: 2026-09-03 against frontmatter.codes

## What Front Matter CMS is

Front Matter CMS is a CMS that lives inside VS Code: a dashboard for the Markdown and MDX in your repository, front-matter forms, data files, and media, with no server or hosted service involved. It works with Astro, Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy, Next.js, and most generators, and it is free and MIT-licensed.

That makes it a developer's tool, not a client handoff. Every editor needs the repository cloned and VS Code installed, changes go out as their own commits with no review step, and the maintainer's 2026 note says feature work now depends on sponsorship.

## Why it is number 9

The whole CMS inside VS Code, free and MIT. Editors need VS Code and a clone of the repository.

## Pros

- Free and open source, no server to run
- Works with almost any static site generator
- Front matter, data files, and media in one dashboard

## Cons

Skip it if one of these is a deal-breaker.

- Editors need VS Code and a clone of the repository
- No review step, no hosted sign-in
- Feature development throttled without sponsorship

## Pricing

Free and open source (MIT).

| Model | Setup | Review flow | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| VS Code extension | Local clone, frontmatter.json | No | Free (MIT) |

Prices are what frontmatter.codes printed on 2026-09-03. Check before you buy.

## Alternatives to Front Matter CMS

- [Sitepins](https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/sitepins): Best free hosted panel for agencies, GitLab on paid tiers. #8 in the ranking, Free tier; $12 to $49/mo.
- [Outstatic](https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/outstatic): Best free dashboard for Markdown in a Next.js app. #10 in the ranking, Free; PRO $9.99/user/mo.
- [CloudCannon](https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/cloudcannon): Best hosted visual editing. #7 in the ranking, From $55/mo + $10/user.

Tags: Free, Open source, VS Code, Local only.

Previous in the ranking: Sitepins (#8), https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/sitepins

Next in the ranking: Outstatic (#10), https://bestgitbasedcms.com/tools/outstatic

Full ranking: https://bestgitbasedcms.com/