Best Content Marketing Software for 2026: 9 tools compared for buyers
This page answers a practical question for buyers: which content marketing software fits your team, your channels and your review process. The tools range from social planning calendars and approval workspaces to a headless content platform, an enterprise asset system and a CRM-native marketing suite, so the right choice depends on which stage of content work you need to cover.
Each tool was compared on fit for team size, planning and approval features, creation and publishing options, ease of use and how clearly the vendor shows its pricing. The page also lists what each vendor publishes on security, admin controls and contract terms, so procurement and IT can screen the shortlist early.
Our shortlist at a glance
- Best for client-by-client approvals
PlanableAgencies get separate brand or client workspaces, and the Pro plan adds required approvals with 150 posts per workspace monthly.
$39/workspace/month (Basic, monthly billing) - Best for formal request and review stages
Optimizely Content Marketing PlatformAutomated content requests, shared calendars and review workflows suit marketing organizations with many campaign owners and defined approval stages.
Contact sales - Best for rights and asset permissions
BynderBuilt for brand teams with heavy asset reuse, it offers approval controls and governance for organizations with rights-management needs.
Contact sales - Best for multi-channel delivery with developer support
ContentfulThis headless platform stores reusable structured entries and delivers them by API to several digital properties, and it publishes ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 status.
$300/month (Lite) - Best for a visible small-team social calendar
CoScheduleIts drag and drop social calendar starts at $29 per month billed annually, with message approvals on the Professional plan.
$29/month billed annually (Starter) - Best for teams already running HubSpot CRM
HubSpot Marketing HubIt keeps marketing, forms and reporting inside HubSpot's native CRM, and it publishes a DPA and an EU data center option for new customers.
$0 (Free, up to 2 users); Starter from $7 or $20 per seat/month
What is content marketing software?
Content marketing software helps teams plan, produce, approve, publish and measure marketing content in one place. Day to day, an editor uses it to schedule work on a calendar, assign drafts, collect reviews from colleagues or clients, and push approved pieces to a blog, social network or other channel. Marketing leads use it to see what is in progress and which pieces perform. The category covers several product types: editorial calendars, social publishing tools, content platforms and asset libraries. Few products cover every stage, so buyers compare tools by the stages they actually need.
Content Marketing Software side by side
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planable | Best for client-by-client approvals. | $39/workspace/month (Basic, monthly billing) | Free trial |
| Optimizely Content Marketing Platform | Best for formal request and review stages. | Contact sales | No |
| Bynder | Best for rights and asset permissions. | Contact sales | No |
| Contentful | Best for multi-channel delivery with developer support. | $300/month (Lite) | Free plan |
| CoSchedule | Best for a visible small-team social calendar. | $29/month billed annually (Starter) | Free trial |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | Best for teams already running HubSpot CRM. | $0 (Free, up to 2 users); Starter from $7 or $20 per seat/month | Free plan |
 Semrush | Marketing teams that want keyword, audit, backlink and AI visibility tools in one login. | Contact sales | Free plan, Free trial |
 StoryChief | B2B content teams publishing articles and social posts. | Contact sales | No |
 ContentStudio | Agencies coordinating multiple social accounts. | $19/month billed annually (Standard) | Free trial |
Prices as published by each vendor on October 24, 2026. "Contact sales" means the vendor publishes no price.
The 9 content marketing software tools in detail
Best for client-by-client approvals
Planable
A shared planning and approval workspace for social and other marketing content across brands and clients.
Planable is a shared planning and approval workspace for social and other marketing content across brands and clients. It stands out for per-workspace pricing and required approvals on Pro, while analytics is a paid add-on.
- Best for
- Agencies with separate brand or client workspaces.
- Company size
- Agencies and brand teams.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Calendar, feed and campaign planning.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Required approvals on Pro; multi-level on Enterprise.
- Creation and optimization
- AI drafting and post editing.
- Distribution and publishing
- Social publishing across supported networks.
Best for
- Agencies with separate brand or client workspaces.
- Teams that need formal required approvals.
Not ideal for
- Teams that want unlimited included post volume on Basic.
- Buyers expecting one workspace subscription to cover many separate clients.
Pricing: $39/workspace/month (Basic, monthly billing) · Free trial
Best for formal request and review stages
Optimizely Content Marketing Platform
An enterprise content operations workspace connecting campaign requests, calendars, reviews, assets and performance.
Optimizely Content Marketing Platform is an enterprise content operations workspace that connects campaign requests, calendars, reviews, assets and performance. It stands out for covering intake through measurement, and reviewers mention setup effort and a learning curve.
- Best for
- Marketing organizations with formal content request and approval stages.
- Company size
- Mid-market and enterprise teams.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Shared calendars and automated requests.
- Collaboration and approvals
- AI-embedded review workflows.
- Creation and optimization
- AI-assisted content creation and compliance checks.
- Distribution and publishing
- Marketing workflow and channel integrations.
Pros
- Reviewers value visibility into campaign status and approval stages.
Cons
- Reviewers mention setup effort and learning curve.
Pricing: Contact sales
Best for rights and asset permissions
Bynder
An enterprise digital asset and content workflow platform for organizing approved media and distributing assets.
Bynder is an enterprise digital asset and content workflow platform for organizing approved media and distributing assets. It stands out for asset governance, approval controls and permissions, and it is quote-led with no published entry-level price.
- Best for
- Brand teams with extensive asset reuse and permissions.
- Company size
- Mid-market and enterprise brands.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Content Workflow planning and reviews.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Asset Workflow approval controls.
- Creation and optimization
- Studio and asset workflows.
- Distribution and publishing
- DAM and content distribution integrations.
Pros
- Reviewers value asset organization and search.
Cons
- Reviewers report cost concerns and migration effort.
Pricing: Contact sales
Best for multi-channel delivery with developer support
Contentful
A headless content platform for reusable structured entries, localized publishing and coordinated digital experiences.
Contentful is a headless content platform for reusable structured entries, localized publishing and coordinated digital experiences. It stands out for API delivery to custom channels and a free plan meant for learning, but it needs developer support for content modeling.
- Best for
- Teams delivering content across several digital properties.
- Company size
- Developer-supported content teams.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Scheduled entries and releases.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Comments and tasks on Lite; workflows plan-dependent.
- Creation and optimization
- Structured content and editorial experience.
- Distribution and publishing
- API delivery to custom digital channels.
Pros
- Reviews describe reusable content models and API flexibility.
Cons
- Reviews note setup complexity for nontechnical editors.
Pricing: $300/month (Lite) · Free plan
Best for a visible small-team social calendar
CoSchedule
A social publishing calendar that coordinates campaign dates, scheduled posts and approvals for marketing teams.
CoSchedule is a social publishing calendar that coordinates campaign dates, scheduled posts and approvals for marketing teams. It stands out for a drag and drop calendar and clear entry pricing, though included seats and social profiles are limited.
- Best for
- Small teams needing a visible social calendar.
- Company size
- Solo to small teams.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Drag and drop social calendar.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Social message approvals on Professional.
- Creation and optimization
- AI social and campaign assistants.
- Distribution and publishing
- Social scheduling and publishing.
Best for
- Small teams needing a visible social calendar.
- Teams measuring profile and seat add-on cost.
Not ideal for
- Content teams that need a structured headless CMS.
- Large groups expecting unlimited included user seats.
Pricing: $29/month billed annually (Starter) · Free trial
Best for teams already running HubSpot CRM
HubSpot Marketing Hub
CRM-native marketing suite with a free tier, per-seat Starter, and Professional and Enterprise tiers with large contact bundles and onboarding fees.
HubSpot Marketing Hub is a CRM-native marketing suite with a free tier and paid Starter, Professional and Enterprise plans. It stands out for forms, landing pages, reporting and Salesforce sync, but it is built around email and lead generation more than editorial planning.
- Best for
- Teams already on HubSpot CRM that want marketing, forms and reporting in one system.
- Company size
- Small to enterprise marketing organizations; contact tier matters.
Best for
- Teams already on HubSpot CRM that want marketing, forms and reporting in one system.
- Small teams starting on Free (2 users) and growing into Starter.
Not ideal for
- Budget-limited teams needing automation depth: Professional starts at $800 or $890/month plus a $3,000 onboarding fee.
- Teams needing SAML SSO below Enterprise.
Pricing: $0 (Free, up to 2 users); Starter from $7 or $20 per seat/month · Free plan
Semrush
All-in-one SEO and AI search visibility suite sold as tiered subscriptions with per-plan project and tracking caps.
Semrush is an all-in-one SEO and AI search visibility suite sold as tiered subscriptions with caps on projects and tracked keywords. It stands out for tracking positions and AI visibility in one login, but extra users and reports cost more.
- Best for
- Marketing teams that want keyword, audit, backlink and AI visibility tools in one login.
Pros
- Broad toolset in one suite.
- Strong backlink audit capabilities.
Cons
- Expensive for small teams.
- Add-on pricing adds up.
- Steep learning curve.
Pricing: Contact sales · Free plan, Free trial
StoryChief
Editorial planning, collaboration and multi-channel distribution in one marketing workspace.
StoryChief combines editorial planning, collaboration and multi-channel distribution in one marketing workspace. It stands out for content briefs, SEO-ready articles and multi-brand workspaces, and its pricing is not published as a public USD list.
- Best for
- B2B content teams publishing articles and social posts.
- Company size
- B2B marketing teams and agencies.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Marketing calendar and content campaigns.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Reviews and approvals.
- Creation and optimization
- Content briefs and SEO-ready articles.
- Distribution and publishing
- Multi-channel publishing.
Pros
- Reviewers describe coordinated publishing and responsive support.
Cons
- A reviewer reports difficulty with simultaneous editing and edit suggestions.
Pricing: Contact sales
ContentStudio
A social content planning platform combining scheduling, discovery, AI drafting, approvals and reporting.
ContentStudio is a social content planning platform that combines scheduling, content discovery, AI drafting, approvals and reporting. It stands out for agency-friendly workspaces and a multi-view planner, with approvals tied to the Advanced plan.
- Best for
- Agencies coordinating multiple social accounts.
- Company size
- Solo, small business and agency tiers.
Key features
- Editorial planning
- Multi-view content planner.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Approval workflow in product; Advanced plan scope.
- Creation and optimization
- AI Studio and content discovery.
- Distribution and publishing
- Social publishing and smart scheduling.
Best for
- Agencies coordinating multiple social accounts.
- Teams that want content discovery beside a publishing calendar.
Not ideal for
- Buyers looking for a headless CMS.
- Teams assuming unlimited social accounts from the Agency plan name.
Pricing: $19/month billed annually (Standard) · Free trial
What to look for in content marketing software
The best content marketing software is the one that covers the stages your team actually works through, not the one with the longest feature list. Start by writing down where content work stalls today: planning, drafting, review, publishing or reporting. Then match that gap to a product type, because calendars, social publishers, headless platforms and asset systems solve different problems. Use the criteria below to compare vendors on equal terms and to separate included features from add-ons.
Pricing model
Content tools charge in different units: per workspace, per plan with account limits, per seat, by usage quota or by custom quote. The unit decides how cost grows when you add brands, clients or editors. Ask which features sit on a higher tier, which items are paid add-ons and how billing is set, since some advertised rates apply only with annual billing.
- Planable: Per-workspace fees and optional add-ons.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: Custom commercial proposal.
- Bynder: Custom package by use case.
- Contentful: Plan plus space and usage quotas.
- CoSchedule: Flat plan with additional profile charges.
Target company size
A solo creator needs a simple calendar, while a multi-brand organization needs governance, roles and capacity for many owners. Some tools suit solo to small teams, others agencies, and others mid-market and enterprise brands. Check that the tool's intended team size matches yours, and in a demo, ask how the setup changes as you add people.
- Planable: Agencies and brand teams.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: Mid-market and enterprise teams.
- Bynder: Mid-market and enterprise brands.
- Contentful: Developer-supported content teams.
- CoSchedule: Solo to small teams.
Editorial planning
Planning means more than dates on a calendar. Strong tools connect campaigns, briefs, owners and due dates, and some add request intake or release scheduling. Weaker ones show scheduled posts only. In a demo, build a real campaign and see who is assigned to each piece.
- Planable: Calendar, feed and campaign planning.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: Shared calendars and automated requests.
- Bynder: Content Workflow planning and reviews.
- Contentful: Scheduled entries and releases.
- CoSchedule: Drag and drop social calendar.
Collaboration and approvals
This covers review states, comments, tasks, required approvals and access for outside reviewers such as clients. Approval depth often depends on the plan, with required or multi-level approvals on higher tiers. Test the full path from draft to sign-off, including a reviewer without a paid seat.
- Planable: Required approvals on Pro; multi-level on Enterprise.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: AI-embedded review workflows.
- Bynder: Asset Workflow approval controls.
- Contentful: Comments and tasks on Lite; workflows plan-dependent.
- CoSchedule: Social message approvals on Professional.
Creation and optimization
Creation features include drafting, briefs, brand controls, AI assistance and SEO guidance. In some products these are built in, while in others they come from a separate tool or add-on. Decide whether you need writing help inside the platform or only a place to manage content made elsewhere.
- Planable: AI drafting and post editing.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: AI-assisted content creation and compliance checks.
- Bynder: Studio and asset workflows.
- Contentful: Structured content and editorial experience.
- CoSchedule: AI social and campaign assistants.
Distribution and publishing
Look at where the tool can publish natively, which integrations it offers and how scheduling works. A social scheduler, an API-delivered content platform and a marketing suite publish to very different places. List your channels first, then confirm each one is supported without a second subscription.
- Planable: Social publishing across supported networks.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: Marketing workflow and channel integrations.
- Bynder: DAM and content distribution integrations.
- Contentful: API delivery to custom digital channels.
- CoSchedule: Social scheduling and publishing.
Analytics and measurement
Good measurement shows how content performs, not only how many posts went out. Some tools include social reports, some offer analytics as a paid add-on, and others tie performance to business results. Ask which metrics are included in the plan you would buy and whether reports can be shared with stakeholders.
- Planable: Analytics as paid add-on.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: Content performance tied to business impact.
- Bynder: Analytics product available.
- Contentful: API usage and bandwidth metrics.
- CoSchedule: Social media analytics and reports.
Asset governance
Asset governance covers reusable media, roles, permissions, approval history and published security attestations. It matters most for brands that reuse assets across teams and for buyers who face a security review. Ask what the vendor publishes, such as certifications, a DPA or data location, and how approvals are recorded.
- Planable: Media storage and approval history by tier.
- Optimizely Content Marketing Platform: Central marketing-approved asset storage.
- Bynder: Digital asset governance and content operations.
- Contentful: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 published.
- CoSchedule: Calendar sharing on Professional.
Buying content marketing software: security, admin and vendor checks
Once a tool fits the team, the purchase depends on what the vendor commits to in writing: single sign-on, user provisioning, audit logs, where data lives and the contract. The checks below use each vendor's public pages, so a blank means "ask", not "no".
- Try before you buy
- 6 of 9
- Publish SAML SSO
- 1 of 9
- Publish SCIM provisioning
- 0 of 9
- Publish a DPA
- 2 of 9
3 free trials, 3 free plans
HubSpot Marketing Hub
ask every vendor in writing
HubSpot Marketing Hub and Semrush
Must-haves and what each vendor publishes
A blank is not a no, but it is work for your security review. HubSpot Marketing Hub publishes the most (3 of 5); Bynder, Contentful, ContentStudio and CoSchedule and 3 more publish none of these controls, so every question goes to their sales team. Tick what your team requires; vendors that drop out show why, and the budget check prices the plan that actually includes single sign-on when you require it.
All 9 vendors shown. Tick a must-have to filter. ● published with the plan, ◐ mentioned without plan or details, ○ not on the vendor's public pages.
| Vendor | SAML SSO | SCIM | Audit logs | Data residency | DPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Marketing Hub3 of 5 published | ● PublishedEnterprise | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ● PublishedUS (AWS US East, default) or EU (Frankfurt) for new customers… | ● Published |
| Semrush2 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ● PublishedPrimary region not named; EEA data transferred to the US… | ● Published |
| Bynder0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Contentful0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| ContentStudio0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| CoSchedule0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Optimizely Content Marketing Platform0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| Planable0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
| StoryChief0 of 5 published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published | ○ Not published |
What drives a content marketing quote
4 of 9 vendors publish no usable price, so a shortlist starts with knowing what each one charges for. The most common basis here is "platform fee or flat plan" (3 vendors).
- 3Platform fee or flat planPlanable, Contentful and ContentStudioAsk: Which modules are included, and what does each add-on cost?
- 3Quote only, no stated basisOptimizely Content Marketing Platform, Bynder and StoryChiefAsk: What is the price metric, and is there a minimum contract value?
- 3Per user or seatCoSchedule, HubSpot Marketing Hub and SemrushAsk: Who counts as a user: admins only, or everyone who approves or views?
| Tool | Pricing basis | As the vendor describes it | Contract terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planable | Platform fee or flat plan | Per workspace. | Not published |
| Optimizely Content Marketing Platform | Quote only, no stated basis | Custom quote. | Not published |
| Bynder | Quote only, no stated basis | Custom quote. | Not published |
| Contentful | Platform fee or flat plan | Flat space plan plus usage. | Not published |
| CoSchedule | Per user or seat | Flat plan with seats and profiles. | Not published |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | Per user or seat | Per seat (Starter) / flat + contact tiers (Pro, Enterprise) | Not published |
| Semrush | Per user or seat | Flat per plan plus paid extra users. | Free trial 7 days, cancel anytime per pricing page; monthly billing available. |
| StoryChief | Quote only, no stated basis | Plan by team and editorial scope. | Not published |
| ContentStudio | Platform fee or flat plan | Flat plan by accounts and workspaces. | Not published |
How to evaluate content marketing software in a trial
Eight criteria separate tools that fit your workflow from tools that only look similar on a features page. For each one, decide before the first demo what a pass looks like, then test it with real content and real reviewers rather than sample data. Pay special attention to anything a vendor marks as plan dependent or as an add-on, because those items tend to surface late in the process. Keep a shared scorecard so every stakeholder sees the same evidence.
Pricing model
Ask for the pricing unit in writing: seats, workspaces, social accounts, usage quotas or a custom quote. In the records for this category, three of the nine tools publish no public price, so a quote request is part of the evaluation timeline. Model your expected headcount and brand count for the next two renewals and ask what changes when either grows.
Target company size
Check whether the product was built for your team shape. Some tools in this list target solo creators and small teams, others agencies, and others mid-market or enterprise organizations. In a trial, set up your real number of brands, approvers and contributors and see whether the tool still feels proportionate, or whether it needs an implementation project you cannot staff.
Editorial planning
Test whether the calendar connects briefs, owners and due dates, or only displays dates. Create one campaign with several deliverables and assign them to different people. Then ask how requests enter the system, whether they can be automated, and whether the plan survives a deadline change without manual cleanup.
Collaboration and approvals
Run a real review in the trial with an internal editor and an outside approver. Check whether required approvals, multi-level approvals or external reviewer access sit on a higher tier, because the vendor records show some of these are plan dependent. Ask how review states and permissions are audited afterward.
Creation and optimization
Find out which drafting, brand control and SEO features are in the core product and which come as separate products or add-ons. Draft one article and one social post from scratch and see how much guidance you really get. If your editors already use a separate SEO suite, check whether this layer duplicates it.
Distribution and publishing
List every destination you publish to today, then verify each one natively in the trial instead of trusting an integrations count. Ask about scheduling limits, post volume caps per workspace and what happens when a connection to a network breaks. Tools that deliver through an API need developers to build the last mile, so confirm who will do that work.
Analytics and measurement
Open the reporting view with your own published content and check whether it shows performance or only scheduled-post counts. Ask whether analytics is included or sold as a paid add-on, and whether reports can be exported or shared with stakeholders. A tool that cannot show results for your channels will force a second subscription.
Asset governance
Look at who can upload, approve, reuse and retire assets, and whether the system keeps an approval trail. For security review, ask which compliance reports the vendor can share. In the records here, only one tool lists compliance reports, so request security documentation for each finalist and run it past IT before the contract stage.
Questions to ask content marketing software vendors
A demo shows the best path through a product. A sales call is where you learn about the edges: limits, tiers, implementation work and exit terms. Use the questions below as a standard script for every finalist, and record the answers in the same format. When two vendors answer differently, or one cannot answer, that gap is useful evidence for your decision. Send the questions in writing before the call so answers can be reviewed by procurement and IT.
What exactly is the pricing unit, and what triggers a higher tier?
Seats, workspaces, social accounts, post volume and usage quotas all appear in this category. Ask which limit your team will hit first and what the next tier costs. This tells you whether the price you were quoted will still apply after your first quarter of real use.
Which features are plan dependent or sold as add-ons?
Approvals, analytics and workflow controls are sometimes tied to a specific plan or priced separately. Ask for a feature by plan list in writing. Otherwise you may budget for the entry plan and discover the review process you need sits two tiers up.
What does implementation require and who does the work?
Enterprise workflow platforms and headless content platforms can require scoping, content modeling or developer time. Ask for a realistic timeline, the roles needed on your side and whether onboarding is included. A tool you cannot roll out will not reduce your workload.
Which security and compliance documents can you share?
Request compliance reports, data processing terms and details on roles and approval trails before the final round. Ask whether single sign-on and audit logs are available on the plan you are quoted. Early answers keep IT review from stalling the purchase.
How do we get our content and assets out if we leave?
Ask about export formats for calendars, drafts, approvals and media, and how long data is retained after cancellation. Content tools accumulate years of work, so a weak exit path creates lock-in that is hard to see during a trial.
What are the renewal and contract terms?
Ask whether pricing is billed monthly or annually, how much notice is needed to cancel and what limits the renewal price. For custom quote products, get the term and included scope written into the proposal so renewal is not a fresh negotiation.
How to run the decision
Run the decision as a short, structured project. Define your stages and approvers first, shortlist two or three tools, and send every vendor the same written questions. Test each trial with real content and a real review, and ask IT to read the security documents before the final round. Choose the tool that fits your workflow and terms, not the one with the longest feature list.
Our recommendation
Pick the tool that matches your main bottleneck: planning, approvals, publishing, structured content or asset control. Shortlist two or three vendors in that product type, then compare plan limits, add-ons and what each one publishes on security and contract terms. To run the purchase decision, put the shortlist in a single comparison, send the same questions to every vendor and involve IT and procurement before the trial ends.
Content Marketing Software: frequently asked questions
What is content marketing software?
Content marketing software coordinates editorial planning, content creation, approvals, distribution and measurement. Some products cover several stages, while others focus on one, such as a social calendar, a headless content platform or an asset library.
What is the best content marketing software for a small team?
Small teams often start with a calendar-led tool. CoSchedule is built for small teams that need a visible social calendar, and ContentStudio offers a plan with 5 social accounts and 1 workspace. The best fit depends on whether you publish mostly social posts or long-form articles.
Is there free content marketing software?
Some options include a free tier. HubSpot Marketing Hub has a Free plan for up to 2 users, and Contentful has a Free plan intended for learning and exploring rather than commercial use. Semrush offers a free plan limited to 1 demo project and 10 reports per day.
What features should content marketing software have?
Look for a content calendar tied to campaigns, review and approval workflows, publishing to your channels, and reporting on performance. Depending on your needs, add brand controls, AI drafting, SEO guidance and asset management. Check which of these are included in the plan you would buy.
Do I need a CMS as well as a content calendar?
Often yes, because the two do different jobs. A calendar or workspace manages planning, review and scheduling, while a content platform such as Contentful stores structured content and delivers it by API. Check what each product publishes to before you buy both.