Hygraph
GraphQL-native headless CMS — a German alternative to Contentful.
Overview
Hygraph is a Berlin, Germany-based European company building cms and developer tools software since 2017. As an EU-headquartered provider, Hygraph operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to WordPress.com and WP Engine for European teams.
Why European teams pick Hygraph
Teams in Europe pick Hygraph when they want a cms provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under Germany law, operating since 2017. Compared with WordPress.com and WP Engine, Hygraph avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU cms tools or browse other startups from Germany.
About
Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS) is a German headless CMS founded in Berlin in 2017, built around a GraphQL-native API. It supports complex, federated content schemas, content federation (embedding data from external APIs into the content layer), and granular role-based access control. Hygraph stores data in Germany under GDPR compliance with a DPA available for all paid plans. It is particularly popular for enterprise content management use cases where content must be federated across multiple data sources or delivered to multiple frontends and channels simultaneously. Hygraph is a strong EU alternative to Contentful (US) for teams that prioritise EU data residency and a GraphQL-first API.
Details
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- Berlin, Germany
Categories
Other EU startups like Hygraph
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- RailwayUnited Kingdom — Instant deployment infrastructure for developers — popular across European teams.
- LiveblocksFrance — APIs for adding collaborative real-time features to your app — a French alternative to Firebase Realtime.
- PocketbaseBulgaria — Open-source backend in a single file — a European alternative to Firebase.
- NocoDBGermany — Open-source Airtable alternative that turns databases into smart spreadsheets.
- PortainerNew Zealand — Container management UI for Docker and Kubernetes — a New Zealand/European alternative to Rancher.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hygraph?
Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS) is a German headless CMS founded in Berlin in 2017, built around a GraphQL-native API. It supports complex, federated content schemas, content federation (embedding data from external APIs into the content layer), and granular role-based access control. Hygraph stores data in Germany under GDPR compliance with a DPA available for all paid plans. It is particularly popular for enterprise content management use cases where content must be federated across multiple data sources or delivered to multiple frontends and channels simultaneously. Hygraph is a strong EU alternative to Contentful (US) for teams that prioritise EU data residency and a GraphQL-first API.
What does Hygraph do?
Hygraph is graphql-native headless cms — a german alternative to contentful. It is listed under cms and developer tools on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European cms tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from WordPress.com and WP Engine.
Is Hygraph a good European cms alternative?
Hygraph is a fit for European businesses evaluating cms options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with developer tools use cases.
Is Hygraph GDPR compliant?
Hygraph is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Germany's data protection authority, the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI). Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel Hygraph to disclose customer data the way they can with WordPress.com and WP Engine. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from WordPress.com to Hygraph?
Most teams move to Hygraph from WordPress.com and WP Engine because they want EU data residency without giving up the core cms workflow. Hygraph's Germany base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Hygraph with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is Hygraph based?
Hygraph is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. The company was founded in 2017. Its main website is https://hygraph.com.