Microcms
MicroCMS is a Tokyo-based, API-driven headless content management system serving 15,000+ companies and 68,000+ registered users across Japan. It operates a freemium PLG model with tiered subscriptions, a 100+ partner ecosystem, and AI-powered review features, and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ateam Holdings since 2024.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Microcms does
MicroCMS (株式会社microCMS) is a Tokyo-based software company founded in September 2017 that operates one of Japan's largest API-driven headless content management systems. The core product delivers content through REST APIs to any frontend framework (Next.js, Nuxt.js, React, Vue.js), enabling multi-device, omnichannel content distribution without server-side rendering dependencies. The platform is built on a React/TypeScript frontend, Go and Node.js backends running on AWS infrastructure (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, OpenSearch, CloudFront), with SDKs for JavaScript, iOS, Android, PHP, Ruby, and Go, plus an official Nuxt.js module.
The company serves 15,000+ companies and 68,000+ registered users as of mid-2026 across a horizontal customer base spanning startups, mid-market firms, large enterprises, and government/municipalities in Japan. Notable customers include GLOBIS, ANYCOLOR, Milbon, Cainz, SmartHR, freee, KINTO, Looop, Cerezo Osaka, Enshu Railway, Booklista, IVRy, and USEN ICT Solutions. The product portfolio includes the core microCMS platform, the microCMS Templates marketplace (templates.microcms.io), and AI Review (launched March 2026), with integrations spanning imgix, PUSH ONE (Ateam group), and SSO/SAML.
MicroCMS operates a Product-Led Growth model with a freemium entry tier (free plan with up to 2 members) and four paid subscription tiers: Hobby, Standard, Business, and Enterprise. Revenue is generated through monthly and annual recurring SaaS subscriptions, with the Enterprise tier offering custom contracts, SLAs (99.5%+ uptime), premium support, and SSO. Distribution combines direct self-serve sign-up, an online demo booking flow for mid-market deals, a 100+ certified partner channel for enterprise implementation, and a parent-company relationship with Ateam Holdings (TSE: 3762), which acquired microCMS as a wholly-owned subsidiary in June 2024.
Microcms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Microcms
- Legal name
- 株式会社microCMS
- Website
- https://microcms.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MicroCMS is a Tokyo-based, API-driven headless content management system serving 15,000+ companies and 68,000+ registered users across Japan. It operates a freemium PLG model with tiered subscriptions, a 100+ partner ecosystem, and AI-powered review features, and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ateam Holdings since 2024.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Microcms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Headless Content Management System (CMS)
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Blogging & CMS Content Platforms (BPAMAJAG)
Keywords
Where Microcms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Microcms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- microCMS SaaS Subscription: API-based headless CMS subscription revenue from free, hobby, standard, business, and enterprise tiers. Free plan available with 2 members and data transfer limits. Paid plans offer increased content limits, API rate limits, team members, and advanced features. Enterprise plan includes SLA, premium support, and all features.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free plan for individuals and small teams to try microCMS |
| Subscription | Monthly | Hobby plan for small-scale personal or small business use |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard plan for growing teams and businesses |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business plan for professional teams requiring advanced features |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise plan for large organizations with custom requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels12 records
Microcms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MicroCMS operates an API-based Japanese headless content management system that enables users to manage content through an admin UI while retrieving data via flexible REST APIs. The platform supports multi-device content delivery, omnichannel deployment, and integration with any frontend framework, complemented by an official template marketplace for non-technical site creation.
Product overview
microCMS operates as a product portfolio centered on an API-based headless CMS platform. The core offering is microCMS itself, a Japanese headless CMS that delivers content exclusively through APIs. Supporting the platform is microCMS Templates, a marketplace of pre-built site templates for users without frontend expertise. Recent additions include AI Review functionality launched in March 2026, which adds AI-powered content review assistance to the platform. The portfolio follows a Product-Led Growth strategy, offering free tier onboarding and tiered paid plans (Standard, Business, Advanced, Enterprise).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- microCMS Templates（テンプレートマーケットプレイス）: A template marketplace where users can create websites without frontend knowledge. Service site available at templates.microcms.io.
Products and services
- microCMS API-based Japanese headless CMS that lets users manage content through an admin interface and retrieve data via flexible REST APIs. Supports multi-device content delivery, omnichannel deployment, integration with any frontend framework, and offers tiered paid plans with enterprise features.
- microCMS Templates Template marketplace that lets users build websites without frontend knowledge using pre-built templates backed by microCMS as the content backend. Targeted at non-technical site creators seeking rapid site launch.
Quantifiable outcome
- Article update lead time reduced from 7 days to under 1 day
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Microcms
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Microcms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature12 records
Microcms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PUSH ONE (株式会社シグニティ)coreFirst system integration between microCMS and PUSH ONE, a web push notification service by Group Company 株式会社シグニティ (Ateam Holdings group). When content is published in microCMS, push notifications are automatically sent to readers via PUSH ONE. The integration uses microCMS webhook and PUSH ONE's custom data reception feature, enabling notification content and targeting to be configured within the microCMS admin panel without additional development.
- Design Studio K (合同会社DESIGN STUDIO K)minorDesign and development studio offering information architecture, planning, website/app design and development, and maintenance. Partners with microCMS.
- Hybrid Technologies (株式会社ハイブリッドテクノロジーズ)minorHybrid service company partners with microCMS for project delivery.
- Tribeat (株式会社トライビート)minorCreative communication, tech, and business operation company. Partners with microCMS for website production and operational support.
- Eight (株式会社エイト)minorCompany offering CMS implementation support, SPIRAL V1/V2 services, web/enterprise system development, AI/ML development support, and consulting. Partners with microCMS.
- Cread (株式会社クリード)minorDigital marketing and production company offering website construction, advertising, content marketing, video production, SNS management, and system development. Partners with microCMS.
- Mitsue Links (株式会社ミツエーリンクス)minorEstablished in 1990, Mitsue Links is a major web integration company offering consulting, system development, and video/audio content services. Partners with microCMS for enterprise web projects.
- Float Engineering (株式会社Float Engineering)minorWebsite development and system development company established in August 2023. Partners with microCMS for project implementation.
- Loftwork (株式会社ロフトワーク)minorLoftwork is a creative company operating FabCafe globally, MTRL innovation platform, and AWARD creative competition platform. Partners with microCMS for web and content projects.
- Ateam Holdings (株式会社エイチームホールディングス)coreAteam Holdings acquired all shares of microCMS in June 2024. microCMS operates as a group company under Ateam Holdings' 'Media Solutions' business segment. The acquisition provides microCMS with expanded resources, cross-selling opportunities, and group synergies including the PUSH ONE integration.
- imgixcoreFirst domestic partnership in Japan between microCMS and imgix, a real-time image processing CDN. The partnership provides microCMS users with optimized image delivery through imgix's CDN, supporting site speed optimization and Core Web Vitals improvement.
- CCI (株式会社サイバー・コミュニケーションズ)corePartnership with CCI (Cyber Communications Inc., Dentsu Group) for digital content collaboration with regional newspapers. CCI leverages microCMS for digital transformation initiatives in the local newspaper sector.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Microcms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Storyblok: Headless CMS with visual editor combining developer and marketer workflows. Directly comparable to microCMS in headless architecture, multi-SDK support, and tiered pricing aimed at mid-market and enterprise digital teams.
- Sanity: API-based headless CMS with real-time content backend and customizable studio. Comparable to microCMS in API-first architecture, developer focus, and tiered SaaS model targeting modern web and mobile content delivery use cases.
- Contentful: API-first headless CMS serving enterprises globally. Directly comparable to microCMS as both offer decoupled content infrastructure with REST/GraphQL APIs, multi-language SDKs, and tiered SaaS pricing — competing for the same horizontal enterprise CMS use cases.
- Strapi: Open-source headless CMS offering API-driven content management with strong developer community. Directly competes in the same headless/API-first category as microCMS, with self-hosted and cloud deployment models serving similar developer and SMB/mid-market personas.
- Prismic: Headless CMS with Page Builder for marketers and developers. Directly competes in the headless category with API-first architecture, SDK ecosystem, and tiered pricing comparable to microCMS's Hobby/Standard/Business/Enterprise tiers.
- Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS): GraphQL-native headless CMS for enterprise content federation. Competes in the same headless CMS category as microCMS, offering API-first content delivery with tiered SaaS pricing and enterprise features (SSO, audit logs) similar to microCMS Business/Enterprise plans.
- Kentico Kontent (now Kontent.ai): Headless CMS-as-a-service for enterprise content operations. Comparable to microCMS Enterprise tier with SSO, audit logs, multi-environment staging, and SLA-backed offerings targeting regulated industries.
Broad incumbents
- Drupal: Open-source enterprise CMS/CMF with decoupled/headless capabilities via API. Broad incumbent offering overlapping functionality with microCMS for enterprise content operations, especially in government and large-organization deployments.
- WordPress VIP: Enterprise-grade managed WordPress platform from Automattic. Competes with microCMS as an alternative for enterprise content sites; offers broader CMS ecosystem and larger installed base but heavier architecture than microCMS's headless/API-first approach.
- Movable Type: Established Japanese CMS platform with strong installed base in Japanese enterprises and government. Broad incumbent competing with microCMS in the Japan domestic market, particularly for traditional CMS use cases microCMS displaces.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Microcms social profiles
Digital presenceMicrocms compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Microcms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Microcms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Microcms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Microcms M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Microcms
What does Microcms do?
MicroCMS operates an API-based Japanese headless content management system that enables users to manage content through an admin UI while retrieving data via flexible REST APIs. The platform supports multi-device content delivery, omnichannel deployment, and integration with any frontend framework, complemented by an official template marketplace for non-technical site creation.
Is Microcms a public or private company?
Microcms is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Microcms founded?
Microcms was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Microcms based?
Microcms is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Microcms make money?
One revenue line is on record: microCMS SaaS Subscription.
Who are Microcms's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Storyblok, Sanity, Contentful, Strapi, Prismic, Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS) and Kentico Kontent (now Kontent.ai). Broad incumbents are Drupal, WordPress VIP and Movable Type.
Does Microcms have an API?
Yes. microCMS provides a REST API that allows developers to retrieve content data directly from the CMS. The platform offers SDKs for multiple programming languages including JavaScript (Node.js), iOS, Android, PHP, Ruby, and Go. It also supports Webhook functionality for event-driven integrations, and a Management API (beta) for accessing administrative metadata such as publication status and scheduling information. Developer documentation is at document.microcms.io.
What industry is Microcms in?
Microcms's product category is Headless Content Management System (CMS). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAG, Blogging & CMS Content Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.