Strapi

What Strapi is

Strapi is an open-source, MIT-licensed headless CMS for building content models and delivering their content through REST and GraphQL APIs. It supports custom content types, multilingual content, a media library, content previews, webhooks, editorial workflows, and custom user roles with permissions. Developers can customize the admin panel, APIs, data layer, controllers, services, and middleware.

Strapi can be self-hosted or deployed to Strapi Cloud. The Community plan is free forever, open-source under the MIT License, and includes REST and GraphQL APIs, role-based access control, and unlimited usage. The Community CMS plan also has unlimited entries and API calls. Cloud Starter costs $35 a month and includes 100,000 API requests per month, 50 GB of asset storage, 50 GB of asset bandwidth, unlimited database entries, and one environment. Cloud Pro costs $90 a month and includes 1,000,000 API requests per month, 250 GB of asset storage, 500 GB of asset bandwidth, unlimited database entries, and one environment. Cloud Business costs $450 a month and includes 10,000,000 API requests per month. Listed cloud prices exclude applicable local taxes. Strapi Cloud includes Postgres, a CDN, and email. Strapi was founded in 2015; its listed integrations include React, Next.js, TanStack, Vue.js, Nuxt.js, Astro, Flutter, Svelte, and React Native.

Who it suits

Strapi suits developers and teams that need a customizable headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs, content localization, and editorial workflows. It can fit projects that prefer self-hosting as well as those that want deployment through Strapi Cloud.

Limits

The Cloud Starter plan includes 100,000 API requests per month, 50 GB asset storage, 50 GB asset bandwidth, and one environment. Cloud Pro includes 1,000,000 API requests, 250 GB storage, 500 GB bandwidth, and one environment; Growth includes three seats, with additional seats costing $15 per month each.

Getting started

1. Visit https://strapi.io/ and choose self-hosting or Strapi Cloud.
2. For a self-hosted project, start with the Community plan or explore the 30-day Growth trial, which requires no credit card.
3. For Strapi Cloud, choose a plan such as Starter, Pro, or Business.
4. Create content models and configure the APIs, roles, and editorial workflow for your project.
5. Connect a listed framework integration such as React, Next.js, Vue.js, or Flutter.

Verdict

Choose Strapi if you want an open-source headless CMS with customizable APIs and the option to self-host or use Strapi Cloud. Look elsewhere if your project needs more than the request, storage, bandwidth, or seat allowances in the plan you choose.