Strapi

Strapi is an open-source headless content management system built with JavaScript, TypeScript and Node.js. It separates content administration from presentation, allowing teams to deliver structured content through APIs.

Developers can run Strapi on their own infrastructure or deploy projects through Strapi Cloud. The software supports websites, mobile applications, digital products and other API consumers.

The project was published on GitHub on October 1, 2015. Strapi Solutions SAS operates from Paris, France, and lists additional company activity in San Francisco.

Strapi includes a Content-Type Builder for defining content structures, a Content Manager for editing entries, and a media library for managing uploaded assets.

The platform generates REST APIs for content types. A GraphQL plugin adds queries and mutations through a GraphQL endpoint. Developers can also customize routes, controllers, services, policies, middleware and lifecycle logic.

Additional capabilities include role-based permissions, draft and publish workflows, internationalization, live preview, content history, audit logs, TypeScript support and a plugin marketplace.

Strapi documentation also describes built-in AI capabilities for selected content modeling, media and translation tasks. Availability depends on the product edition and plan.

Strapi Community is free to use as a self-hosted edition. Strapi Cloud is priced separately as a managed hosting service and does not include all paid CMS capabilities.

Current Strapi Cloud plans are Starter at $35 per project monthly, Pro at $90 per project monthly, and Business at $450 per project monthly. Annual billing may reduce the effective price.

Strapi Cloud pricing covers hosting. Features such as content history, review workflows and single sign-on can require separate CMS Growth or Enterprise licensing. Enterprise pricing is customized.

Strapi Cloud no longer offers a free plan or free trial. Users can still evaluate the Community edition through self-hosting.

Strapi supports REST APIs by default and offers GraphQL through an official plugin. API responses can serve websites, mobile applications, IoT devices and other frontend clients.

The platform supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and SQLite in its current documentation and repository materials. Strapi Cloud provides a PostgreSQL database and S3-compatible object storage.

Officially maintained upload providers include Amazon S3 and Cloudinary. Strapi also supports custom email providers, external databases and extensible community plugins.

Deployment options include Strapi Cloud, AWS, Heroku, DigitalOcean and other Node.js-compatible hosting environments.

Strapi Cloud does not currently offer a free plan or free trial. The free Community edition remains available for self-hosted projects under its applicable open-source license.

Strapi’s main strengths include flexible content modeling, generated APIs, self-hosting, extensibility and a free Community edition. Its API-first architecture suits teams using modern frontend frameworks.

The main trade-offs include developer involvement for setup and customization, separate billing for cloud hosting and premium CMS features, and operational responsibility for self-hosted deployments.

Comparable products include Directus, Payload CMS, Sanity, Contentful and Hygraph. Directus and Payload provide other developer-oriented approaches to structured content. Sanity, Contentful and Hygraph focus primarily on managed headless CMS delivery.

Is Strapi a traditional website builder?

No. Strapi is a headless CMS. It manages structured content and exposes APIs rather than requiring a built-in public website presentation layer.

Can Strapi be self-hosted?

Yes. The Community edition can be installed on compatible Node.js infrastructure. Strapi also provides a managed Strapi Cloud hosting option.

Does Strapi provide a REST API?

Yes. Strapi generates REST endpoints for content types. Developers can enable GraphQL through the official GraphQL plugin.

Does Strapi include a database?

Self-hosted projects use a supported database configured by the operator. Strapi Cloud includes a managed PostgreSQL database.

Is Strapi suitable for mobile applications?

Yes. Mobile applications can consume Strapi content through REST or GraphQL APIs. The frontend and content backend remain separate.

Does Strapi include AI features?

Strapi documentation identifies AI-assisted features for selected content modeling, media and translation workflows. Exact availability depends on the edition and plan.