GraphCMS vs Strapi: What are the differences?

Key differences between GraphCMS and Strapi

1. Hosting and Infrastructure: GraphCMS offers cloud-based hosting, where users can easily deploy their websites or applications without needing to set up their own infrastructure. On the other hand, Strapi is a self-hosted CMS, which means users need to set up their own servers or infrastructure to run the CMS.

2. Content Modeling: GraphCMS provides a user-friendly interface for content modeling, allowing users to define their data structures using a visual editor. It offers a pre-built content model with predefined fields and relationships, making it easier to get started. On the other hand, Strapi provides a more flexible content modeling approach, allowing users to create their own custom data structures and fields based on their specific needs.

3. Development Experience: GraphCMS offers a GraphQL API out of the box, which provides a more efficient and flexible way of querying and manipulating data. It also offers a set of tools and libraries for different programming languages to help developers easily integrate the CMS into their applications. Strapi, on the other hand, provides a RESTful API by default, which may require more effort to set up and configure for certain use cases.

4. Authentication and User Roles: GraphCMS provides built-in user authentication and role-based access control, allowing users to restrict access to specific parts of the CMS based on roles and permissions. It also offers integration with external authentication providers like Google and Facebook. On the other hand, Strapi also provides authentication and role-based access control features, but it may require additional configuration and customization to achieve the same level of functionality as GraphCMS.

5. Extensions and Plugins: GraphCMS offers a marketplace for extensions and plugins, which allows users to easily extend the functionality of the CMS by adding new features or integrations. These extensions can be installed and configured directly from the GraphCMS interface. Strapi, on the other hand, provides a plugin system that allows users to extend the functionality of the CMS by creating custom plugins, but it may require more technical expertise and effort to develop and integrate these plugins.

6. Pricing and Licensing: GraphCMS offers a tiered pricing model based on usage, with different plans tailored to different needs. It also provides a free plan with limitations on the number of content models and API requests. Strapi, on the other hand, is an open-source CMS and can be used for free without any limitations. However, users need to take care of hosting and infrastructure costs when using Strapi.

In summary, GraphCMS offers a cloud-based hosting solution with a user-friendly content modeling interface and a GraphQL API, while Strapi is a self-hosted CMS with a more flexible content modeling approach and a RESTful API. GraphCMS provides built-in authentication and access control features, as well as a marketplace for extensions and plugins, while Strapi is an open-source CMS with a plugin system for extending its functionality. GraphCMS has a tiered pricing model, while Strapi can be used for free but requires self-hosting.