Hasura vs Strapi: What are the differences?

Introduction

This markdown code provides a concise comparison between Hasura and Strapi, highlighting their key differences.

1. Pricing Model: Hasura is an open-source GraphQL engine that provides a free tier in its pricing model, allowing developers to experiment and develop applications without incurring any costs. On the other hand, Strapi offers both a Community Edition (open-source) and an Enterprise Edition (paid) that includes additional features and support. The pricing model difference makes Hasura more accessible for developers who are on a limited budget or want to quickly prototype their applications.

2. Database Support: Hasura is primarily designed to work with PostgreSQL databases and provides advanced features such as real-time updates, efficient data fetching, and instant API composition. Strapi, on the other hand, supports multiple databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and MongoDB, allowing developers to choose the most suitable database for their specific project requirements.

3. GraphQL vs REST: Hasura is focused on providing a GraphQL-centric solution, allowing developers to build powerful and efficient APIs using the GraphQL query language. Strapi, on the other hand, offers both REST and GraphQL support, providing developers with the flexibility to choose between the two depending on their preference and project requirements.

4. Ease of Use: Hasura provides a user-friendly interface that enables developers to quickly generate GraphQL APIs based on their existing database schema. It simplifies the development process by automating many tasks, such as creating CRUD operations and generating API documentation. Strapi also offers an intuitive user interface, but it requires more configuration and setup compared to Hasura, particularly when setting up custom database schemas.

5. Authentication and Authorization: Hasura provides built-in authentication and authorization functionalities for securing APIs, including role-based access control and JWT token authentication. Strapi, on the other hand, offers a robust and customizable authentication system, allowing developers to implement various authentication strategies, such as email/password, social login, or third-party providers. This flexibility in authentication makes Strapi suitable for complex authentication requirements.

6. Plugin Ecosystem: Strapi has a rich plugin ecosystem that provides additional features and functionalities, such as file upload, email notifications, and image processing. These plugins can be easily integrated into a Strapi project to extend its capabilities. Hasura, while not offering a similar plugin ecosystem, provides comprehensive custom extensions and has a strong community support for integrating additional functionalities.

In summary, Hasura provides a free and accessible GraphQL engine with advanced features for PostgreSQL databases, while Strapi offers versatile database support, flexibility with authentication, and a plugin ecosystem, making it suitable for complex projects with diverse requirements.