Parse-Server vs Strapi: What are the differences?

Introduction:

In the world of web development, there are various backend solutions available to developers for managing their applications' data and functionality. Two popular options in this regard are Parse-Server and Strapi. Both Parse-Server and Strapi are open-source, self-hosted backend frameworks that allow developers to build, scale, and extend their APIs. While they share some similarities, there are key differences between the two that distinguish them from each other. Below are six specific points of differentiation:

1. Architecture and Flexibility: Parse-Server follows a client-server model where the Parse-Server acts as a backend service and the client interacts with it through the provided software development kits (SDKs). In contrast, Strapi provides a headless CMS (Content Management System) approach, allowing developers to create their own frontend applications and consume data from the Strapi API via REST or GraphQL endpoints. This architectural distinction provides different levels of flexibility when it comes to application development.

2. Data Modeling and Schema Customization: Parse-Server offers a schema-less approach to data modeling, allowing developers to store and retrieve unstructured data easily. It also provides support for relational data modeling with pointers and relations. On the other hand, Strapi is built on top of a flexible content type builder which allows developers to create structured content types with customizable fields and relationships. This enables better control over the schema and data validation.

3. Authentication and Authorization: Parse-Server provides built-in user authentication and role-based access control, allowing developers to secure their applications easily. It supports various authentication providers like email/password, social logins, and anonymous authentication. Strapi also offers user authentication and role-based access control with out-of-the-box JWT (JSON Web Token) support. However, Strapi goes a step further by providing a UI-based admin panel for managing users, roles, and permissions.

4. Extensions and Plugin Ecosystem: Parse-Server has a limited number of officially supported plugins and extensions that provide additional functionality. However, it has an active community that continuously develops and maintains many third-party plugins to extend its capabilities. On the other hand, Strapi has a rich ecosystem of official plugins and community-driven plugins, offering a wider range of possibilities for extending the framework's functionality.

5. Administration and User Interface: Parse-Server does not include a user interface or administration panel out of the box. Developers need to build their own admin dashboard or use community-driven solutions to manage their Parse-Server instance. Strapi, on the other hand, comes with a feature-rich administration panel by default. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing content types, creating entries, and configuring the API.

6. Hosting and Deployment: Parse-Server can be hosted on both self-managed infrastructure and various cloud hosting platforms. It provides compatibility with popular cloud storage providers like AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage. Strapi can be deployed on self-managed infrastructure, cloud platforms, and even serverless architectures like AWS Lambda. It also provides a one-click deployment solution with various hosting providers through the Strapi Hosting platform.

In summary, Parse-Server and Strapi have distinct differences in their architecture, data modeling, authentication, extensibility, user interface, and deployment options. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements and preferences of the developers and the applications they are building.