Strapi vs Webiny Headless CMS: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Strapi and Webiny are both modern and popular headless CMS platforms that allow you to create and manage content for your website or applications. While they share some similarities, there are key differences between Strapi and Webiny. In the following paragraphs, we will outline six main differences between the two platforms that can help you make an informed decision.

1. Architecture and Technology Stack: Strapi is built on Node.js, using the RESTful API convention for data retrieval, modification, and deletion. It comes with inbuilt support for SQL and NoSQL databases, providing a flexible choice for data storage. On the other hand, Webiny is built on top of AWS Lambda and API Gateway, utilizing GraphQL as the data query and manipulation language. This serverless architecture and the use of AWS infrastructure offer high scalability and extensive integration capabilities.

2. Ease of Use and User Interface: Strapi provides a user-friendly admin panel where you can easily manage your content types, create relationships between them, and customize your API. It offers a familiar interface similar to WordPress, making it relatively easy for non-technical users to get started. Webiny, on the other hand, focuses on developers and provides a developer-centric experience. Its CLI and code-based approach require technical knowledge but offer more flexibility and control over your project.

3. Deployment and Hosting: Strapi can be deployed on any hosting platform, including shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, or cloud providers like AWS or DigitalOcean. You have the freedom to choose where and how to host your Strapi project. In contrast, Webiny is designed to be serverless and utilizes AWS Lambda and API Gateway as its hosting infrastructure. This means that your Webiny project needs to be deployed on AWS, which may be a limitation if you prefer a different hosting provider.

4. Customization and Extensibility: Strapi allows you to customize and extend its functionalities by installing plugins and creating custom controllers or services. It provides a plugin ecosystem with a wide range of options for different requirements. Webiny, on the other hand, is highly extensible through a serverless plugin system. You can create your plugins using serverless functions and leverage the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) to integrate with other AWS services seamlessly.

5. Community and Documentation: Strapi has a large and active community, with extensive documentation, tutorials, and a dedicated Slack channel for community support. Its widespread adoption ensures a reliable and mature platform with a wealth of resources. Webiny is relatively newer, but it has an active community with growing documentation and support channels. Being an open-source project backed by well-known contributors, Webiny is gaining traction and will likely have an increasing community support in the future.

6. Pricing and Licensing: Strapi offers two licensing options - the first one is an open-source version with self-hosting, and the second one is a paid enterprise version with additional features like role-based access control and advanced user management. Webiny, on the other hand, is completely open-source and free to use, including its enterprise features. However, since Webiny is built on AWS infrastructure, you will incur AWS charges for Lambda functions, API Gateway, and other related services when deploying a Webiny project.

In summary, Strapi and Webiny differ in their underlying technology stack, ease of use, deployment options, customization capabilities, community support, and licensing models. Choosing between them largely depends on your specific requirements, technical expertise, and hosting preferences.