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API Management · head to head

AWS API Gateway vs Strapi

AWS API Gateway logo

AWS API Gateway

API Management

Fully managed API gateway service for creating and managing APIs at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strapi logo

Strapi

API Management

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS API Gateway rEST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, Strapi covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS API Gateway and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS API Gateway and Strapi differ
AttributeAWS API GatewayStrapi
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsAWS CloudNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20062015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs
  • WebSocket APIs
  • HTTP APIs
  • Lambda
  • EC2
  • DynamoDB
  • CloudWatch
  • IAM

Only in Strapi

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Content management
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
  • AWS
  • Webhooks

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS API Gateway

  • Fronting Lambda functions with an HTTP endpointnot Strapi
  • REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Strapi
  • WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Strapi
  • Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Strapi
  • Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Strapi

Strapi

  • Running a self hosted headless CMS with a REST or GraphQL APInot AWS API Gateway
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot AWS API Gateway

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
  • Data transfer out is charged at $0.09 per GB on top of request pricing
  • WebSocket APIs bill connection minutes as well as messages, at $0.25 per million minutes
  • Private APIs avoid data transfer charges but incur AWS PrivateLink costs instead
  • The developer portal is $125 a month, with additional portal products at $12.50 each
  • The free tier lasts 12 months rather than being ongoing

Strapi

  • Cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • Starter at $35 a month allows 100,000 API requests, and overage is $1.50 per 25,000
  • Extra bandwidth is $30 per 100 GB and extra asset storage $0.60 per GB
  • Backups start at the Pro plan, weekly, and only become daily at Business
  • An uptime SLA is Business only, at $450 a month per project
  • Additional environments cost $60 a month on Pro and $300 a month on Business

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS API Gateway

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1M requests per month
    • Basic API management
  • Pay-as-you-go$3.5/per 1M requests
    • Unlimited requests
    • HTTP APIs
    • REST APIs

Strapi

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted Strapi
    • Community support
  • Pro$99/monthly
    • Cloud hosting
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
  • Business$undefined/monthly
    • Enterprise features
    • Custom SLA
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS API Gateway if

  • You need rest apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS Cloud.
  • You also want websocket apis.
AWS API Gateway review

Choose Strapi if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
Strapi review

Questions people ask

Is AWS API Gateway or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Strapi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS API Gateway or Strapi?
AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Strapi at Free.
Does AWS API Gateway or Strapi run on more platforms?
AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS API Gateway best used for?
AWS API Gateway is most often used for fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint, rest and http api management with throttling and keys, websocket apis for real-time clients, private apis reachable only inside a vpc. Of those, fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint and rest and http api management with throttling and keys are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can AWS API Gateway do that Strapi cannot?
AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.
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