Softwr

Software · head to head

CircleCI vs Strapi

CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Software

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strapi logo

Strapi

Software

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CircleCI and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where CircleCI and Strapi differ
AttributeCircleCIStrapi
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWebNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20112015

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

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 CircleCI

Nothing recorded that Strapi does not also cover.

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.

CircleCI

  • Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot Strapi
  • Parallel test execution across containersnot Strapi
  • Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot Strapi
  • Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot Strapi
  • Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

CircleCI

  • The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
  • Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
  • Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
  • Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
  • Scale is annual billing only

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

CircleCI

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CircleCI review.

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 CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CircleCI 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 CircleCI or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. CircleCI 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, CircleCI or Strapi?
CircleCI starts at Free and Strapi at Free.
Does CircleCI or Strapi run on more platforms?
CircleCI runs on Web. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use CircleCI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CircleCI best used for?
CircleCI is most often used for continuous integration pipelines for application code, parallel test execution across containers, docker-based builds with layer caching, deployment pipelines with approval gates. Of those, continuous integration pipelines for application code and parallel test execution across containers are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can CircleCI do that Strapi cannot?
Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on CircleCI

More on Strapi

Keep looking

Other head to heads