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Developer Tools · head to head

Frappe vs Strikingly

Frappe logo

Frappe

Developer Tools

The Python web framework behind ERPNext, sold as managed hosting through Frappe Cloud

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Strikingly logo

Strikingly

Web Development

One-page website builder for small businesses and creators

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Frappe the framework is strongly opinionated: its own ORM, templating and job queue mean general Python and Django experience transfers only partly, and onboarding a new developer takes weeks rather than days.; Strikingly strikingly is optimized for single-page sites and is not well suited to building large, multi-section websites.
  • They diverge on capability: Frappe covers DocType modelling, Strikingly covers Drag-and-drop editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Frappe and Strikingly actually diverge.

Attributes where Frappe and Strikingly differ
AttributeFrappeStrikingly
Pricing modelPer month by site or serverfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Dockerweb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsWeb Development
FoundedUnknown2012

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

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 Frappe

  • DocType modelling
  • Role and field permissions
  • Built-in REST API
  • Background jobs
  • Bench CLI
  • Frappe Cloud hosting
  • App marketplace
  • Multi-tenancy

Only in Strikingly

  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Simple Store
  • Blogging
  • Forms and live chat
  • Traffic analytics
  • Social feed integration
  • HTTPS/SSL

What people use each for

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

Frappe

  • A team building an internal business application that needs permissions, audit trail and an API on day one rather than in month threenot Strikingly
  • An ERPNext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administratornot Strikingly
  • An Indian or emerging-market business that wants to pay for application hosting in local currency at local price pointsnot Strikingly
  • A consultancy shipping custom vertical apps to clients on a shared framework with per-client site isolationnot Strikingly

Strikingly

  • Personal portfolio or resume sitenot Frappe
  • Single-product or small online storenot Frappe
  • Event or landing pagenot Frappe
  • Small business brochure sitenot Frappe

Where each one falls short

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

Frappe

  • The framework is strongly opinionated: its own ORM, templating and job queue mean general Python and Django experience transfers only partly, and onboarding a new developer takes weeks rather than days.
  • The developer pool is small and heavily concentrated in India, so hiring Frappe experience elsewhere is slow and expensive relative to mainstream stacks.
  • Documentation is uneven in depth and lags behind releases in places, so real answers often come from reading the source or the community forum.
  • Major version upgrades of the framework have historically broken custom apps that reach past the DocType layer, so bespoke code carries a recurring maintenance cost at each upgrade.
  • Frappe Cloud recommends against its cheapest Hetzner-backed option for mission-critical production, so the headline $5 entry price is not the price of a production-grade deployment.

Strikingly

  • Strikingly is optimized for single-page sites and is not well suited to building large, multi-section websites.
  • Transaction fees of 2-5% apply to store sales on lower-tier plans in addition to payment processor fees.
  • Design customization is limited compared to code-based site builders, since sites are built from fixed templates.
  • The free plan does not support a custom domain, limiting its use for professional or commercial sites.

Pricing, plan by plan

Frappe

Free
  • Framework, self-hostedFree
    • MIT licensed, no licence fee
    • Install with bench on your own Linux servers
    • You carry updates, backups and security patching
  • Frappe Cloud Sites$5/month
    • Also listed at ₹410 per month
    • Shared servers with 150+ installable apps
    • Automatic updates and offsite backups
  • Frappe Cloud Servers$40/month
    • Also listed at ₹3,600 per month
    • Dedicated or shared virtual machines
    • Unlimited sites on your server

Strikingly

Free
  • Limited$8/month
    • 2 sites
    • 1 GB storage per site
    • Up to 5 pages
  • Pro$16/month
    • 3 sites
    • 20 GB storage per site
    • Up to 100 pages
  • VIP$49/month
    • 5 sites
    • 100 GB storage per site
    • Up to 500 products

Which should you pick?

Choose Frappe if

  • You need doctype modelling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want role and field permissions.
Frappe review

Choose Strikingly if

  • You need drag-and-drop editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want simple store.
Strikingly review

Questions people ask

Is Frappe or Strikingly better?
Neither clearly leads. Frappe starts at Free and Strikingly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Frappe or Strikingly?
Frappe starts at Free and Strikingly at Free.
Does Frappe or Strikingly run on more platforms?
Frappe runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Strikingly runs on web.
Can I use Frappe for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Frappe best used for?
Frappe is most often used for a team building an internal business application that needs permissions, audit trail and an api on day one rather than in month three, an erpnext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administrator, an indian or emerging-market business that wants to pay for application hosting in local currency at local price points, a consultancy shipping custom vertical apps to clients on a shared framework with per-client site isolation. Of those, a team building an internal business application that needs permissions, audit trail and an api on day one rather than in month three and an erpnext user who wants managed hosting, automatic updates and offsite backups without hiring a systems administrator are not what Strikingly is typically brought in for.
What can Frappe do that Strikingly cannot?
Frappe covers DocType modelling, Role and field permissions, Built-in REST API, Background jobs. Strikingly covers Drag-and-drop editor, Simple Store, Blogging, Forms and live chat.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Frappe: Is Frappe the same as ERPNext?

No. Frappe is the framework; ERPNext is the ERP application written on it. You can run Frappe without ERPNext to build your own applications.

Strikingly: Does Strikingly have a free plan?

Strikingly offers a free tier for getting started, with paid plans beginning at $8/month (billed yearly) adding a custom domain, more storage, and lower transaction fees on store sales.

Source
Frappe: What licence is the framework under?

MIT, which is permissive and imposes no obligation to publish your changes, unlike the AGPL used by several open source ERP rivals.

Strikingly: Does Strikingly charge transaction fees on store sales?

Yes. The Limited plan charges a 5% transaction fee, the Pro plan charges 2%, and the VIP plan removes the transaction fee entirely, in addition to any payment processor fees.

Source
Frappe: Can I pay in rupees?

Yes. Frappe Cloud publishes the same plans in Indian rupees, ₹410 a month for sites and ₹3,600 for servers, rather than converting a dollar price at checkout.

Strikingly: What payment methods can I use to sell products?

Strikingly's built-in Simple Store supports accepting payments through PayPal and Stripe.

Source
Frappe: Do I have to use Frappe Cloud?

No, self-hosting with bench or Docker is fully supported and free. Frappe Cloud is a convenience purchase, and it funds the open source work.

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