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API Management · head to head

GraphQL Apollo vs Strapi

GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

API Management

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

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: GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise tiers publish no figures and require contacting sales through a Talk to Sales link, while paid usage is metered at $5 per million requests rather than by seat; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Strapi covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GraphQL Apollo and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where GraphQL Apollo and Strapi differ
AttributeGraphQL ApolloStrapi
PlatformsJavaScript, Node.js, Web, MobileNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20162015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), 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 GraphQL Apollo

  • Apollo Server
  • Apollo Client
  • GraphQL Federation
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • Databases
  • JavaScript support
  • Web support

Only in Strapi

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

Both cover

  • Node.js support

What people use each for

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • API Developmentnot Strapi
  • API Gatewaynot Strapi
  • API Testingnot Strapi
  • API Documentationnot Strapi
  • Microservicesnot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • Standard and Enterprise tiers publish no figures and require contacting sales through a Talk to Sales link, while paid usage is metered at $5 per million requests rather than by seat
  • Developer plan caps at 10 users and Standard caps at 30 users before requiring the sales-gated Enterprise tier

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

GraphQL Apollo

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Apollo Server
    • Apollo Client
    • Community support
  • Studio Starter$49/monthly
    • Apollo Studio
    • GraphQL monitoring
    • Collaboration
  • Studio Professional$399/monthly
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support
    • SLA

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 GraphQL Apollo if

  • You need apollo server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want apollo client.
GraphQL Apollo 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 GraphQL Apollo or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo 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, GraphQL Apollo or Strapi?
GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Strapi at Free.
Does GraphQL Apollo or Strapi run on more platforms?
GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use GraphQL Apollo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GraphQL Apollo best used for?
GraphQL Apollo is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Apollo do that Strapi cannot?
GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL. Both handle Node.js support.
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