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APIs · head to head

KeystoneJS vs Zeplo

KeystoneJS logo

KeystoneJS

APIs

Powerful Node.js headless CMS framework and API platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zeplo logo

Zeplo

APIs

Message queue as a URL prefix, adding retries and delays to any HTTP request

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: KeystoneJS database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite; Zeplo zeplo sits directly in the execution path of your background work, so an outage at a very small vendor means your jobs do not run at all, and there is no published SLA below Enterprise.
  • They diverge on capability: KeystoneJS covers REST API, Zeplo covers URL prefix interface.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KeystoneJS and Zeplo actually diverge.

Attributes where KeystoneJS and Zeplo differ
AttributeKeystoneJSZeplo
Pricing modelopen-sourcePer month by request count
PlatformsNode.js, Self-hostedWeb, Cloud
Founded2016Unknown

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

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 KeystoneJS

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Admin interface
  • Node.js
  • Next.js
  • React
  • Databases
  • Node.js support

Only in Zeplo

  • URL prefix interface
  • Retries with backoff
  • Delayed delivery
  • Cron scheduling
  • Concurrency limits
  • Deduplication keys
  • Request logs
  • Team workspaces

What people use each for

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

KeystoneJS

  • Headless CMS implementationnot Zeplo
  • Content management systemsnot Zeplo
  • Customizable API-driven applicationsnot Zeplo

Zeplo

  • A Vercel or Cloudflare Workers application that needs retried background jobs without deploying a separate always-on workernot KeystoneJS
  • A team that wants a webhook receiver protected by a concurrency limit so a burst does not overwhelm a downstream APInot KeystoneJS
  • A small product needing cron jobs against HTTP endpoints without adding a scheduler to its infrastructurenot KeystoneJS
  • A developer adding idempotent retries to an unreliable third-party API call with a one-line URL changenot KeystoneJS

Where each one falls short

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

KeystoneJS

  • Database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite
  • Keystone 5 is a separate legacy product documented on a different site and is not covered by the Keystone 6 docs
  • Upgrading requires following a dedicated Migrate to 8.0.0 guide, so major versions are not drop-in
  • Free support is a community Slack; enterprise-grade consulting and support is a separate paid engagement with Thinkmill and no published price

Zeplo

  • Zeplo sits directly in the execution path of your background work, so an outage at a very small vendor means your jobs do not run at all, and there is no published SLA below Enterprise.
  • The free Developer tier includes only 500 requests a month and one team member, so it is a demonstration allowance rather than a usable free plan for anything real.
  • Overage on the Developer tier is 20 US dollars per 100,000 requests, two hundred times the marginal rate on the Company tier, so exceeding the free allowance without upgrading is expensive.
  • Team members cost 15 US dollars each beyond the plan allowance, which is an odd charge on an infrastructure product billed by request volume.
  • Log retention is 30 days on both published tiers, so anything requiring longer audit trails on job execution has to be logged separately.

Pricing, plan by plan

KeystoneJS

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full KeystoneJS
    • Community support

Zeplo

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • 500 requests a month included
    • $20 per additional 100,000 requests
    • 1 team member
  • Company$39/month
    • 1,000,000 requests a month included
    • $10 per additional million requests
    • Up to 3 team members
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Volume discounts
    • Custom team size
    • Support with SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose KeystoneJS if

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

Choose Zeplo if

  • You need url prefix interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want retries with backoff.
Zeplo review

Questions people ask

Is KeystoneJS or Zeplo better?
Neither clearly leads. KeystoneJS starts at Free and Zeplo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KeystoneJS or Zeplo?
KeystoneJS starts at Free and Zeplo at Free.
Does KeystoneJS or Zeplo run on more platforms?
KeystoneJS runs on Node.js, Self-hosted. Zeplo runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use KeystoneJS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is KeystoneJS best used for?
KeystoneJS is most often used for headless cms implementation, content management systems, customizable api-driven applications. Of those, headless cms implementation and content management systems are not what Zeplo is typically brought in for.
What can KeystoneJS do that Zeplo cannot?
KeystoneJS covers REST API, GraphQL API, Admin interface, Node.js. Zeplo covers URL prefix interface, Retries with backoff, Delayed delivery, Cron scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KeystoneJS: Is KeystoneJS free?

Yes, KeystoneJS is free and open source with no licensing fees. Core platform has no lock-in and is contributed to by 250+ developers.

Source
Zeplo: How does Zeplo work?

You prefix your endpoint URL with zeplo.to and add query parameters for retries, delay, cron or concurrency. No SDK or broker is needed.

KeystoneJS: What are hosting costs for KeystoneJS?

KeystoneJS is self-hosted and deployment-agnostic. Hosting costs depend on your chosen deployment platform (Vercel, AWS, Heroku, etc.) and infrastructure, not KeystoneJS itself.

Source
Zeplo: What does it cost?

Free for 500 requests a month; 39 US dollars a month for a million requests, then 10 dollars per additional million.

KeystoneJS: Does KeystoneJS offer paid support?

Enterprise support with tailored options is available from Thinkmill, the company behind KeystoneJS. Pricing details available upon request.

Source
Zeplo: Is it suitable for critical jobs?

It is a small vendor in your execution path with no published SLA below Enterprise, so weigh that against the convenience.

Zeplo: Does it work with serverless platforms?

Yes, that is its main use, covering Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, Netlify and similar environments that lack long-running workers.

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