Documentation · head to head
MkDocs vs Strapi
MkDocs
Documentation
Static site generator for project documentation in Markdown
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only MkDocs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: MkDocs no built-in versioning, which Docusaurus provides and documentation teams eventually need; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
- They diverge on capability: MkDocs covers Plain Markdown, Strapi covers REST API.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MkDocs and Strapi actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 MkDocs
- Plain Markdown
- Single YAML config
- Material theme
- Live preview
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.
MkDocs
- Project documentation for teams that would rather not run a JavaScript toolchainnot Strapi
- Python projects keeping docs beside the codenot Strapi
- Documentation that must build fast in CI on every commitnot Strapi
Strapi
- Running a self hosted headless CMS with a REST or GraphQL APInot MkDocs
- Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot MkDocs
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
MkDocs
- No built-in versioning, which Docusaurus provides and documentation teams eventually need
- Extending past the theme means writing Python plugins
- Markdown only, so embedding interactive components is not the model
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
MkDocs
Free- MkDocsFree
- Full functionality
- Commercial use permitted
- Community support
Strapi
$35/month- Starter$35/month
- 100k API requests
- 50 GB asset storage
- 50 GB asset bandwidth
- Pro$90/month
- 1M API requests
- 250 GB asset storage
- 500 GB asset bandwidth
- Business$450/month
- 10M API requests
- 1000 GB asset storage
- 1000 GB asset bandwidth
Which should you pick?
Choose MkDocs if
- You need plain markdown.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want single yaml config.
Choose Strapi if
- You need rest api.
- You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
- You also want graphql api.
Questions people ask
- Is MkDocs or Strapi better?
- Neither clearly leads. MkDocs starts at Free and Strapi at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, MkDocs or Strapi?
- MkDocs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MkDocs and $35/month for Strapi.
- Does MkDocs or Strapi run on more platforms?
- MkDocs runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
- Can I use MkDocs for free?
- Yes. MkDocs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
- What is MkDocs best used for?
- MkDocs is most often used for project documentation for teams that would rather not run a javascript toolchain, python projects keeping docs beside the code, documentation that must build fast in ci on every commit. Of those, project documentation for teams that would rather not run a javascript toolchain and python projects keeping docs beside the code are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
- What can MkDocs do that Strapi cannot?
- MkDocs covers Plain Markdown, Single YAML config, Material theme, Live preview. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
MkDocs: Is MkDocs free?
Yes, open source under the BSD licence. The Material theme has a free version and a paid Insiders edition.
Strapi: How much do API request overages cost?
Additional API requests beyond the plan limit cost $1.50 per 25000 requests. Extra asset storage costs $0.60 per GB, and additional bandwidth costs $30 per 100 GB.
SourceMkDocs: MkDocs or Docusaurus?
MkDocs is simpler and faster to adopt, especially for Python teams. Docusaurus offers versioning, internationalisation and React components, which matter once documentation grows.
Strapi: Is yearly billing available?
Yes, yearly billing saves up to 17% compared to monthly billing on Strapi Cloud plans.
SourceMkDocs: Does MkDocs support versioned docs?
Not natively. Plugins such as mike add it, where Docusaurus includes versioning in core.
Strapi: What is included with the Pro plan?
The Pro plan costs $90 per month per project and includes 1M API requests, 250 GB asset storage, 500 GB bandwidth, multi-environment support, weekly backups, and manual backups.
SourceRelated pages
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- Strapi vs Kong Gateway
- Strapi vs Spring Cloud Gateway
- Strapi vs Swagger
- Strapi vs TIBCO Mashery
- Strapi vs Zeplo
- Strapi vs Pusher
- Strapi vs Salt Edge
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