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Software · head to head

Netlify vs Strapi

Netlify logo

Netlify

Software

The fastest way to build the fastest sites

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: Netlify the free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: Netlify covers Continuous deployment, Strapi covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Netlify and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where Netlify and Strapi differ
AttributeNetlifyStrapi
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWebNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20142015

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 Netlify

  • Continuous deployment
  • Instant rollbacks
  • Deploy previews
  • Split testing
  • Forms handling
  • Identity/Auth
  • Serverless functions
  • Edge handlers

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.

Netlify

  • Hosting static sites and frontend frameworks with global CDN deliverynot Strapi
  • Deploy previews on every pull requestnot Strapi
  • Serverless functions alongside a static sitenot Strapi
  • Netlify Database and Blob storage for small application statenot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

Netlify

  • The free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • Everything is metered in credits, so bandwidth at 20 credits per GB and production deploys at 15 credits each consume the allowance in ways a bandwidth figure alone would not show
  • Compute is billed at 10 credits per GB-hour, so server-rendered work costs more than static hosting
  • Running past the allowance means buying credit packs, at $5 for 500 on Personal and $10 for 1,500 on Pro
  • AI inference is priced by model rather than at a flat credit rate

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

Netlify

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 100GB bandwidth
    • 300 build minutes
    • 1 concurrent build
  • Pro$19/month
    • 400GB bandwidth
    • 25,000 build minutes
    • 3 concurrent builds
  • Business$99/month
    • 600GB bandwidth
    • 35,000 build minutes
    • 5 concurrent builds
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom bandwidth
    • Custom build minutes
    • Unlimited concurrent builds

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 Netlify if

  • You need continuous deployment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want instant rollbacks.
Netlify 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 Netlify or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. Netlify 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, Netlify or Strapi?
Netlify starts at Free and Strapi at Free.
Does Netlify or Strapi run on more platforms?
Netlify runs on Web. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Netlify for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Netlify best used for?
Netlify is most often used for hosting static sites and frontend frameworks with global cdn delivery, deploy previews on every pull request, serverless functions alongside a static site, netlify database and blob storage for small application state. Of those, hosting static sites and frontend frameworks with global cdn delivery and deploy previews on every pull request are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can Netlify do that Strapi cannot?
Netlify covers Continuous deployment, Instant rollbacks, Deploy previews, Split testing. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.
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