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APIs · head to head

Paw vs Strapi

Paw logo

Paw

APIs

Full-featured REST client for macOS with powerful scripting and testing

From
$99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strapi logo

Strapi

APIs

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Paw no specific pricing amounts published for subscription tiers; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: Paw covers REST Client, Strapi covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paw and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where Paw and Strapi differ
AttributePawStrapi
Starting price$99/one-time$35/month
PlatformsMacOSNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20132015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Paw

  • REST Client
  • Scripting
  • Dynamic Values
  • Slack
  • GitHub
  • Custom extensions
  • MacOS support

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.

Paw

  • 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 Paw
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot Paw

Where each one falls short

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

Paw

  • No specific pricing amounts published for subscription tiers
  • Individual and volume licensing requires direct contact
  • Limited details on team subscription pricing

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

Paw

$99/one-time
  • Standard$99/one-time
    • Full REST client
    • Advanced scripting
    • Extensions
  • Annual License$49/yearly
    • All features
    • Updates
    • Priority 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 Paw if

  • You need rest client.
  • You work on MacOS.
  • You also want scripting.
Paw review

Choose Strapi if

  • You need rest api.
  • You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
Strapi review

Questions people ask

Is Paw or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. Paw starts at $99/one-time and Strapi at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paw or Strapi?
Paw starts at $99/one-time and Strapi at $35/month.
Does Paw or Strapi run on more platforms?
Paw runs on MacOS. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
What is Paw best used for?
Paw 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 Paw do that Strapi cannot?
Paw covers REST Client, Scripting, Dynamic Values, Slack. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paw: How much does RapidAPI for Mac (Paw) cost?

Paw offers a free tier for personal and professional use. Paid subscription plans are available on monthly and yearly billing, but specific pricing amounts are not disclosed and require direct contact with RapidAPI.

Source
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.

Source
Paw: Is there a free version of Paw?

Yes, RapidAPI for Mac (Paw) is free for both personal and professional use.

Source
Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

Yes, yearly billing saves up to 17% compared to monthly billing on Strapi Cloud plans.

Source
Paw: What features are included in the free version of Paw?

The free tier includes HTTP client capabilities for API testing, API documentation, personal sync across devices, and support for Swagger, RAML, and API Blueprint formats.

Source
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.

Source
Paw: What additional features do Paw team subscriptions include?

Team subscription plans include all personal features plus collaborative tools, team project access, synchronized workflows with safe data merges, and real-time notifications and updates.

Source
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