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Testing · head to head

Puppeteer vs Strapi

Puppeteer logo

Puppeteer

Testing

Node.js library for controlling Chrome and Firefox

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strapi logo

Strapi

APIs

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Puppeteer has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Puppeteer chrome and Firefox only, with no Safari or WebKit story; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: Puppeteer covers DevTools Protocol, Strapi covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Puppeteer and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where Puppeteer and Strapi differ
AttributePuppeteerStrapi
Starting priceFree$35/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
CategoryTestingAPIs
FoundedUnknown2015

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 Puppeteer

  • DevTools Protocol
  • Headless by default
  • PDF and screenshots
  • Network interception

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.

Puppeteer

  • Generating PDFs or screenshots of rendered pages on a servernot Strapi
  • Scraping sites that require JavaScript executionnot Strapi
  • Automating browser tasks where a full test framework is unnecessarynot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

Puppeteer

  • Chrome and Firefox only, with no Safari or WebKit story
  • Not a test framework: assertions, retries and reporting need Jest or similar bolted on
  • Bundles a Chromium download, which makes installs large and awkward in constrained CI images

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

Puppeteer

Free
  • PuppeteerFree
    • Full functionality
    • Unlimited tests
    • 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 Puppeteer if

  • You need devtools protocol.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want headless by default.
Puppeteer 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 Puppeteer or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. Puppeteer 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, Puppeteer or Strapi?
Puppeteer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Puppeteer and $35/month for Strapi.
Does Puppeteer or Strapi run on more platforms?
Puppeteer runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Puppeteer for free?
Yes. Puppeteer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
What is Puppeteer best used for?
Puppeteer is most often used for generating pdfs or screenshots of rendered pages on a server, scraping sites that require javascript execution, automating browser tasks where a full test framework is unnecessary. Of those, generating pdfs or screenshots of rendered pages on a server and scraping sites that require javascript execution are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can Puppeteer do that Strapi cannot?
Puppeteer covers DevTools Protocol, Headless by default, PDF and screenshots, Network interception. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Puppeteer: Is Puppeteer free?

Yes, open source from the Chrome team.

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
Puppeteer: Puppeteer or Playwright?

Playwright came from the same original team, adds WebKit and Firefox support, automatic waiting and a test runner. Puppeteer stays a focused Chrome automation library, which is simpler if automation rather than testing is the goal.

Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
Puppeteer: Can Puppeteer generate PDFs?

Yes, and it is one of the most common uses — rendering a page and printing it to PDF server-side.

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
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