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Mobile Development · head to head

React Native vs Strapi

React Native logo

React Native

Mobile Development

Build native mobile apps with React and JavaScript

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 React Native has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: React Native the JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: React Native covers Renders to native components, Strapi covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which React Native and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where React Native and Strapi differ
AttributeReact NativeStrapi
Starting priceFree$35/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, WebNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
CategoryMobile DevelopmentAPIs
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 React Native

  • Renders to native components
  • React programming model
  • Native modules
  • Fast Refresh
  • Wide platform reach
  • Large package ecosystem

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.

React Native

  • Teams with React experience on the web extending into mobilenot Strapi
  • Apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across bothnot Strapi
  • Adding a mobile client to a product whose engineers already write JavaScriptnot Strapi
  • Reusing business logic between web and mobile codebasesnot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

React Native

  • The JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it
  • Upgrading between versions has a reputation for being painful, particularly with many native dependencies
  • Anything the framework does not wrap requires native code in Swift or Kotlin, so a purely JavaScript team can still get stuck
  • Because it renders to real platform components, small behavioural differences between iOS and Android surface in your code rather than being hidden

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

React Native

Free
  • React NativeFree
    • Full framework
    • iOS and Android targets
    • Native module system

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 React Native if

  • You need renders to native components.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want react programming model.
React Native 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 React Native or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. React Native 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, React Native or Strapi?
React Native has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for React Native and $35/month for Strapi.
Does React Native or Strapi run on more platforms?
React Native runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use React Native for free?
Yes. React Native has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
What is React Native best used for?
React Native is most often used for teams with react experience on the web extending into mobile, apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across both, adding a mobile client to a product whose engineers already write javascript, reusing business logic between web and mobile codebases. Of those, teams with react experience on the web extending into mobile and apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across both are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can React Native do that Strapi cannot?
React Native covers Renders to native components, React programming model, Native modules, Fast Refresh. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

React Native: Is React Native free?

Yes. React Native is open source from Meta with no licence fee, and it is free for commercial use.

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
React Native: Does React Native produce a real native app?

Yes. JavaScript primitives render to the platform’s own UI components using the same native APIs a Swift or Kotlin app would call, rather than to a web view.

Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
React Native: Which well-known apps use React Native?

Meta cites Facebook, Microsoft Office, Teams and Outlook, Amazon Shopping, Discord, Coinbase and Tesla among thousands of apps built with it.

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
React Native: Should I use Expo or plain React Native?

Expo handles builds, updates and native configuration for you and is the recommended starting point. Plain React Native gives full control of the native projects, which matters when you need native code the managed workflow does not cover.

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