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APIs · head to head

Stainless vs Strapi

Stainless logo

Stainless

APIs

Generates client SDKs, API docs, and MCP servers from an OpenAPI spec

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 Stainless has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Stainless starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: Stainless covers SDK generation, Strapi covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stainless and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where Stainless and Strapi differ
AttributeStainlessStrapi
Starting priceFree$35/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: 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 Stainless

  • SDK generation
  • MCP server generation
  • Docs site generation
  • Webhooks and streaming support
  • Automated unit tests
  • Git integration

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.

Stainless

  • Generating typed SDKs for a public APInot Strapi
  • Producing an MCP server from an existing OpenAPI specnot Strapi
  • Building an API documentation site alongside client librariesnot Strapi
  • Giving open-source APIs a free SDK generation pathnot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

Stainless

  • Starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.
  • The free plan caps APIs at 25 endpoints, which excludes larger production APIs.
  • Overage charges apply per SDK/endpoint/month once limits are exceeded, which can make costs unpredictable at scale.

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

Stainless

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 generators (SDKs, docs, or MCP servers)
    • 5 seats
    • APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints
  • Starter$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited generators
    • Expanded seats
    • Private SDKs of any size
  • Pro$undefined/mo
    • Custom enterprise features and pricing
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Dedicated support
    • SOC 2 compliance reports
    • Purchase order/invoicing with negotiable terms

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 Stainless if

  • You need sdk generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want mcp server generation.
Stainless 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 Stainless or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. Stainless 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, Stainless or Strapi?
Stainless has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stainless and $35/month for Strapi.
Does Stainless or Strapi run on more platforms?
Stainless runs on web, api. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Stainless for free?
Yes. Stainless has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
What is Stainless best used for?
Stainless is most often used for generating typed sdks for a public api, producing an mcp server from an existing openapi spec, building an api documentation site alongside client libraries, giving open-source apis a free sdk generation path. Of those, generating typed sdks for a public api and producing an mcp server from an existing openapi spec are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can Stainless do that Strapi cannot?
Stainless covers SDK generation, MCP server generation, Docs site generation, Webhooks and streaming support. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stainless: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes. The Free plan supports up to 5 generators, 5 seats, APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints, and 100 preview builds per month, with email support.

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
Stainless: Who owns the generated SDK code?

The generated SDK code is owned by the customer and published by Stainless under the Apache 2.0 license.

Source
Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
Stainless: What happens if I exceed my plan's endpoint limit?

Customers exceeding their endpoint limits are billed per SDK, per endpoint, per month for the overage.

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
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