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APIs · head to head

Hasura vs Strapi

Hasura logo

Hasura

APIs

GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases

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 Hasura has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hasura active model definition: model/command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: Hasura covers Real-time subscriptions, Strapi covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hasura and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where Hasura and Strapi differ
AttributeHasuraStrapi
Starting priceFree$35/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20172015

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 Hasura

  • Real-time subscriptions
  • Access control
  • REST APIs
  • Kubernetes support

Only in Strapi

  • REST API
  • Content management
  • MongoDB
  • AWS
  • Node.js support

Both cover

  • GraphQL API
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Webhooks
  • Cloud support
  • Self-hosted support
  • Docker support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hasura

  • Automatic GraphQL API generation from existing databasesnot Strapi
  • Real-time data subscriptions for modern applicationsnot Strapi
  • Backend infrastructure for web and mobile applicationsnot Strapi
  • Event-triggered webhooks for database changesnot Strapi

Strapi

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

Where each one falls short

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

Hasura

  • Active model definition: model/command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly
  • Private DDN requires Base or Advanced plan

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

Hasura

Free
  • DDN FreeFree
    • Unlimited models
    • 1 supergraph developer
    • 15-minute observability retention
  • DDN Base$5/month
    • Per active model billing
    • Unlimited developers
    • 30-day observability retention
  • DDN Advanced$30/month
    • Per active model billing
    • Federated collaboration
    • Multi-repo CI/CD

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 Hasura if

  • You need real-time subscriptions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want access control.
Hasura review

Choose Strapi if

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

Questions people ask

Is Hasura or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. Hasura 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, Hasura or Strapi?
Hasura has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hasura and $35/month for Strapi.
Does Hasura or Strapi run on more platforms?
Hasura runs on Web. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Hasura for free?
Yes. Hasura has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
What is Hasura best used for?
Hasura is most often used for automatic graphql api generation from existing databases, real-time data subscriptions for modern applications, backend infrastructure for web and mobile applications, event-triggered webhooks for database changes. Of those, automatic graphql api generation from existing databases and real-time data subscriptions for modern applications are not what Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can Hasura do that Strapi cannot?
Hasura covers Real-time subscriptions, Access control, REST APIs, Kubernetes support. Strapi covers REST API, Content management, MongoDB, AWS. Both handle GraphQL API, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Webhooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hasura: How much does Hasura cost?

Hasura DDN Free is free. DDN Base starts at $5/active model/month, and DDN Advanced starts at $30/active model/month.

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
Hasura: What is an active model in Hasura pricing?

An active model is defined as any model or command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly.

Source
Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
Hasura: Is there a free version of Hasura?

Yes, Hasura DDN Free is always free and includes unlimited models, 1 supergraph developer, and 15-minute observability retention.

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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