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API Management · head to head

Strapi vs Swagger

Strapi logo

Strapi

API Management

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Swagger

API Management

API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill; Swagger swaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Strapi covers REST API, Swagger covers API Specification.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Strapi and Swagger actually diverge.

Attributes where Strapi and Swagger differ
AttributeStrapiSwagger
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, DockerWeb, CLI, Desktop
CategoryAPI ManagementUnknown
Founded20152011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Strapi

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Content management
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
  • AWS
  • Webhooks

Only in Swagger

  • API Specification
  • Interactive Documentation
  • Code Generation
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Azure DevOps
  • Jira
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Strapi

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

Swagger

  • API Developmentnot Strapi
  • API Gatewaynot Strapi
  • API Testingnot Strapi
  • API Documentationnot Strapi
  • Microservicesnot Strapi

Where each one falls short

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

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

Swagger

  • SwaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Strapi

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted Strapi
    • Community support
  • Pro$99/monthly
    • Cloud hosting
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
  • Business$undefined/monthly
    • Enterprise features
    • Custom SLA
    • Dedicated support

Swagger

Free
  • FreeFree
    • OpenAPI specification
    • Swagger UI
    • API documentation
  • Professional$20/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Team collaboration
    • API testing
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Strapi if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
Strapi review

Choose Swagger if

  • You need api specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
  • You also want interactive documentation.
Swagger review

Questions people ask

Is Strapi or Swagger better?
Neither clearly leads. Strapi starts at Free and Swagger at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Strapi or Swagger?
Strapi starts at Free and Swagger at Free.
Does Strapi or Swagger run on more platforms?
Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop.
Can I use Strapi for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Strapi best used for?
Strapi is most often used for running a self hosted headless cms with a rest or graphql api, giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content model. Of those, running a self hosted headless cms with a rest or graphql api and giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content model are not what Swagger is typically brought in for.
What can Strapi do that Swagger cannot?
Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL. Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub.
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