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APIs · head to head

Strapi vs Token.io

Strapi logo

Strapi

APIs

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Token.io logo

Token.io

APIs

Account to account pay by bank infrastructure across the UK and Europe

From
On request
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; Token.io account to account payments carry no chargeback scheme, so merchants gain cost savings but consumers lose the dispute protection cards provide, which limits adoption in general retail.
  • They diverge on capability: Strapi covers REST API, Token.io covers Payment initiation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Strapi and Token.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Strapi and Token.io differ
AttributeStrapiToken.io
Starting price$35/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, DockerWeb, API
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Strapi

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

Only in Token.io

  • Payment initiation
  • Variable recurring payments
  • Bank network coverage
  • giroAPI membership
  • Payouts and refunds
  • Data and account information
  • Hosted payment pages
  • Reconciliation reporting

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 Token.io
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot Token.io

Token.io

  • A utility or telecom collecting high value bills where card interchange makes acceptance expensivenot Strapi
  • An investment or trading platform funding customer accounts without card chargeback exposurenot Strapi
  • A payment service provider adding pay by bank to its merchant proposition without building bank connectivitynot Strapi
  • A German merchant using giroAPI scheme access for recurring and future dated bank paymentsnot 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

Token.io

  • Account to account payments carry no chargeback scheme, so merchants gain cost savings but consumers lose the dispute protection cards provide, which limits adoption in general retail.
  • Conversion depends on each bank's own authentication journey, and slow or broken bank redirects cost sales in ways the merchant cannot fix or even always diagnose.
  • Variable recurring payments beyond sweeping are still being rolled out unevenly across banks and markets, so a subscription use case may be supported at one bank and not another.
  • Token.io initiates payments rather than acting as acquirer of record, so merchants still need settlement, safeguarding and reconciliation arrangements elsewhere.
  • Coverage and feature parity vary by country, so a pan European rollout means different capabilities and different bank behaviour in each market rather than one uniform product.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Token.io

On request
  • Token.io platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer, typically per initiated payment
    • Volume tiers and monthly minimums are common
    • No interchange, so unit cost is usually well below card acceptance

Which should you pick?

Choose Strapi if

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

Choose Token.io if

  • You need payment initiation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want variable recurring payments.
Token.io review

Questions people ask

Is Strapi or Token.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Strapi starts at $35/month and Token.io at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Strapi or Token.io?
Strapi starts at $35/month and Token.io at On request.
Does Strapi or Token.io run on more platforms?
Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. Token.io runs on Web, API.
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 Token.io is typically brought in for.
What can Strapi do that Token.io cannot?
Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL. Token.io covers Payment initiation, Variable recurring payments, Bank network coverage, giroAPI membership.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Token.io: Does pay by bank remove card fees?

It removes interchange and scheme fees, so unit cost is normally far below card acceptance, particularly on high value payments.

Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
Token.io: What about chargebacks?

There are none. That is the cost saving and the consumer protection gap, which is why it suits bills, top ups and account funding more than retail.

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
Token.io: Is Token.io regulated?

Yes, it is an authorised third party provider under UK and European open banking rules, but it initiates payments rather than holding merchant funds as an acquirer.

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