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APIs · head to head

Strapi vs Tyk

Strapi logo

Strapi

APIs

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tyk logo

Tyk

APIs

Open-source API gateway and API management platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tyk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill; Tyk professional and Enterprise plan pricing not published; contact required
  • They diverge on capability: Strapi covers REST API, Tyk covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Strapi and Tyk actually diverge.

Attributes where Strapi and Tyk differ
AttributeStrapiTyk
Starting price$35/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, DockerLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud
Founded20152013

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 Strapi

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Content management
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
  • Webhooks
  • Node.js support

Only in Tyk

  • API Gateway
  • Rate Limiting
  • Authentication
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Azure
  • Linux support
  • Kubernetes support

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Cloud support
  • Docker 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 Tyk
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot Tyk

Tyk

  • API gateway and API management platformsnot Strapi
  • Microservices architecture orchestrationnot Strapi
  • High-growth teams standardizing on API platformsnot Strapi
  • Enterprises requiring advanced security and governancenot 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

Tyk

  • Professional and Enterprise plan pricing not published; contact required
  • Core plan uses consumption-based model with variable costs
  • No upfront pricing transparency for production deployments

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

Tyk

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Fully featured 48-hour trial
    • No credit card required
    • Tyk Cloud access
  • Core Plan$null/month
    • Usage-based flexible pricing
    • Cloud, Hybrid, or Self-managed deployment
    • Unlimited API gateways
  • Professional Plan$null/month
    • One fixed price with unlimited access
    • All deployment options
    • Unlimited APIs and requests
  • Enterprise Plan$null/month
    • Custom pricing required
    • Advanced governance and security
    • Premium support with custom SLAs

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 Tyk if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want rate limiting.
Tyk review

Questions people ask

Is Strapi or Tyk better?
Neither clearly leads. Strapi starts at $35/month and Tyk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Strapi or Tyk?
Tyk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $35/month for Strapi and Free for Tyk.
Does Strapi or Tyk run on more platforms?
Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. Tyk runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use Tyk for free?
Yes. Tyk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strapi starts at $35/month.
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 Tyk is typically brought in for.
What can Strapi do that Tyk cannot?
Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL. Tyk covers API Gateway, Rate Limiting, Authentication, Kubernetes. Both handle AWS, Cloud support, Docker support.

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
Tyk: How much does Tyk cost?

Tyk offers a free 48-hour trial with no credit card required. The Core plan uses usage-based pricing on a flexible model. Professional plan offers unlimited access at a fixed price (amount not published). Enterprise plans require custom pricing.

Source
Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
Tyk: Is there a free trial of Tyk?

Yes, Tyk provides a fully featured 48-hour free trial of Tyk Cloud that requires no credit card to start.

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
Tyk: What deployment options are included in Tyk pricing?

All Tyk plans support Cloud, Hybrid, or Self-managed deployment options without feature restrictions, allowing flexible infrastructure choices across pricing tiers.

Source
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