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APIs · head to head

Strapi vs Typesense

Strapi logo

Strapi

APIs

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Typesense logo

Typesense

Databases

Open-source typo-tolerant search engine as an Algolia alternative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Typesense 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; Typesense holding the index in memory caps dataset size by available RAM, which becomes expensive at scale
  • They diverge on capability: Strapi covers REST API, Typesense covers In-memory index.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Strapi and Typesense actually diverge.

Attributes where Strapi and Typesense differ
AttributeStrapiTypesense
Starting price$35/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, DockerLinux, macOS, Docker, Self-hosted
CategoryAPIsDatabases
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Typesense

  • In-memory index
  • Typo tolerance
  • Faceting and filtering
  • Vector search

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 Typesense
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot Typesense

Typesense

  • Replacing Algolia when per-search pricing outgrows the valuenot Strapi
  • Instant search over a product catalogue or documentation sitenot Strapi
  • Hybrid keyword and vector search without running two systemsnot 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

Typesense

  • Holding the index in memory caps dataset size by available RAM, which becomes expensive at scale
  • Narrower than Elasticsearch by design: no log analytics or complex aggregation pipelines
  • Smaller ecosystem and community than Algolia or Elasticsearch, so fewer integrations exist off the shelf

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

Typesense

Free
  • TypesenseFree
    • Full functionality
    • Self-hosted
    • No usage limits

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 Typesense if

  • You need in-memory index.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want typo tolerance.
Typesense review

Questions people ask

Is Strapi or Typesense better?
Neither clearly leads. Strapi starts at $35/month and Typesense at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Strapi or Typesense?
Typesense has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $35/month for Strapi and Free for Typesense.
Does Strapi or Typesense run on more platforms?
Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. Typesense runs on Linux, macOS, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Typesense for free?
Yes. Typesense 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 Typesense is typically brought in for.
What can Strapi do that Typesense cannot?
Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL. Typesense covers In-memory index, Typo tolerance, Faceting and filtering, Vector search.

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
Typesense: Is Typesense free?

The engine is open source and free to self-host. Typesense Cloud is a paid managed option.

Strapi: Is yearly billing available?

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

Source
Typesense: Why choose Typesense over Algolia?

Cost and control. Algolia charges per search and per record; Typesense can be self-hosted with no per-query fee, at the cost of running it yourself.

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
Typesense: Does Typesense support vector search?

Yes, including hybrid search combining keyword and semantic matching in one query.

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