Contentful vs Strapi
Pricing
Contentful: Free tier (10 users), Lite from $300/mo
Strapi: Free (self-hosted), Cloud from $29/mo
Description
Contentful: Enterprise-grade headless CMS with a structured content model and robust API delivery
Strapi: Open-source headless CMS built with Node.js that you can self-host or run on Strapi Cloud
Pros
- Reliable CDN-backed content delivery with high uptime
- Strong ecosystem of integrations and official SDKs
- Free plan supports up to 10 users, 100K API calls a month and 10,000 records
- 100% open source (MIT license) with full self-hosting option
- Customizable admin panel with a plugin system
- REST and GraphQL APIs generated automatically from your content types
Cons
- Paid plans are expensive, starting at $300/mo
- Content modeling can feel rigid compared to alternatives like Sanity
- The free plan has hard usage caps: no paid overages, so you must upgrade when you hit a limit
- Self-hosting requires Node.js server management
- Plugin ecosystem is smaller than WordPress
Details
Contentful is a headless CMS designed for structured content that can be delivered to websites, apps, and other digital channels via API. It is widely used by larger teams and enterprises but offers a free plan suitable for solo projects, with 10 users, 100,000 API calls and 50 GB of CDN bandwidth a month. The jump from free to the Lite plan is steep at $300/mo, so solo founders should carefully evaluate whether they will outgrow the free tier. Salesforce completed its purchase of Contentful on 1 September 2026, and the company now presents itself as part of Salesforce.
Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that gives you full control over your content API. You can self-host it for free on your own server or use Strapi Cloud for a managed experience starting at $29/mo. Solo founders who are comfortable with Node.js can save money by self-hosting, while those who prefer a managed solution can use Strapi Cloud to avoid server maintenance.
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