Strapi vs Contentstack: A Comprehensive Headless CMS Comparison

General
Company Size	75	537
Stars	60K	❌
NPM Weekly Downloads	90 K	❌
Funding	$31M Series B	169M series C
Country of Origin	France	USA
Developer Experience
Hosting	PaaS + Self Hosted	SaaS
Open Source	✅	❌
API Tokens	✅	✅
Design System	https://design-system.strapi.io/	✅
GraphQL	✅	✅
Documentation	✅	✅
Authentication & Permissions	✅	✅
Multi-databases support (SQLite, MySQL, Postgres)	PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL and MariaDB	❌
Single Types	✅	✅
Custom fields	✅	✅
Webhooks	✅	✅
Codebase language	JavaScript, TypeScript, React	?
API Playground	❌	❌
Customizable API	✅	❌
JWT authentication	✅	✅
Content modeling	✅	✅
Plugins	✅	✅
SDK	❌	✅
Cron	✅	❌
Editing Experience
Previews	Has to be setup manually	Has to be setup manually
Scheduling	❌	✅
Media Library	✅	✅
Draft & Publish	✅	✅
Collaboration
Releases	✅	✅
Review Workflows	✅	✅
Versionning	❌	✅
i18n	✅	✅
Marketplace	✅	✅
Real-time editing	❌	✅
Visual editing	❌	❌
Security & Compliance
SSO	✅	✅
Audit Logs	✅	✅
Role Base Access Control	✅	✅

When selecting a headless content management system (CMS), Strapi and Contentstack are two prominent options that offer unique features and capabilities tailored to diverse project requirements. This comparison aims to help you understand the key differences between Strapi and Contentstack, allowing you to make an informed decision for your content management needs.

Overview

Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that provides developers with full control over their content and data. With its customizable API and admin panel, Strapi offers high flexibility and adaptability. Built with JavaScript, it is particularly appealing to developers familiar with the language and its ecosystem.

Contentstack is a cloud-based headless CMS known for its enterprise-grade features and scalability. It is designed to manage, integrate, and deliver content across multiple channels, ensuring a seamless digital experience. Contentstack’s API-first approach and extensive feature set make it ideal for large enterprises and complex projects.

Features

Strapi offers:

• Open-Source Flexibility: Strapi's open-source nature allows for extensive customization and extension to meet specific project needs.
• Customizable API: Developers can quickly create custom APIs, facilitating efficient content delivery.
• Self-Hosted Option: Strapi can be self-hosted, giving users complete control over their data and infrastructure.
• Extensible Plugin System: Strapi supports plugins, enabling developers to easily add functionalities.

Contentstack provides:

• Cloud-Based Scalability: Contentstack’s cloud infrastructure handles scaling automatically, making it suitable for large-scale applications.
• Enterprise Features: Advanced features like content versioning, localization, and role-based access control enhance content management capabilities.
• Multi-Channel Delivery: Contentstack excels at delivering content across various platforms, including web, mobile, and IoT devices.
• Robust Ecosystem: Contentstack offers a rich ecosystem of SDKs, extensive documentation, and numerous integrations.

Performance

Strapi is known for its performance and speed, especially when self-hosted. Its lightweight architecture and customizable nature allow developers to optimize the platform to meet their specific needs, resulting in faster content delivery.

Contentstack offers excellent performance, particularly for enterprises requiring a scalable solution. Its cloud infrastructure ensures reliable and fast content delivery, even during high traffic periods.

Flexibility and Customization

Strapi stands out for its high degree of flexibility. Developers can customize almost every aspect of the CMS, from the admin panel to API endpoints, making it a preferred choice for projects requiring unique workflows or specialized features.

Contentstack, while not as customizable as Strapi, offers significant flexibility through its API-first approach. Its comprehensive set of APIs allows for extensive integration and customization, making it suitable for complex and large-scale projects.

Pricing

Strapi is a cost-effective solution due to its open-source nature, with no licensing fees. The primary costs associated with Strapi come from hosting and maintenance, which can be managed based on the project's scale and requirements.

Contentstack follows a subscription-based pricing model, which can be more expensive, especially for large enterprises. However, the pricing includes cloud hosting, support, and maintenance, providing a hassle-free experience for users.

Conclusion

Choosing between Strapi and Contentstack depends on your project's specific needs. If you require a highly customizable, open-source solution with full control over your data, Strapi is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if you need a scalable, robust, and enterprise-grade CMS with extensive features and cloud-based convenience, Contentstack is the way to go.

Evaluate your project requirements, budget, and technical expertise to determine which platform best suits your needs. Both Strapi and Contentstack have their unique strengths, ensuring that whichever you choose, you'll be equipped with a powerful tool for effective content management.