Strapi vs Headless WordPress: A Comprehensive CMS Comparison

General
Company Size	75	1500
Stars	60K	60K
NPM Weekly Downloads	90 K	❌
Funding	$31M Series B	985M Series F
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 deciding on a headless content management system (CMS), Strapi and Headless WordPress are two prominent options that offer unique features and capabilities. This comparison will help you understand the key differences between Strapi and Headless WordPress, allowing you to make an informed decision for your content management needs.

Overview

Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that offers developers complete control over their content and data. With its customizable API and admin panel, Strapi provides a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. Built with JavaScript, it is an excellent choice for developers familiar with the language and its ecosystem.

Headless WordPress decouples the front-end from the back-end, allowing developers to use WordPress as a content repository while delivering content via various front-end technologies, such as React, Angular, or Vue.js. This approach leverages the familiar WordPress interface while offering the flexibility of a headless architecture.

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 for 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 add functionalities easily.
• Role-Based Access Control: Advanced access control features ensure appropriate permissions for different users.

Headless WordPress provides:

• Familiar Interface: Utilizes the widely-used WordPress admin interface, making it easy for content creators to manage content.
• REST API and GraphQL: Offers REST API and GraphQL endpoints for flexible content delivery.
• Extensive Plugin Ecosystem: Leverages the vast WordPress plugin ecosystem to extend functionality.
• Large Community and Support: Benefits from the extensive WordPress community and resources.
• Multi-Channel Delivery: Supports content delivery across various platforms, including web, mobile, and IoT devices.

Performance

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

Headless WordPress offers excellent performance through its REST API and GraphQL endpoints. While it may not be as lightweight as Strapi, its flexibility in integrating with various front-end technologies ensures robust performance.

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. This makes it a preferred choice for projects requiring unique workflows or specialized features.

Headless WordPress offers significant flexibility by decoupling the front-end from the back-end. This allows developers to choose any front-end framework while benefiting from the familiar WordPress content management experience. Its extensive plugin ecosystem further enhances customization capabilities.

Pricing

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

Headless WordPress also benefits from being open-source. However, costs may arise from hosting, premium plugins, and potentially higher maintenance efforts due to the complexity of integrating multiple technologies.

Conclusion

Choosing between Strapi and Headless WordPress depends on your project's specific needs. If you require a highly customizable, JavaScript-based CMS with complete control over your data, Strapi is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if you prefer leveraging the familiar WordPress interface and its extensive plugin ecosystem while decoupling the front-end, Headless WordPress is a great option.

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