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When to choose DatoCMS vs Strapi?

Our customers choose DatoCMS for its convenient scalability, unparalled developer experience, and clean editing interface.
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DatoCMS editing interface
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DatoCMS vs. Strapi:
How we're different

DatoCMS is built for SMEs and Agencies that want a hassle-free jump to headless. The SaaS, plug-and-play simplicity provide devs with just what they need, and no excess baggage.

Strapi is a good option for tech-savvy users that need an open-source, self-hosted CMS solution, albeit with the downsides of slow setup and heavy-load maintenance.

What our customers say

DatoCMS's GraphQL API is just incredibly well-thought. Everything you might need is readily available. Blur-up images, dominant colors, video streaming... makes working for the web a joy again!
Ryan Harris
CTO @ Formidable
For our clients, being able to instantly view the result of their changes on the final site is simply critical. The fact that you don't need a staging server, and you don't even have to refresh the page, well, that's the icing on the cake that makes everything wow.
Martijn Theuwissen
Lead frontend developer @ Atoms
DatoCMS does exactly what I need it to do. It's super user-friendly, and it's easy to ask someone to use it. It's not an intimidating "enterprise-y" experience that people don’t even want to log into.
Jimmy Merritello
Staff Web Engineer @ Hatch

At a glance comparison

DatoCMS
Strapi
Who is it for
DatoCMS...

Perfect for SMBs and agencies on the hunt for a no-sweat, cloud CMS. It's got all the goodies you need for your digital gigs.

...vs Strapi

Aimed at developers and tech-savvy users looking for an open-source, self-hosted CMS, despite the potential complexities - though a cloud version has recently been introduced.

Pricing
DatoCMS...

Predictable and affordable pricing, ensuring no hidden costs catch you off guard. Test drive any feature with a free tier before making a decision.

...vs Strapi

Self-hosting option offers either a Free or Enterprise tier with no intermediate solutions. Strapi Cloud's trial period is time-constrained, which might be too limited for a thorough evaluation.

Setup and maintenance
DatoCMS...

Pure cloud service, so your team can get on board and dive into project delivery with an ideal setup from the get-go.

...vs Strapi

The core product being self-hosted implies a noticeable ramp-up time for setup and configuration before any real progress on a project can begin.

DatoCMS...

Automatic updates keep your system up-to-date effortlessly, and you've got the option to review updates that may cause disruptions before they go live.

...vs Strapi

Upgrading to new versions necessitates manual intervention, potentially introducing new API versions that carry the risk of breaking changes.

DatoCMS...

One central hub and app to handle every aspect of your content.

...vs Strapi

The extensive usage of plugins and configurations to operate the CMS can lead to unnecessary complexity and frustration.

Developer experience
DatoCMS...

Centers on offering a true headless CMS solution, with a significant focus on robust content delivery through APIs.

...vs Strapi

Offer a holistic approach with capabilities such as user authentication and management, which may be overkill for projects that require simplicity over complexity.

DatoCMS...

Native GraphQL APIs built to tackle even the most complex queries, providing your front-end with just the essential data.

...vs Strapi

Native REST Content API, but relegates GraphQL to a plugin, resulting in more limited support. Allows developers to customize the backend code and the API responses.

DatoCMS...

Promptly see the impact of any changes made to the data model with Preview Environments.

...vs Strapi

No built-in tools for previewing, migrating, or deploying data changes across various environments, placing an unnecessary burden on developers.

DatoCMS...

The Images API comes out-of-the-box with automatically optimized outputs and 150+ powerful transformation options.

...vs Strapi

Offers limited image handling capabilities via unofficial plugins.

DatoCMS...

Native video streaming that's easy on the wallet, with adaptive outputs for any device.

...vs Strapi

You'll have to build video streaming from scratch, or wrangle by integrating a 3rd-party provider.

Content Modeling
DatoCMS...

Take advantage of no-code content modeling to build your models quickly and iterate faster than ever.

...vs Strapi

Users contend with a stiff visual builder, and while JavaScript schema modifications offer more autonomy, the trade-off in time and technical demands could be discouraging.

DatoCMS...

Craft a personalized content navigation with drag-and-drop reordering, tree-like collections, single instance models, and emojis as well! 🎉

...vs Strapi

The flat content navigation system leads to a needlessly convoluted experience when trying to find and access content.

Editor Experience
DatoCMS...

A clean and inviting editing UI that welcomes users of all roles to contribute immediately, equipped with structured text fields for polished copywriting and embeddable components.

...vs Strapi

With its complex and rigid editing UI, plus no way to use components in rich-text fields, the platform makes content editing harder than it should be.

DatoCMS...

Secure a worry-free editing environment with 40+ native field validations, side-by-side draft previews, and versioning.

...vs Strapi

It offers fewer validations and a simplified draft system limited to unpublished content, with no content history.

DatoCMS...

Optimize your global reach with native localization capabilities, featuring detailed per-field settings, locale-driven publishing, and translator-specific roles.

...vs Strapi

Localization requires yet another plugin, and comes with more limited functionalities.

Governance
DatoCMS...

Fine-grained permissions designed to accommodate the needs of any project, offering the flexibility of custom roles with all paid plans.

...vs Strapi

The platform offers custom roles and permissions only on the Enterprise Edition, and lacks fine-tuned control.

Performance & Scalability
DatoCMS...

As a SaaS backend service, DatoCMS manages scalability, so developers can concentrate on the Frontend and UX.

...vs Strapi

Scalability hinges on the backend's web and database servers, placing a burden on your IT or forcing reliance on expensive hosting services.

Support
DatoCMS...

Small but tight team of friendly experts to help every customer get the most out of the product.

...vs Strapi

To get any real-time support, you need to shell out for Enterprise - with the Community Edition, you're stuck with documentation and forum help.

Three reasons to consider DatoCMS
  1. Lightning-fast performance

    With a global CDN and optimized media delivery, your projects get an impressive boost in speed, plus improved SEO rankings and user engagement. It’s what your projects need to match the swift pace of today’s web.

  2. Delightful developer experience

    We’ve designed DatoCMS as a flexible platform to build precisely what you need. Our native GraphQL API and visual content modeling give you the freedom to build a content infrastructure that adapts to any scenario.

  3. A perfect blend of easy and powerful

    Our editing interface feels like a friendly wave from Wordpress, but with more power under the hood. Get creative with features like Blocks and Modular Content for a no-fuss, no-code page building experience that still packs a serious punch.