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[Platform profile]

Strapi for marketing websites

Strapi for self-hosted or Cloud projects, structured content types and marketing website delivery.

Self-hostedManaged SaaS Open core Official website
Kalle Bertell

By Kalle Bertell

Direct answer

Strapi suits teams that will own a Node.js CMS, either on their own servers or on Strapi Cloud, and edit structured entries in the admin. Community includes drafts, roles and locales. Choose something else when you need a managed visual page builder, or when review workflows and live preview are required but a Growth or Enterprise license is not funded.

Good fit

  • A CMS the team can host

    Community is MIT-licensed. You can run it yourself, or deploy the same project to Strapi Cloud without changing the API shape.

    View sources (2)

  • Content types editors can extend

    The Content-type Builder creates collection types, single types, components and dynamic zones, and can enable drafts and locales.

    View sources (1)

  • Locales on the free plan

    Internationalization is a Community feature. Enable it per content type and per field, then assign locale permissions.

    View sources (2)

Consider alternatives

  • Live preview on Community

    A basic preview URL can be configured on every plan. Live Preview, which updates as editors type, requires Growth or Enterprise.

    View sources (1)
    • Strapi preview: Preview is configured for every plan. Live Preview requires Growth or Enterprise.

  • Review workflows without Enterprise

    Draft and publish and custom roles are on Community. Review workflows and audit logs are Enterprise features.

    View sources (1)

  • A vendor-operated content store only

    Even on Strapi Cloud you ship and maintain the project. Cloud hosts that project; it is not a separate hosted editor with no codebase.

    View sources (1)

Evidence by criterion

How we evaluate platforms

Visual editing and preview

Preview URL on every plan; live updates are paid

Preview opens the frontend from the Content Manager after you set a client URL. Live Preview, which refreshes as the entry changes, is a Growth and Enterprise feature.

View sources (2)
  • Strapi preview: Preview is configured for every plan. Live Preview requires Growth or Enterprise.
  • Strapi features and plans: Separates Community, Growth and Enterprise features from Strapi Cloud hosting plans.

Marketer autonomy

Editors fill types; layout follows the model

Editors manage entries, components and dynamic zones in the Content Manager. Adding a section type or a permission still happens in the content-type and role settings developers control.

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Content modeling

Collection types, components and dynamic zones

The Content-type Builder defines collection types, single types, components and repeatable dynamic zones. Saving a type requires at least one configured field.

View sources (1)

Workflow and governance

Drafts and roles free; reviews are Enterprise

Community includes draft and publish, RBAC and API tokens. Releases and content history start on Growth. Review workflows and audit logs are Enterprise.

Plan considerations: Growth history is 14 days. Enterprise history is documented as 30 days, extendable to 90.

View sources (1)

Localization and multisite

Locales on every plan, including Community

Turn internationalization on for a content type, then for individual fields. The pricing page lists unlimited locales on Community, Growth and Enterprise.

View sources (2)

Developer experience

Node project, admin builder and a CLI

Developers own the Strapi project and can model in the admin or extend it in code. The same project runs self-hosted or on Strapi Cloud.

View sources (2)

APIs and extensibility

REST and GraphQL on every CMS plan

REST and the GraphQL plugin read and write content types, including locale and draft status. The features table includes both APIs on Community.

View sources (3)
  • Strapi REST API: Documents REST reads and writes, including locale and draft status parameters.
  • Strapi GraphQL API: The GraphQL plugin queries and mutates content types with filters, sort and pagination.
  • Strapi features and plans: Separates Community, Growth and Enterprise features from Strapi Cloud hosting plans.

Hosting and operations

Self-host the project, or use Strapi Cloud

You can operate the Node.js app and database, or deploy that project to Strapi Cloud. Cloud plans meter hosting resources and do not include Growth or Enterprise CMS features.

View sources (2)

Security and governance

RBAC everywhere; SSO and audit logs are paid

Community includes role-based access. SSO is a Growth add-on and included on Enterprise. Audit logs and the SOC 2 report are Enterprise items on the pricing page.

Plan considerations: Self-hosted data residency is yours. Strapi Cloud regions and backups follow the Cloud plan.

View sources (2)
  • Strapi features and plans: Separates Community, Growth and Enterprise features from Strapi Cloud hosting plans.
  • Strapi CMS pricing: Lists the free MIT Community plan, Growth at $45 per month, and Enterprise review workflows.

Pricing and cost drivers

Free Community, then CMS and Cloud bills

Community is free under MIT, with unlimited entries on the CMS pricing page. Growth starts at $45 per month before user charges, and Strapi Cloud is a separate hosting invoice.

View sources (2)
  • Strapi CMS pricing: Lists the free MIT Community plan, Growth at $45 per month, and Enterprise review workflows.
  • Strapi features and plans: Separates Community, Growth and Enterprise features from Strapi Cloud hosting plans.

Migration and exit

Transfer content between matching Strapi instances

The CLI can export, import or stream content, files and schemas. A transfer requires matching schemas, and it does not move admin users or API tokens.

View sources (2)
  • Strapi data transfer: Streams content, files and schemas between instances. Admin users and API tokens are excluded.
  • Strapi features and plans: Separates Community, Growth and Enterprise features from Strapi Cloud hosting plans.

Marketing website fit

Fits structured pages when preview is funded

Dynamic zones let editors place components that the frontend already renders. Seeing those changes live in the admin depends on a Growth or Enterprise Live Preview license.

View sources (2)
  • Strapi Content-type Builder: Creates collection and single types, with draft-and-publish and internationalization settings.
  • Strapi preview: Preview is configured for every plan. Live Preview requires Growth or Enterprise.

Team takeaways

For content teams

Content teams edit structured entries, components and localized fields in the admin, with draft and publish on the free plan. They get a configured preview URL on Community, and live updating preview only after a paid CMS license. New section types still go through the content model.

For developers

Developers keep a Node.js project and choose self-hosting or Strapi Cloud. REST and GraphQL follow the content types, while the CMS license is separate from the Cloud bill. Review workflows, audit logs and live preview are not part of Community.

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