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CMS comparison DatoCMS vs Strapi

DatoCMS vs Strapi

DatoCMS is a closed-source headless CMS that runs on the vendor's cloud. Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 10.

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  • DatoCMS Headless · Closed source · 16 of 28 built in
  • Strapi Headless · Open source · 15 of 28 built in

Sources checked: DatoCMS on 29 Sept 2026, Strapi on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
DatoCMS vs Strapi feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
DatoCMS Headless
Strapi Headless
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by DatoCMS. It delivers content over a GraphQL API, with a REST API for content management.Open-source Node.js headless CMS with a visual content-type builder, self-hosted or run on Strapi Cloud. Paid plans add governance features.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. DatoCMS SaaS, Free, Professional and Enterprise plans SaaS, continuously updated Strapi 5 CMS, free Community edition with paid Growth and Enterprise plans for self-hosted projects Version 5.55.1, released 24 Sept 2026
Vendor DatoCMS datocms.com Strapi strapi.io
Licence Closed source Proprietary Open source MIT
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Self-hosting Vendor cloud Strapi Cloud removed its free plan in 2026. Hosting starts at the Starter plan.
Built with Hosted SaaS with GraphQL delivery and REST management APIs, TypeScript clientTypeScript, Node.js, React
Database Managed by DatoCMSPostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free plan. Professional €149 per month billed annually, or €199 monthly. Enterprise on request. Free to start Community free. Growth $45 per month with 3 seats, then $15 per seat. Cloud from $35 per project per month.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Limited Migration scripts run by the DatoCMS CLI, auto-generated from environment diffs. 12 Built in Content types are schema.json files in the project. 19
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in 1 Built in Content-type Builder works in development mode only. 16
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Block library used in modular content and Structured Text fields. 1 Built in Components and dynamic zones. 216
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Field-level locales, 5 included and up to 10 with paid add-ons. 1 Built in
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Images API with imgix URL parameters. 3 Built in Generates small, medium and large sizes on upload. No crops on request. 15
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in REST Content Management API reads records. Delivery is GraphQL. 111 Built in 2
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 1 Plugin or add-on Official GraphQL plugin. 14
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in 1 Built in 218
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Not available
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in 1 Built in Draft & Publish. 2
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in 1 Paid tier Growth plan, by scheduling a Release. 6
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Limited History kept 3 days on Free, 60 days on Professional. 1 Paid tier Content History keeps 14 days on Growth, 30 to 90 days on Enterprise. 7
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 17 Built in Basic preview is free. Side-by-side Live Preview needs Growth. 5
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Click-to-edit overlays on the site in draft mode. 17 Paid tier On Growth, editors double-click content in Live Preview to edit it. 5
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Editorial workflows with stage permissions on Enterprise. 16 Paid tier Review Workflows on Enterprise. 9
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited Publishing a record can also publish its linked records. No standalone releases. 1 Paid tier Releases on Growth and Enterprise. 6
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Not available Presence and live updates, but a record locks while one editor edits it. 4 Not available
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Projects include Admin and Editor roles and can create additional roles. The Free plan is limited to 2 editor seats. 15 Built in Unlimited admin roles on Community. 28
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Rules apply per model, creator, locale and workflow stage. Locale rules need Enterprise. 5 Built in 8
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise, with SCIM provisioning. 1 Paid tier Enterprise, or a $150 per month add-on on Growth. 211
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Enterprise. 1 Paid tier Enterprise plan. 10
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in Separate projects per site. 3 on Free, extra projects €39 a month on Professional. 1 Not available
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugin SDK for field editors, sidebars and custom pages. 1 Built in 20
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in DatoCMS Marketplace. 19 Built in Strapi Marketplace. 2
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Not available
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Built in Users & Permissions feature for end users. 17
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Plugin or add-on Official AI Translations plugin with your own OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or DeepL key. 89 Paid tier AI translation and image alt text on Growth. Not yet available on Enterprise. 212
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Remote MCP server at mcp.datocms.com. 10 Built in Built in. Developers switch it on in the server config. 13

Considering more platforms? Compare DatoCMS and Strapi with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

DatoCMS and Strapi get a different status on 10 of the 28 features and the same status on 18. DatoCMS has 16 built in on its baseline edition, Strapi has 15. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
DatoCMS is closed source (Proprietary). Strapi is open source (MIT).
Self-hosting
DatoCMS cannot be self-hosted. Strapi can be self-hosted.

Built in on DatoCMS, a different answer on Strapi 4

  • GraphQL API DatoCMS: Built in. Strapi: Plugin or add-on.
  • Scheduled publishing DatoCMS: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Visual editing DatoCMS: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Multiple sites DatoCMS: Built in. Strapi: Not available.

Built in on Strapi, a different answer on DatoCMS 3

  • Content model in code DatoCMS: Limited. Strapi: Built in.
  • Field-level permissions DatoCMS: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
  • Site member accounts DatoCMS: Not available. Strapi: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 3

  • Version history DatoCMS: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Content releases DatoCMS: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • AI writing assistant DatoCMS: Plugin or add-on. Strapi: Paid tier.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: DatoCMS vs Payload and Strapi vs Payload.

DatoCMS against other platforms

Strapi against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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