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CMS comparison Hygraph vs Strapi

Hygraph vs Strapi

Hygraph 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 9.

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  • Hygraph Headless · Closed source · 13 of 28 built in
  • Strapi Headless · Open source · 15 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Hygraph 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
Hygraph vs Strapi feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Hygraph Headless
Strapi Headless
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by Hygraph, formerly GraphCMS. Serves content over a GraphQL API and can pull in data from remote REST and GraphQL sources.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. Hygraph SaaS, Hobby, Growth 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 Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS) hygraph.com Strapi strapi.io
Licence Closed source Proprietary Open source MIT
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Shared regions on every plan. Dedicated clusters on Enterprise. Self-hosting Vendor cloud Strapi Cloud removed its free plan in 2026. Hosting starts at the Starter plan.
Built with Hosted SaaS with a GraphQL Content APITypeScript, Node.js, React
Database Managed by HygraphPostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Hobby free. Growth from $199 per month. 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 Management SDK applies schema changes from code. No declarative schema files. 2 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 Components in modular fields: 10 on Hobby, 20 on Growth. 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: 2 on Hobby, 3 on Growth, up to 80 on Enterprise. 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 Resize, crop and format conversion by URL or GraphQL argument. 4 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. Not available Content API is GraphQL only. 3 Built in 2
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 3 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 5 on Hobby, 10 on Growth. 15 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 DRAFT and PUBLISHED stages on every plan. 1 Built in Draft & Publish. 2
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Paid tier Scheduled publishing on Enterprise. 17 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. Paid tier 14 days on Growth, up to 365 on Enterprise. None on Hobby. 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 1 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 via the Hygraph Preview SDK opens the field in Studio. 6 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 Custom Workflows, up to 10, on Enterprise. 113 Paid tier Review Workflows on Enterprise. 9
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Paid tier Releases on Enterprise. 7 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 Collaborator View shows who else is in an entry. 9 Not available
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Paid tier Up to 30 custom roles on Enterprise. Hobby has 2 standard roles, Growth 4. 1 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 Permissions scope by model, locale, stage, environment and condition. 8 Built in 8
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise. 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, 90-day retention. 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. Paid tier Multitenancy on Enterprise. 1 Not available
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in App Framework for custom fields, sidebars and pages. 12 Built in 20
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Hygraph Marketplace. 12 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. Built in AI Assist on every plan, with a monthly AI token allowance. 110 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 Global endpoint at mcp.hygraph.com and per-project endpoints. Also a Claude connector. 111415 Built in Built in. Developers switch it on in the server config. 13

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

Where they differ

Hygraph and Strapi get a different status on 9 of the 28 features and the same status on 19. Hygraph has 13 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
Hygraph is closed source (Proprietary). Strapi is open source (MIT).
Self-hosting
Hygraph cannot be self-hosted. Strapi can be self-hosted.

Built in on Hygraph, a different answer on Strapi 3

  • GraphQL API Hygraph: Built in. Strapi: Plugin or add-on.
  • Visual editing Hygraph: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • AI writing assistant Hygraph: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.

Built in on Strapi, a different answer on Hygraph 5

  • Content model in code Hygraph: Limited. Strapi: Built in.
  • REST API Hygraph: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
  • Custom roles Hygraph: Paid tier. Strapi: Built in.
  • Field-level permissions Hygraph: Not available. Strapi: Built in.
  • Site member accounts Hygraph: Not available. Strapi: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 1

  • Multiple sites Hygraph: Paid tier. Strapi: Not available.

More comparisons

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

Hygraph 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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