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CMS comparison Strapi vs WordPress

Strapi vs WordPress

Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. WordPress is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 18.

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  • Strapi Headless · Open source · 15 of 28 built in
  • WordPress Traditional · Open source · 13 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Strapi on 29 Sept 2026, WordPress 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
Strapi vs WordPress feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Strapi Headless
WordPress Traditional
Overview
What it is Open-source Node.js headless CMS with a visual content-type builder, self-hosted or run on Strapi Cloud. Paid plans add governance features.Open-source PHP CMS that renders sites through themes and extends through plugins. Teams self-host it or buy managed WordPress hosting.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Strapi 5 CMS, free Community edition with paid Growth and Enterprise plans for self-hosted projects Version 5.55.1, released 24 Sept 2026 WordPress 7.1 core, self-hosted from WordPress.org Version 7.1.2, released 22 Sept 2026
Vendor Strapi strapi.io WordPress.org community project (Automattic is the largest contributor) wordpress.org
Licence Open source MIT Open source GPL-2.0-or-later
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Strapi Cloud removed its free plan in 2026. Hosting starts at the Starter plan. Self-hosting No vendor cloud Automattic's WordPress.com and many third-party hosts sell managed WordPress.
Built with TypeScript, Node.js, ReactPHP, JavaScript, React block editor
Database PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLiteMySQL, MariaDB
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Community free. Growth $45 per month with 3 seats, then $15 per seat. Cloud from $35 per project per month. Free to start Free to download and self-host. Hosting and premium plugins cost extra.
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. Built in Content types are schema.json files in the project. 19 Built in Post types, taxonomies and meta registered in PHP.
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Content-type Builder works in development mode only. 16 Plugin or add-on ACF or Custom Post Type UI plugins. Core has no content type builder. 12
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Components and dynamic zones. 216 Built in Block editor with patterns and synced patterns.
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Plugin or add-on WPML or Polylang plugins. Core translates the interface only. 13
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Generates small, medium and large sizes on upload. No crops on request. 15 Built in WordPress generates registered image sizes on upload.
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in 2 Built in 5
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Plugin or add-on Official GraphQL plugin. 14 Plugin or add-on WPGraphQL, a canonical plugin on WordPress.org. 6
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in 218 Plugin or add-on WP Webhooks plugin. Core sends no outgoing webhooks. 16
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Built in Block themes and classic PHP themes.
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Draft & Publish. 2 Limited Edits to a published post go live on update. PublishPress Revisions adds pending drafts. 11
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Paid tier Growth plan, by scheduling a Release. 6 Built in Scheduled publishing only. Scheduled unpublishing needs a plugin.
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Paid tier Content History keeps 14 days on Growth, 30 to 90 days on Enterprise. 7 Built in Revisions with a visual scrubber since 7.0. 2
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Basic preview is free. Side-by-side Live Preview needs Growth. 5 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Paid tier On Growth, editors double-click content in Live Preview to edit it. 5 Built in Block Editor and Site Editor edit content inside the theme's styles.
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Review Workflows on Enterprise. 9 Plugin or add-on PublishPress plugins. Core has only the Pending Review status. 711
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Paid tier Releases on Growth and Enterprise. 6 Not available
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 Not available Pulled from 7.0. Still experimental in the Gutenberg plugin. 3418
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Unlimited admin roles on Community. 28 Plugin or add-on Plugins such as Members or User Role Editor. Core roles are fixed. 7
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Built in 8 Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise, or a $150 per month add-on on Growth. 211 Plugin or add-on SAML or OIDC plugins, e.g. miniOrange SAML Single Sign On. 15
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Enterprise plan. 10 Plugin or add-on Simple History or WP Activity Log plugins. 14
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Not available Built in Multisite network in core, with shared users. 8
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in 20 Built in Custom blocks, admin pages and meta boxes.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Strapi Marketplace. 2 Built in WordPress.org plugin directory.
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Plugin or add-on Form plugins such as WPForms or Contact Form 7. 17
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Built in Users & Permissions feature for end users. 17 Built in Open registration with the Subscriber role. 7
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Paid tier AI translation and image alt text on Growth. Not yet available on Enterprise. 212 Plugin or add-on Official AI plugin plus a connected provider. Core ships the AI Client only. 29
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Built in. Developers switch it on in the server config. 13 Plugin or add-on MCP Adapter plugin from the WordPress AI team. 10

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

Where they differ

Strapi and WordPress get a different status on 18 of the 28 features and the same status on 10. Strapi has 15 built in on its baseline edition, WordPress has 13. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Vendor cloud
Strapi has a vendor-run cloud. WordPress has no vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Strapi, a different answer on WordPress 7

  • Content model in the UI Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Localization Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Webhooks Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Drafts Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Limited.
  • Custom roles Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Field-level permissions Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Not available.
  • Official MCP server Strapi: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.

Built in on WordPress, a different answer on Strapi 5

  • Renders the website Strapi: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Built in.
  • Version history Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Built in.
  • Visual editing Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Strapi: Not available. WordPress: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 6

  • Approval workflows Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Content releases Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Not available.
  • Single sign-on Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Audit log Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Form builder Strapi: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • AI writing assistant Strapi: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

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

Strapi against other platforms

WordPress against other platforms

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

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