Strapi vs WordPress: Which Headless CMS Suits Your Project?

Strapi vs WordPress: The Ultimate Headless CMS Comparison

Choosing the right Content Management System influences your entire digital infrastructure. Strapi and WordPress follow fundamentally different approaches – here's how to determine which is right for your project.

What Does "Headless CMS" Mean?

In a Headless CMS, the backend (content management) is separated from the frontend (website display). Content is delivered via an API and can be displayed on websites, apps, or other platforms.

WordPress as Headless CMS: WordPress was originally developed as a monolithic system. Since 2016, it offers a REST API that enables running WordPress headless.

Strapi as Headless CMS: Strapi was designed from the ground up as an API-first Headless CMS. There's no traditional frontend – everything runs through APIs.

Direct Comparison: Key Criteria

1. Technical Stack

Criterion	Strapi	WordPress
Programming Language	Node.js (JavaScript)	PHP
Database	PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB	MySQL/MariaDB
API	REST + GraphQL native	REST API (GraphQL via plugin)
Hosting	Self-hosted or Cloud	Anywhere, including shared hosting

2. Content Modeling

Strapi:

• Completely free content type creation in admin panel
• Components and dynamic zones for flexible structures
• No predefined structures (posts, pages)
• Ideal for complex, custom data models

WordPress:

• Predefined post types (Posts, Pages, Media)
• Custom Post Types possible (via code or plugins)
• Mature structure with some legacy baggage
• Good for traditional blog/website structures

3. Developer Experience

Strapi Advantages:

• Modern JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem
• Clean API documentation auto-generated
• Hot reload during development
• Well-integrated with React, Vue, Next.js, Nuxt

WordPress Advantages:

• Huge community and documentation
• Thousands of plugins and themes
• Familiar system for content editors
• Gutenberg editor for visual editing

4. Editor Experience

Strapi Admin Panel:

• Minimalist, fast interface
• Customizable per content type
• No plugin overload
• Learning curve for WordPress switchers

WordPress Backend:

• Familiar interface for many editors
• Gutenberg Block Editor very powerful
• Many media handling features built-in
• Can become cluttered with plugins

5. Performance

Strapi:

• Node.js very fast for I/O-heavy operations
• No theme/plugin overload possible
• API responses typically very fast
• Custom caching must be implemented

WordPress:

• PHP 8.x significantly faster than earlier versions
• Performance heavily depends on plugins
• Many caching solutions available
• Database queries can slow down with large sites

When to Choose Strapi?

Strapi is the better choice when:

1. Multi-channel content: You're feeding multiple frontends (web, app, displays)
2. JavaScript team: Your developers primarily work with Node.js
3. Complex data structures: You need custom content models
4. API-first architecture: You're building modern Jamstack websites
5. Maximum control: You don't want plugin dependencies
6. Scaling planned: You expect high API load

Typical Strapi projects:

• E-commerce with custom frontend logic
• Multi-platform content hubs
• Startups with modern tech stack
• Agencies with standardized workflows

When to Choose WordPress?

WordPress is the better choice when:

1. Quick start: You need a finished website in days
2. Plugin ecosystem: You use specific WP plugins
3. Editor competence: Your team knows WordPress
4. Traditional website: Blog, corporate site, portfolio
5. Cheap hosting: Shared hosting is sufficient
6. SEO out-of-the-box: Ready to go with Yoast

Typical WordPress projects:

• Corporate websites
• Blogs and magazines
• Small to medium e-commerce shops
• Projects with limited budget

Migration: From WordPress to Strapi

If you want to switch from WordPress to Strapi, here are the key steps:

1. Content Analysis

• Which post types do you use?
• What custom fields exist?
• How is media organized?

2. Create Strapi Content Types

// Example: Article Content-Type
{
  "kind": "collectionType",
  "collectionName": "articles",
  "attributes": {
    "title": { "type": "string", "required": true },
    "slug": { "type": "uid", "targetField": "title" },
    "content": { "type": "richtext" },
    "excerpt": { "type": "text" },
    "featuredImage": { "type": "media" },
    "publishedAt": { "type": "datetime" },
    "author": { "type": "relation", "relation": "manyToOne", "target": "api::author.author" }
  }
}

3. Data Migration

• Read WP REST API
• Transform data
• Import into Strapi
• Migrate media

4. Develop Frontend

Build the new frontend with Next.js, Nuxt, or another framework and connect it to the Strapi API.

Cost Comparison

Cost Factor	Strapi	WordPress
License	Open Source (free)	Open Source (free)
Hosting	VPS from $5/month	Shared from $3/month
Strapi Cloud	from $29/month	-
Managed WP	-	from $10/month
Development	Higher (custom)	Lower (themes/plugins)
Maintenance	Lower	Plugin updates needed

Hybrid Approach: Using Both Systems

Some companies use both systems in parallel:

• WordPress for marketing blog and SEO content
• Strapi for product data and app content

The systems can communicate via APIs or synchronize content.

Our Recommendation

For new projects with modern tech stack: Strapi

For quick MVPs or traditional websites: WordPress

For complex enterprise projects: Individual analysis needed

At Balane Tech, we have experience with both systems and can help you make the right choice. We can also implement hybrid architectures that combine the best of both worlds.

Conclusion

There's no universally "better" CMS. The decision depends on:

• Your existing tech stack
• Your team's capabilities
• The complexity of your content structures
• Your budget and timeline
• Your scaling requirements

Take time for a thorough analysis before committing. A wrong CMS choice can mean years of technical debt.