Staxly

Strapi vs Render

Leading open-source Node.js headless CMS — self-host or Cloud
vs. Unified cloud for apps, databases, and static sites

Strapi websiteRender website

Pricing tiers

Strapi

Self-Hosted (OSS)
MIT-licensed Node.js CMS. Run free on any infra. Full admin + plugin ecosystem.
$0 base (usage-based)
Cloud Free (trial)
14-day free trial of Strapi Cloud.
Free
Cloud Essential
$18/month ($15 annual). 500k API requests, 50 GB asset bandwidth, 50 GB storage. Transparent overages.
$18/mo
Cloud Pro
$90/month. Higher quotas, faster support.
$90/mo
Cloud Scale
$450/month. Enterprise-grade infra, priority support.
$450/mo
Enterprise Edition (self-host)
Self-host + Enterprise license. SSO/SAML, audit logs, review workflows, content releases.
Custom
Strapi website

Render

Postgres — Free
30-day limit. 256 MB RAM, 0.1 CPU, 1 GB storage. Rotates.
Free
Hobby (Free)
Free workspace. 1 project, 2 envs, 100 GB bandwidth. Includes free Web Services + static sites + dev DB.
Free
Key Value (Redis) — Free
25 MB. Ephemeral.
Free
Web Service — Free
Free (spins down with idle). 512 MB RAM, 0.1 CPU.
Free
Postgres — Basic
256 MB RAM, 0.1 CPU. Always-on.
$6/mo
Web Service — Starter
Always-on. 512 MB RAM, 0.5 CPU.
$7/mo
Key Value — Starter
256 MB RAM.
$10/mo
Professional
$19/user/month. Unlimited projects, 500 GB bandwidth, up to 10 team members.
$19/mo
Web Service — Standard
Always-on. 2 GB RAM, 1 CPU.
$25/mo
Organization
$29/user/month. Unlimited members, 1 TB bandwidth, compliance certs.
$29/mo
Postgres — Pro
4 GB RAM, 1 CPU.
$55/mo
Web Service — Pro
Always-on. 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU.
$85/mo
Web Service — Pro Plus
Always-on. 8 GB RAM, 4 CPU.
$175/mo
Enterprise
Custom. Centralized team management, dedicated support.
Custom
Render website

Free-tier quotas head-to-head

Comparing self-hosted on Strapi vs hobby on Render.

MetricStrapiRender
No overlapping quota metrics for these tiers.

Features

Strapi · 16 features

  • Audit Logs (EE)Track every admin action.
  • ComponentsReusable field groups shared across content types.
  • Content Types BuilderVisual schema builder — fields, relations, components, dynamic zones.
  • Custom FieldsPlugin-based custom field types (color picker, markdown, etc.).
  • Draft & PublishTwo-phase publishing workflow.
  • Dynamic ZonesFlexible page builder — authors pick components to add.
  • GraphQL API (plugin)Optional GraphQL layer via official plugin.
  • InternationalizationMulti-locale content out of the box.
  • Media LibraryUpload + organize media. Providers: local, S3, Cloudinary, DO Spaces.
  • Releases (EE)Bundle content changes and publish atomically.
  • REST API (auto-gen)Auto-generated REST endpoints per content type. Full CRUD + filters.
  • Review Workflows (EE)Approval-based content workflows.
  • Role-Based Access ControlPer-role permissions at content type + field level.
  • SSO / SAML (EE)Enterprise identity for admin users.
  • Strapi CloudFully-managed hosting of Strapi instances.
  • WebhooksBuilt-in webhooks on content lifecycle events.

Render · 13 features

  • AutoscalingMetric-based autoscale of instances.
  • Background WorkersProcess queue workers. No HTTP entrypoint.
  • Blueprints (render.yaml)Infrastructure-as-code config for all services.
  • Cron JobsScheduled Docker jobs.
  • Custom DomainsFree SSL, automatic cert renewal.
  • DDoS ProtectionBuilt-in.
  • Persistent DisksAttach persistent SSD to services.
  • Preview EnvironmentsPer-PR preview envs with their own DB and services.
  • Private ServicesInternal services not exposed to the public internet.
  • Render Key Value (Redis)Managed Redis-compatible key-value store.
  • Render PostgresManaged PostgreSQL with automated backups.
  • Static SitesGit-backed static hosting with global CDN, free SSL.
  • Web ServicesLong-running HTTP services with auto-scale + health checks.

Developer interfaces

KindStrapiRender
CLIStrapi CLIRender CLI
SDK@strapi/client (JS)
RESTAdmin REST API, Strapi Content REST APIRender REST API
GRAPHQLGraphQL API (plugin)
MCPRender MCP
OTHERWebhooks
Staxly is an independent catalog of developer platforms. Some links to Strapi and Render may be affiliate links — Staxly may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Pricing is verified against vendor pages at publication time — reconfirm before buying.

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