Strapi vs dotCMS

Strapi9.4Visit dotCMS8.6Visit

Higher score Strapi #1 in Headless CMS 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Strapi

vs

dotCMS #8 in Headless CMS 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit dotCMS

• Strapi fits best

  Open-source teams needing deployment flexibility

• dotCMS fits best

  Multi-site teams wanting a free CMS option

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Side by side

Feature	Strapi 9.4/10 Visit ↗	dotCMS 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Headless CMS	#8 in Headless CMS
Best for	Open-source teams needing deployment flexibility	Multi-site teams wanting a free CMS option
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$45/mo	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, GDPR	SOC 2, ISO 27001, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations	198+ integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Strapi 3/4 · dotCMS 4/4
Content localization	✓	✓
Webhooks	✓	✓
Content preview	✓	✓
Asset transformations	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
API types	Both	Both
Role permissions	Custom	Custom
Our review
Pros	Self-hosted or managed cloud deployment REST and GraphQL APIs with localization Granular permissions, previews, and workflows	Free BSL plan includes unlimited users and unlimited content REST and GraphQL APIs support flexible content delivery Localization, permissions, previews, and multi-site management are included
Cons	Advanced governance features require Enterprise Cloud hosting and CMS plans are priced separately API and storage limits vary by hosting tier	Commercial plans require a pricing request Free BSL use has revenue and licensing conditions The free plan provides basic workflows rather than advanced governance
Our verdict	Strapi is an open-source headless CMS and content framework for developers, content teams, agencies, and enterprises. It provides visual content modeling with components and dynamic zones, an administrative interface, automatically… Read the review →	dotCMS is a headless content management platform for enterprises managing websites, portals, intranets, and other digital experiences. It suits multi-site teams that need structured reusable content, visual editing, multilingual entries,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Strapi — where it wins

  • Self-hosted or managed cloud deployment
  • REST and GraphQL APIs with localization
  • Granular permissions, previews, and workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Advanced governance features require Enterprise
  • Cloud hosting and CMS plans are priced separately
  • API and storage limits vary by hosting tier

• dotCMS — where it wins

  • Free BSL plan includes unlimited users and unlimited content
  • REST and GraphQL APIs support flexible content delivery
  • Localization, permissions, previews, and multi-site management are included

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial plans require a pricing request
  • Free BSL use has revenue and licensing conditions
  • The free plan provides basic workflows rather than advanced governance

• Strapi9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A flexible CMS for teams that want open-source control and deployment choice.

  Visit StrapiFull verdict →
• dotCMS8.6/10 · Free plan

  A multi-site CMS with free access, flexible APIs, and governance controls.

  Visit dotCMSFull verdict →