WordPress vs Strapi: CMS Comparison

Unlike most CMS comparisons, WordPress vs Strapi isn't about choosing between similar tools. WordPress is a traditional, monolithic CMS that renders pages server-side. Strapi is a headless CMS that exposes content through APIs — there's no front-end at all. The right choice depends entirely on how you plan to consume your content. Feature Comparison Feature WordPress Strapi Type Traditional CMS (monolithic) Headless CMS (API-first) Latest version 6.9.1 v5.38.0 Docker image wordpress:6.9.4-php8.4-apache strapi/strapi:5.38.0 (community) Language PHP Node.js (JavaScript/TypeScript) Database MySQL/MariaDB PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite Front-end included Yes — themes, templates, full rendering No — API only, bring your own front-end Content modeling Posts + pages + custom post types Fully custom content types (visual builder) Plugin ecosystem 60,000+ plugins ~200 marketplace plugins REST API Yes (built-in since 4.7) Yes (auto-generated) GraphQL Via plugin Built-in (plugin) Admin UI Full admin d