The 6 Main Strapi Competitors & Alternatives (2024)

This page summarizes the main Strapi alternatives and compares Strapi to ButterCMS. Remember to keep the following purchasing criteria in mind as you read through this list of alternatives: 

Ease-of-use for core features: Basic functions like content modeling, content creation, and asset management are easy to use with the CMS’s user interface.

Speed of core features: The CMS can perform basic features swiftly, which contributes positively to the overall UX of the CMS

Price: The CMS offers flexible pricing options and budget viability. 

Customizability: The CMS offers the possibility of customizing available solutions to suit the technical and business requirements of the consumer.

None-core feature breadth: The CMS provides the availability of auxiliary features that can supplement as well as improve primary functionality and usability.

#1. ButterCMS

ButterCMS is a headless content management system that gives small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses an easy-to-use platform to manage and create content. Numerous capabilities are available with ButterCMS, such as adaptable content models, multi-channel and multi-site management, blog creation, workflow management, and SEO optimization. ButterCMS is also developer-friendly and works with over 20 programming languages and frameworks. 

Core features

The core features of ButterCMS are as follows:

Blog engine: ButterCMS comes packed with a plug-and-play blog engine that allows users to seamlessly add a fully functional blog to any new or existing app.

Robust content authoring system: ButterCMS includes components that marketers and content teams may utilize to construct variable page layouts and an interface with simple drag-and-drop capabilities for reordering and rearranging page components, resulting in versatile pages. Reusable components are also kept in a central library where they can easily be accessed to create new pages.

Team workflow: ButterCMS's team workflow feature is divided into three subfeatures: the workflow timeline, team presence, and content approval workflow. Content teams can track their content with a comprehensive historical activity timeline using a workflow timeline. The team presence function notifies you when another team member accesses the same ButterCMS material as you. The content approval workflow allows content teams to add due dates, assign owners, and comment on content.

Assets management: ButterCMS includes a centralized media library for storing all media used in content generation. It also includes in-app image editing, automated image compression to contemporary webp format, and an image API for image manipulation.

Multi-environment and Multi-site management: Content teams can render content in several environments, such as dev, staging, and production, using ButterCMS Multi Environment. Thanks to the multi-site capability, content teams may administer several websites from one location.

Developer experience: ButterCMS has various developer-friendly features such as advanced code editing, PowerPaste on its WYSIWYG editor, an API explorer that visualizes the content on its content API, webhook notifications, and one-click migrations.

Strengths

Some notable strengths of ButterCMS include the following:

Ease of use: ButterCMS's streamlined, user-friendly dashboard makes content modeling and creation simple and rapid.  With its easy-to-use interface, teams can effortlessly add to and move through their pages and collections. Additionally, its drag-and-drop interface makes it possible to reorganize and add components to pages without the need for technical support.

Streamlined blog creation: ButterCMS’s built-in blog engine simplifies the creation and management of blogs. It can also communicate with any platform (mobile, web, etc.) via a simple API, allowing content teams to focus on developing compelling content rather than worrying about content distribution to their users.

 Developer experience: ButterCMS includes developer-friendly features including sophisticated code editing, powerpaste on its WYSIWYG editor, an API explorer that visualizes content on its content API, webhook notifications, and one-click migrations. These features make it easier for developers to work with ButterCMS.

Speed to launch: ButterCMS makes it simple to publish content on time. With ButterCMS's components library, content teams can easily make site-wide changes that would otherwise take hours of important time away from their development team. ButterCMS's blog engine functionality has also allowed content teams to quickly launch new blogs and undertake content transfer and search optimization.

Weaknesses

Some weaknesses of ButterCMS include: 

No native built-in analytics: ButterCMS does not have native built-in analytics to track content performance. Third-party tools, on the other hand, can be incorporated into ButterCMS to collect content analysis and performance data.

Lack of autosave option: ButterCMS lacks an autosave option in its content creation process. Users must click the Publish or Save Draft button when making changes to content.  

Limited integration marketplace: ButterCMS's integration marketplace is still expanding, which may result in fewer options for integrations that some teams may want to incorporate into their application.

Popular integrations

Some of the popular integrations of ButterCMS include:

Pricing

Here are the pricing options made available by ButterCMS:

In addition, ButterCMS has a free developer plan for personal, non-commercial usage.

#2. Duda

Duda is a cloud-based website builder that allows agencies and web developers to construct websites for small- and medium-sized businesses. It supports e-commerce, blogging, and membership programs. Duda includes a website builder that allows professionals to create responsive websites using a drag-and-drop interface and customizable themes.

Core features

Here are the core features of Duda:

Templates and sections: Duda features a growing library of customizable, responsive templates that can be used to create client pages. It also supports Sections, which are simple units like rows and pages that can be added to the templates.

Site widgets: Duda offers several site widgets, including an editable contact form that can be integrated with Google Sheets and MailChimp to facilitate communication, popups for sales and customization, and email and call widgets for one-click activities that allow users to email and call on the website. It also supports the creation of custom widgets.

Built-in e-commerce: Duda comes with a built-in e-commerce solution that supports product pages, email marketing, delivery zones, on-the-go store management, and payment options that integrate more than 30 reliable payment processors, such as Square POS, PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, and Square payment gateways.

Content library: Duda is equipped with a content library that supports content imports, content creation through the content collection feature, and external data synchronization.

Website personalization: Duda comes with a library of pre-made personalization rules based on certain triggers like time (when a person accesses the page), location (geotargeting), device type, number of visits, and campaign URL. It also supports the creation of personalization rules from the combination of these pre-made triggers.

Strengths

Duda has some notable strengths, which are:

Simple user interface: Duda has a no-code solution feature that makes developing website pages on the platform simple by utilizing a drag-and-drop mechanism. This is advantageous for non-technical individuals because they can construct pages without technical assistance.

Extensive design control: Duda gives users additional creative power with tools like the drag-and-drop website builder, navigation and font styles, and the edit-by-device feature, which allows users to customize website elements based on the device. This is advantageous since users can customize designs to meet their own needs.

Developer experience: Duda provides the code generated by the site builder by the user. This alone enables the introduction of customization possibilities, as users can extend the functionality of the Duda platform and give more advanced customization options by updating the pre-existing code or adding their own.

Template options: Duda has a vast number of templates to choose from, making it easier to add new pages, modify content, and customize the design with no technical skills required from content teams or marketers to develop modern and appealing websites.

Weaknesses

Duda possesses some weaknesses, which include:

Lack of advanced development tools: Duda offers a strong platform for creating websites quickly, but it might not be suitable for teams looking for complex customization choices. This limitation might not bother certain users, but skilled web developers may find the inability to fully customize websites very restrictive.

Template limitations: Users cannot conditionally display content on the templates, as the fields are marked as required, making it necessary for you to complete every field in the template. This poses a problem for content teams who desire to display data that is personalized to users conditionally based on specific business requirements.

Limited filtering and sorting: Duda’s internal data filtering and sorting features are limited and elementary. This creates a problem when attempting to locate specific content.

Popular integrations.

Some popular integrations of Duda include: 

Pricing

Shown below are the pricing options for Duda:

Check out the Duda pricing page for more details. 

#3. Naviga Content

Naviga Content is a content development platform that covers the complete content creation process for journalists, photographers, and editors in newsrooms. Naviga Content optimizes the entire content lifecycle under a unified solution suite, from planning and development for numerous channels to storage and production.

Core features

Naviga Content’s core features include:

Content authoring: Naviga Content offers features such as the platform-agnostic Naviga Writer, which provides the fundamental building blocks of an article (custom fields and attributes), the content importer tool that allows users to access content from already-existing websites, and a single content user interface that speeds up the process of creating content.

Content creation suite: It comes with a Content Creation Suite that helps with print design and digital content presentation for web and native mobile apps. Moreover, Naviga streamlines workflow management by allowing newsrooms and content teams to plan, write, edit, and post content for several publishing platforms via a single browser-based interface.

Naviga publisher: A publication's entire print production process may be automated thanks to Sophi.io, an AI technology that powers Naviga’s Publisher.

Open content repository: Content assets are maintained in the Open Content repository for both production and archival purposes. The content repository facilitates asset retrieval and viewing on demand.

Naviga templates: With the help of Naviga Templates, publishers may automate print layout components, laying the groundwork for future expansion and more digital resources.

Strengths

Naviga Content has its strengths, which are as follows:

Enables adding customized functions: Naviga Content Creation Tools are built on a plug-in architecture. It allows for the development of customized dashboard applications and writer plug-ins or collaboration with third parties to access external repositories and tools, allowing teams to tailor functionality to specific needs.

AI-Powered publishing capabilities: Naviga’s AI-powered publishing automates the whole publishing process. This facilitates editorial teams' ability to concentrate more on producing high-quality content and less on how it will be accessed by users.

Facilitates easy collaboration:  It provides a collaborative and well-organized atmosphere for editorial teams with its newsroom planner, an editorial planning tool for the newsroom that covers calendar events, job planning, and staff assignments.

Weaknesses

Some of its notable weaknesses include:

Specificity to editorial management: Naviga's "Content Platform" prioritizes the editorial environment over website management. Its componentized content format is better suited for digital news publishing than a broad-purpose CMS.

Simplistic asset management: Naviga Photos' asset management is simplistic and lacks high-resolution previews. This may be inefficient for print work and can lead to loss of clarity and pixelation in the printed output.

Slow search and external source ingest: Finding and using data from external sources can take time. The information may be obtained from various sources, including CRMs and email marketing platforms, and it may be helpful for content development. Because of this, it is challenging for editors to locate the material they wish to work with.

Popular integrations

Some of Naviga Content’s popular integrations include:

Pricing

There is no free plan available from Naviga Content. It does, however, have a custom plan that may be obtained by contacting its support.

#4. PyroCMS

PyroCMS is an open-source content management system (CMS) developed with PHP and the Laravel framework. It is versatile enough to create strong web apps and develop basic sites with ease. Pyro can also be used as a development platform in addition to being a content management system. 

Core features

PyroCMS core features include:

File management: PyroCMS has a driver-based file management system that provides a uniform interface for asset management. The interface is compatible with Laravel's filesystem and possesses image optimization, manipulation capabilities, and storage extensions that allow you to save your data wherever you choose.

Page management: PyroCMS’s Pages Module allows you to manage pages and establish navigation by utilizing rich content types powered by streams representing structured data (tables) in PyroCMS.

Post management: Post types in the PyroCMS Post module enable you to produce and manage content however you see fit.

User and authorization management: PyroCMS has a Users Module that simplifies the management of users, roles, and permissions by using a light-out permissions strategy, which is used to hide features and functionality from users who do not have access.

Grouped variable management: The Variables Module allows you to use streams with field types to manage content for any purpose.

Strengths

PyroCMS has the following strengths:

Developer-friendly: Because PyroCMS is based on the Laravel framework, developers can access a robust working environment. Custom functions and extensions can be easily created due to their modular design and comprehensive documentation.

Quick installation and setup: Installation and scaffolding of components are made easy through the PyroCMS command line interface. Its command-line tools allow you to quickly create streams, fields, and add-ons.

Extensible: PyroCMS is compatible with raw PHP/SQL, Laravel Eloquent, and Pyro functions. This is particularly handy for developers since it allows them to enhance and customize its functionalities to meet their business needs.

Weaknesses

PyroCMS has some notable weaknesses, including:

Not framework agnostic: It is not framework agnostic, as the majority of its functionality is limited to Laravel. This means that the CMS completely relies on the PHP ecosystem and cannot be utilized outside of it.

Limited platforms: Its CMS solution only supports web and desktop platforms. This makes it unsuitable for omnichannel marketing.

Requires technical know-how to operate: Non-technical users are unable to set up and add new fields to streams in the CMS. This is due to the need for an understanding of Laravel, a PHP framework, to set up and construct add-ons, streams, and field types.

Popular integrations

Some of its popular integrations include:

Pricing

PyroCMS pricing options are as follows: 

#5. Idev CMS

Idev CMS is a content management system primarily used to manage content, engage with users, and provide training and onboarding to improve digital and social presence and attract new clients. It provides organizations with several capabilities, such as a page builder to build webpages, asset management, form builder, and workflow management.

Core features

Idev’s core features are as follows:

Content authoring: Provides a drag-and-drop page builder, resource manager, and form builder, which make it easier to add new pages and content to your site.

Content scheduling: Idev CMS supports content scheduling, as you can easily schedule content to be published in a specific order and at a particular time.

Content repository: Features a content repository where content management, editing, tagging, approval, and storage are easily manageable, whether for public or unpublished content.

Templates: Idev CMS offers an array of built-in style sheets and templates and rich formatting that provides websites with a consistent look and feel.

Asset management: Rich media files can be managed and stored in a unified asset management interface.

Strengths

Some notable strengths of the CMS are:

End-to-end solution: Idev CMS allows for adding workflows to a single platform and provides a complete solution for web needs such as website design and development, maintenance, and content marketing.

Third-party integrations: Idev CMS provides customizable modules and third-party integrations that may be added to enhance flexibility and scalability based on the demands of a client's business.

Hosting and security: Idev CMS’s hosting infrastructure provides security that users can rely on as a Level 1 PCI-compliant hosting company. It offers cloud-based hosting services, which maintain uptime even during peak traffic periods such as Black Friday and the Super Bowl. This is advantageous because users would favor good security and server uptime solutions.

Weaknesses

IdevCMS weaknesses include:

Limited access to information: There is little public access to the CMS's features on the CMS's website. This could be a problem for new users who want to learn more about CMS functionalities. 

Requires technical expertise: Some familiarity with front-end programming (HTML, CSS, Javascript) is required to work with the CMS effectively. This may present a problem for non-technical personnel.

Website builder limitations: Its website builder takes a reasonable amount of time to publish on production. Content teams that are required to push content at a certain time may find this to be problematic.

Popular Integrations

Some of its popular integrations include:

Pricing

IdevCMS does not offer a free plan. It does, however, provide a quote-based plan that can be purchased by contacting its customer service.

#6. ExpressionEngine

ExpressionEngine is a content management system that provides users with a modular web platform that can be used to build pages and websites. ExpressionEngine was designed and built by EllisLab and is written in PHP.

Core features

ExpressionEngine’s core features are as follows:

Channels: Your site content is saved in channels in ExpressionEngine, customizable data containers containing fields for any content. 

Templates: ExpressionEngine refers to a page as a template, as does a page component like a header or footer. Whatever may be on a webpage, including HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and so on, could be included in a template. 

Tags: ExpressionEngine tags are typically included in templates as well. Tags allow users to browse lists of entries containing specified tag(s) or to see other entries associated with the same tag(s) while browsing a specific entry.

Asset management: Files are managed through an interface that can browse through the files, help modify them, and examine a file's details.

Integrated email system: ExpressionEngine's integrated email system makes it simple to send emails using SMTP, Sendmail, and PHPMail. This facilitates connecting to a variety of external email service providers.

Strengths

Some strengths of ExpressionEngine include:

User experience: ExpressionEngine's Dock serves as your front-end command center. It enables you to quickly switch to Edit mode, which gives you easy access to the content on your website. It also provides a live preview feature that lets content teams view edited content in real-time.

Data protection: ExpressionEngine includes a comprehensive collection of consent and privacy capabilities that simplify integrating cookie consent and GDPR compliance into their pages.

Dynamic data pulls: ExpressionEngine's plugin architecture enables dynamic data pulls, which allow the integration of data from several sources into a single page or post. This helps to supplement content provided by content teams.

Syndication: You can display content from other websites by syndicating it using RSS feeds. This ensures that content providers can reach a larger audience.

Weaknesses

Some notable weaknesses of ExpressionEngine include:

Steep learning curve: Because ExpressionEngine contains so many different customizations, there is a steep learning curve. It could take some time for inexperienced users to get comfortable navigating the complex modular elements, which could cause their workflow to slow down.

Risk of hitting scaling limits: ExpressionEngine can manage a lot of content and traffic, but as sites grow significantly, extra development, server resources, and optimization may be needed.

Fragmented add-on marketplace: While having so many ExpressionEngine add-ons available is a plus, it also creates challenges for organizing and troubleshooting conflicts between them.

Popular Integrations

Some popular integrations of ExpressionEngine include: 

Pricing

ExpressionEngine pricing options are as follows: 

Check out the ExpressionEngine pricing page for more details. 

Strapi vs Alternatives User Ratings Chart

Based on reviews from G2 users, here is a comparison of several alternatives to Strapi.

From the chart above, ButterCMS has the best ratings in most of the categories when compared to Strapi and other options. 

What makes ButterCMS the top Strapi alternative?

While other alternatives to Strapi exist, ButterCMS serves as the top alternative based on the criteria listed below:

• Ease of use: ButterCMS features an interface with simple drag-and-drop functionality that can be used to create and manage content. Because of its aesthetic appeal and simplicity of use by both technical and non-technical personnel, the user interface of ButterCMS is more pleasant than other alternatives.

• Built-in blog engine: ButterCMS includes a blog engine that simplifies blog creation and management by offering content components for a blog post. This ensures that you do not construct content models for blogs on your own, as opposed to Strapi and its competitors, which may require you to manually configure your blog from scratch. The engine also provides a basic API for blog content, which can be used to interface with any platform (mobile, web, etc.).

• Languages and framework support: ButterCMS supports over 20 programming languages and frameworks (including Python, Javascript, Ruby, and others). It has far more language support than most CMS platforms, including Strapi and its alternatives.   

• Workflow management: With ButterCMS, you can see the entire history of a content's workflow and determine what stage it is in. Its content approval workflow also ensures that content can be assigned to team members and given additional due dates. Its team presence notifies you when a team member is reading the same content in ButterCMS, making it easier than ever to avoid lost work and keep in touch with team members.

• Speed to launch: Content can be easily released on time with ButterCMS. The blog engine feature of ButterCMS allows small- and medium-sized organizations to launch new blogs in a matter of days, and the workflow ButterCMS offers for content approval makes campaign management faster.