What Features Make Strapi the Top CMS in 2025
The future of digital content is officially decoupled, and that’s where the headless CMS architecture is necessary. Among the many players in this space, one platform consistently stands out: Strapi.
Started as an open-source project, Strapi quickly grew to be the 4th most popular headless CMS used by the world’s top websites, delivering content for over 1,000 major projects (9% market share).
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But what makes it so widespread? Is it its open-source nature? Or maybe powerful Strapi features? The answer is all of the above. In this post, we’ll explore the standout features that position Strapi as the best headless CMS choice for 2025.
What Is Strapi?
Strapi is an open-source, developer-friendly headless content management system (CMS) built with Node.js. It offers complete control over your content and the possibility to deliver it across various channels, including websites, apps, eCommerce platforms, and beyond.
How It Works
Strapi follows an API-first, headless approach. Here’s what that means:
API-first design. Any content you create is instantly available on all touchpoints (web, apps, smart devices, etc.) through REST or GraphQL APIs.
Headless flexibility. Strapi separates your content (the backend) from your presentation layer (the frontend). In Strapi development services, you’re free to use React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, or any stack of your choice.
Additionally, Strapi’s modular architecture allows you to customize or extend functionality without affecting the entire system. And if you don’t want to build anything yourself, the Strapi Market offers plenty of ready-made plugins you can integrate.
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Features That Make Strapi Stand Out in 2025
While the headless architecture provides the foundation for digital freedom, Strapi excels with its specific feature set. But before we explore it, let’s see what distinguishes Strapi from a traditional CMS.
Strapi | Traditional CMS | |
Architecture | API-first, modular, decoupled, content and presentation are separate | Monolithic, content and presentation are tightly coupled |
Content Delivery | REST/GraphQL APIs for web, mobile, IoT | Primarily web pages |
Hosting | Any cloud, on-premises, containers | Often tied to vendor hosting |
Customization | Open-source, extendable via plugins | Limited, often vendor-defined |
Scalability | You architect caching, load balancers, CDNs | Vendor or platform dependent |
Maintenance | You handle updates and patches | Vendor manages updates |
Flexibility | High, customized workflows, UI extensions | Lower, standardized workflows |
Vendor Lock-In | Low, you own the code and data | High, platform-specific limits |
Customizable Architecture
One of the top Strapi headless CMS features is its open-source flexibility. You control how and where it runs, whether on Strapi Cloud, your Kubernetes cluster, or another solution. It can also be customized through:
Custom Fields. Extend Strapi with new field types that behave like native ones within the Content-Type Builder and Content Manager.
Conditional Fields. Provide editors with a context-aware editing experience. Fields appear or disappear automatically based on the value of another field (such as a dropdown or checkbox).
Admin Panel API. Inject React components, translations, or even new navigation elements into Strapi’s UI.
Webhooks. Keep external systems updated in real-time. Whenever content changes, Strapi triggers processes elsewhere, such as notifying a third-party app.
Powerful Content Management Capabilities
Besides architectural flexibility, Strapi delivers a rich, customizable experience for content teams. Any CMS development company would benefit from the following Strapi CMS features:
Content-Type Builder. Allows you to create and manage different content models via a convenient user interface.
Media library. Organizes and stores all media assets (images, videos, documents).
Content history. Eliminates stress over lost edits or accidental changes. Lets you roll back or review previous modifications.
Live preview. Enables you to preview changes in real-time before publishing.
Blocks editor. Drag and drop rich text elements in a WYSIWYG environment.
Dynamic zones. Give content creators the flexibility to design custom page layouts using dynamic components.
Cron jobs. Automate various repetitive tasks, such as scheduled publishing.
Internationalization (i8n). Enables publishing content in multiple languages and locales.
Developer Experience
Strapi was built as a developer-first CMS, and it shows in every aspect of the platform. Its speed, simple setup, and Node.js foundation are just a few reasons why it has an active community of over 72K developers. Here are the features of Strapi CMS that contribute to an unmatched dev experience:
Quick onboarding. The CLI creates a new project in minutes. Developers just have to configure the database and hosting.
Auto-generated APIs. REST and GraphQL endpoints are created automatically.
Custom logic. Devs can edit the source code, implement middleware, or build custom plugins from scratch.
Powerful tooling. Developers get everything they need for smooth work, from source-available plugins to an active CLI.
Flexible data relations. Allow devs to model your content architecture in a way that makes the most sense for your workflows.
Secure by Design
Security is one of the core features of Strapi CMS. Here’s how it’s constituted:
API tokens. Allow you to generate and manage tokens to control API access.
TypeScript support. Strong typing reduces errors and makes code more predictable, which improves both security and maintainability.
Audit logs. Enable tracking of every action inside your CMS with detailed logs.
Role-based access control (RBAC). Lets you define permissions for different roles, which ensures each user only accesses what they should.
Single sign-on (SSO). Allows you to integrate with major identity providers to simplify login and keep authentication secure.
Extensible Plugin System
Finally, Strapi stands out for its extensive plugin ecosystem. You can find 300+ plugins on the Strapi Marketplace. For ultimate reliability, every plugin is created and tested by Strapi’s active developer community.
Why Developers and Businesses Choose Strapi
You’ve already seen the Strapi features and benefits. And you’ve probably noticed that the platform’s technical capabilities are immense. But that’s not the only reason businesses and devs choose Strapi. Here are other grounds for this:
Cost-efficiency vs. licensed CMS. Strapi is open-source, meaning it’s completely free to use, and your only cost is the infrastructure you run it on. With licensed platforms, pricing skyrockets as the number of users, content, and API calls increases.
Scalability and composable commerce readiness. Strapi’s API-first design makes it perfect for omnichannel and composable commerce. This CMS easily scales and integrates with commerce tools.
Trusted by startups and enterprises alike. Strapi’s clients are remarkably diverse. Both multinational giants, such as Tesco and Delivery Hero, and smaller companies, such as Glean, entrust their content needs to Strapi.
Strapi Use Cases in 2025
Strapi isn’t only flexible in terms of architecture. The platform is also flexible in how and where it can work. Here are the top Strapi features and use cases:
eCommerce Platforms
Strapi is suitable for eCommerce software development services. In particular, it can be used for:
Personalization. Devs can build personalization engines without having to deal with the frontend part. These engines will subsequently suggest targeted content blocks or product recommendations.
Omnichannel commerce. Given its headless nature, Strapi is perfect for delivering content across websites, apps, and even IoT devices.
Corporate Websites
Companies that aim for global reach or already operate internationally can benefit from Strapi’s scalability, security, and multi-language capabilities. Using this CMS, for example, they can manage corporate content in multiple locales and implement RBAC.
SaaS Platforms
In the SaaS space, Strapi can be used for rapid MVP development, custom dashboards, and long-term product growth. Owing to its API-first design, MVPs or dashboards can be launched quickly. And thanks to extensibility, SaaS companies can make sure the CMS evolves alongside their user/business needs.
How Strapi Compares to Other Headless CMS Platforms
Of course, Strapi isn’t the only headless CMS out there. Yet, it’s confidently one of the best. Let’s compare it with other popular solutions:
Strapi | Contentful | Sanity | |
Architecture | Open-source, Node.js core | Fully managed SaaS | Serverless, multi-cloud backend |
Hosting | PaaS, self-hosted | SaaS | SaaS |
Security | SSO, RBAC, audit logs | SSO, RBAC, audit logs | SSO, RBAC, audit logs |
Pricing | Free open-source, paid plans for cloud hosting and enterprise features | Usage-based pricing | Free tier, usage-based pricing |
APIs | REST and GraphQL auto-generated | REST and GraphQL | GROQ query language, REST, GraphQL |
Main Differentiator | Full code access, unlimited customization | Turnkey reliability, automatic scaling | Real-time collaboration |
Tips for Getting Started with Strapi
So, you’ve compared your options and decided to get started with Strapi. Here’s how you can do this smoothly:
Start free with open-source, scale with enterprise. Begin by using open-source Strapi features headless CMS, which are completely free. As you grow, transition to paid enterprise features or Strapi Cloud hosting.
Use plugins and best practices. Rely on Strapi’s dev community’s expertise to customize the CMS to your needs. Use any of the community-created plugins to extend functionality.
Partner with expert Strapi CMS developers for custom solutions. As we mentioned in our post, Strapi is a developer-first CMS. In case you lack in-house technical expertise for building custom features, workflows, or content models, it’s always best to collaborate with experienced devs.
Conclusion
Strapi is currently one of the top headless CMSs for a reason. It’s all thanks to its customizable architecture, developer-friendly experience, secure design, robust content management, and large plugin ecosystem. With these Strapi CMS features 2025, devs and businesses can create flexible, truly tailored digital experiences.
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FAQ
Is Strapi free to use?
Yes. Strapi is open-source, which means it’s completely free. But if you need advanced enterprise-grade Strapi features and use cases or Strapi Cloud hosting, you can opt for their paid plans.
Does your team provide Strapi CMS development services?
Of course. Our team specializes in Strapi development, covering setup, integration, migration, plugin development, and more.
Is Strapi suitable for small projects or only large ones?
Both. It’s flexible enough to handle smaller projects, such as rapid MVP launches, and complex, multi-language, global deployments.
How secure is Strapi?
Very. It’s secure by design. Strapi cloud features that ensure protection are RBAC, audit logs, SSO, and API tokens.
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