Self-hosting Strapi cost
Headless CMS
Strapi is a leading open-source headless CMS built on Node.js. It exposes content over REST and GraphQL and is typically backed by PostgreSQL, making it cheap to start and straightforward to scale horizontally behind a load balancer.
The tables below show the recommended minimum specification for Strapi at each user scale, and the cheapest matching plan on each of our tracked providers. Prices are approximate monthly list prices in USD.
Up to 100 users
Recommended minimum: 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM
For up to 100 users, a single Node process with SQLite or small PostgreSQL works; always pre-build the admin panel and compress responses. Bandwidth analysis: cache public read endpoints at a CDN so repeat content delivery never touches origin transfer.
Up to 500 users
Recommended minimum: 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM
At 500 users, use managed PostgreSQL, size the Knex pool to DB limits, and cache GraphQL/REST reads. Bandwidth analysis: store uploads on object storage with a CDN to keep origin egress flat.
Up to 1,000 users
Recommended minimum: 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM
For 1000 users, run multiple stateless Node instances behind a load balancer with a shared Redis. Bandwidth analysis: a persisted-query or HTTP cache at the edge collapses repeat reads so origin egress stays low.
Up to 5,000 users (Enterprise)
Recommended minimum: 8 vCPU · 32 GB RAM
Enterprise: a horizontal Node cluster behind a load balancer, managed PostgreSQL with read replicas, shared Redis, PgBouncer, and media on object storage plus CDN. Bandwidth analysis: the media CDN absorbs the bulk of bytes; keep the database and cache on a private network to avoid metered internal transfer.
Prices are approximate list prices and may change at any time; verify on the provider's official site before purchasing. Specs are conservative single-node starting points. Deploy links may contain referral codes. Try the interactive calculator.