Strapi Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Strapi costs Free to $450 per month as of March 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Strapi offers a freemium plan as of March 2026. The free tier includes 6 features with limits on apirequests and assetstorage. Paid plans start at $18/month (Essential). Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Strapi offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 2.5k API requests
- 10 GB asset storage
- 10 GB asset bandwidth
- 500 database entries
- Personal repository
- Built-in email provider
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- 50k API requests
- 50 GB asset storage
- 50 GB asset bandwidth
- Unlimited database entries
- Instant response time
- Organization repository
- Custom domains
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| apiRequests | 2500 | Unlimited/Higher |
| assetStorage | 10 | Unlimited/Higher |
| databaseEntries | 500 | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like 50k API requests or 50 GB asset storage
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Strapi branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Essential Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Essential $18/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Strapi branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Personal projects and testing | Small teams and projects |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Strapi free?
Yes, Strapi offers a freemium plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on apirequests, assetstorage that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Strapi's free plan?
Strapi's free plan includes: 2.5k API requests, 10 GB asset storage, 10 GB asset bandwidth, 500 database entries, Personal repository, and 1 more features. Key limits include apiRequests: 2500, assetStorage: 10, databaseEntries: 500.
03 What's NOT included in Strapi's free plan?
The free plan excludes: 50k API requests, 50 GB asset storage, 50 GB asset bandwidth, Unlimited database entries, Instant response time. You'll also have Strapi branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Strapi's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like 50k API requests or 50 GB asset storage, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $18/month.
05 Is Strapi's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Strapi's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.