What Is Strapi? A Complete 2024 Guide
Strapi is an open-source headless CMS built on Node.js that saves developers a ton of time. It also allows them to use the frameworks and technologies that they like. It enables content editors to distribute content more efficiently on all platforms.
It’s likely that if you work in the tech sector, you’ve heard about the popularity and applications of headless CMSs. Having read about this trend’s popularity or maybe after contrasting Strapi headless CMSs with monolithic CMSs, you may have been wondering if you or your team should adopt it.
We’ll go over the highlights and compelling arguments for using Strapi CMS on your upcoming project in this blog. If you are unfamiliar with this idea and require expert assistance, the Strapi development firm ought to be able to provide you with the greatest support available. In light of this, let’s get started right away!
- What is Strapi?
- What is Strapi Used For?
- How to Create the First API in Strapi?
- Pros & Cons Using Strapi
What is Strapi?
Developed with Strapi, a headless content management system, applications, eCommerce sites, and APIs can be created. You don’t need any prior knowledge of databases or the backend to design an API thanks to it. Using Strapi examples, the system automatically creates APIs based on content models, making it simple to examine data in the CMS.
- A free and open-source headless content management system, Strapi CMS connects your frontend and backend via an API.
- It’s a free, open-source, and developer-friendly service.
- With Headless CMS, work may be completed in a matter of minutes and it is easy to understand and use.
- React, TezJS, Vue, Nuxt.js, Next.js, Angular, Svelte, Sapper, and Flutter may all be utilized with Strapi.
Strapi—A CMS Without a Head
An open-source headless CMS called Strapi makes it simple and quick to create JavaScript APIs. One highly useful feature included in the CMS is the Strapi Content Type Builder. With its user-friendly UI, developers can easily create flexible API structures. Here is some recommended reading to help you get acquainted with the idea of Headless CMS. Numerous databases, such as MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and others, are compatible with Strapi.
TezJS, an open-source Jamstack framework, has built-in back-end support for Strapi CMS. Large enterprise websites can now have a one-stop solution with the integration of Strapi and TezJS.
Users can control the dashboard, connect the tools with a few clicks, and deploy to their desired cloud for maximum speed and performance thanks to the Strapi and TezJS connection.
Strapi-capable The serverless technology stack used by TezJS websites is designed to automatically scale to accommodate the extraordinarily high level of traffic. Additionally, with enterprise-grade security, performance, and availability, the TezJS-powered website combines all of your digital experiences into a single center.
What is Strapi Used For?
Backend services can be customised. Furthermore, Strapi apps can be integrated with your frontend. Websites, mobile apps, and other digital experiences are created with it.
Why Make Use of Strapi?
It is easy to launch fresh greenfield projects with a headless CMS approach. Developers break things up and tie everything together via APIs.
With modern tools, designers and UX specialists may work without the limitations of the past. When these specialists are not limited, they can fully express their creativity.
The bottom line is that having a headless content management system (CMS) allows you to utilize any future technology that makes sense. You will immediately be aware that future modifications can be performed without necessitating a complete rewriting of the codebase.
How to Create the First API in Strapi?
To construct a Strapi API, create a folder called “Demo” and two directories inside it named frontend and backend, respectively.
You can find React, TezJS, Angular, Nuxt, or Vue under the frontend folder. Installing Strapi will take place in the backend folder.
Enter the following instructions into your code editor: backend cd
- The backend folder is the new current directory after using the command cd backend.
- The Strapi backend may now be included in your project.
—faststart npx create-Strapi-application
- Alternatively, yarn would work well.
–start yarn build Strapi-app quickly
You can install Strapi in your project with the help of this command.
Because of the ‘./’ in the script, Strapi bootstrap will be installed in the current folder. — quickstart is a flag that facilitates a quicker setup and use of Strapi.
Pros & Cons Using Strapi
The Strapi development coin has two sides, much like everything else. This is a thorough breakdown of Strapi’s benefits and drawbacks.
Benefits of Employing Strapi
Using Strapi as your headless CMS has many advantages, such as:
1. Adaptable and Easy to Use
Because of its intuitive user interface, Strapi CMS is really easy to use. Plus, it’s fully customizable with the help of plugins. Although Strapi is ready to use right out of the box, you can tailor it to meet your unique requirements using plugins.
You’re not familiar with WordPress usage? Nothing is wrong! With the included ORM in Strapi, you can create both straightforward and complex content types without writing any code.
Backend developers can also benefit from Strapi’s simple and adaptable architecture, which allows them to use third-party libraries like AngularJS 4 and Koa.
Strapi can be useful in the event that you want to create a project with higher complexity. You can add your own features and customize it thanks to its modular architecture. The system can therefore be highly customized for any job.
2. Quick and Expandable
Strapi is scalable and able to manage large amounts of traffic. Because it interacts with Koa and Joi, data validation is also quite quick.
Additionally, Strapi has an automatic brown-field functionality that stops developers from writing useless code. This frees them from worrying about wasting computer power so they can focus on creating complex features.
3. It’s Free and Open-Source.
In addition to being available without charge, Strapi accepts donations on GitHub.
Everything is conveniently located on your dashboard, saving you time while searching for a substitute. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about upgrades or licensing. Strapi makes sure there are no incompatibilities by constantly using the most recent version of Node.js.
It also has a robust developer community that collaborates to enhance and broaden the platform’s capabilities as an open-source headless CMS project.
4. Robust Design
This framework is well-designed, with all the features you’ll need to build an API that your front-end application can utilize with ease.
All of Strapi’s power comes from its modular architecture. The plugins are quite easy to set up because they are all installed via npm. Every module is made to work with any server or framework and follows the Node.js guidelines.
Strapi can handle a variety of queries, including POST, GET, DELETE, PUT, and OPTIONS. You won’t experience any performance issues building APIs or RESTful services in this manner. It also contains an admin section that reduces development time in half with a powerful user interface for managing content.
5. Integrated Authentication System
Strapi provides an adaptable authentication mechanism that may be customized to meet your unique needs. You can use ACL, Basic Authentication, JWT, or OAuth 2.0 to create a range of users and groups, each with a unique set of permissions. It also supports all popular databases, including PostgreSQL and MySQL, so storing user credentials will be a simple.
6. Instant Access to Plugins
In addition to having an amazing community, Strapi also has a terrific plugin library that you can easily add to your new or existing project. In addition, Strapi differs from other CMS platforms with a few special plugins like LDAP compatibility, Google Analytics connection, and Swagger connectors.
You’ll always be able to locate what you need because Strapi’s capability is always being expanded by people developing new plugins. It is possible to make your own personalized plugin in a matter of minutes.
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The Negative Effects of Using Strapi
Nothing is flawless in life, just like a lot of other things. Strapi is not an exception, and it has several shortcomings.
1. It’s Tough to Migrate Current APIs
If you’re looking for a perfect match, it will take some effort to move an existing backend system (like WordPress) to Strapi. For instance, Strapi lacks native support for WP-CRM. It will therefore need to be manually deployed in the background.
Frameworks such as Kirby or Craft provide everything required to handle content right out of the box; all they do is provide an API.
Additionally, if you are familiar with REST APIs, using Strapi shouldn’t be too tough; nevertheless, switching outdated endpoints to Strapi can be tricky. For this reason, when beginning from scratch, most users employ Strapi rather than attempting to relocate something.
2. Limited Support for TypeScript
It’s unfortunate that TypeScript, a ground-breaking technology, is not supported by Strapi out of the box. This feature’s absence could make things more difficult for you if you’re an experienced user working on a complicated or big project. However, it can be rapidly restored using a plugin from the npm repositories. You may also create your own plugin for any language because the source code is freely accessible online.
3. Strapi isn’t entirely open source and free.
Strapi is not flawless, but it is free and open-source. But Strapi does have a Pro version that comes with more features including priority email access, support for custom plugins, and expert help from their team.
4. Constant Updates
Because Strapi is an ever-evolving tool, changes should be expected frequently. If you don’t want your platform to crash on you, keep an eye on Strapi’s stable version, which is updated every week. This is a common feature of most open-source tools these days, but it is still a hassle for developers who like reliable software.
Conclusion
Strapi gives developers the means to build adaptable APIs and guarantees that maintaining digital material is simple even for non-technical users, making it a strong and versatile solution for content distribution and administration. Because of its headless architecture, it can be easily integrated into a wide range of platforms and applications.
Moreover, if you are looking for a Strapi development company that can help you create a Strapi software, then you must checkout Appic Softwares. We have an experienced team of Strapi developers that has worked on various projects for clients across the globe and helped them develop a Strapi application.
So, what are you waiting for?
