Strapi CMS Development LondonStrapi CMS backendsopen source, API-first.
WebAnts is a London Strapi CMS agency. We build custom Strapi headless backends, REST and GraphQL APIs, and Next.js frontends — open source, self-hosted, and full data ownership. No deposit required.
20+
Strapi projects shipped in London & UK
3–7 wks
Typical project delivery
4.9★
Average client rating
£0
Deposit — milestone payments only
14
Countries served
What is Strapi
The open-source headless CMS for API-first teams.
Starting from
£3,000
Flat quote · No prepayment · 3–7 wk delivery
Strapi is the world’s leading open-source headless CMS — API-first, self-hosted, and full data ownership. WebAnts is a London Strapi agency building custom headless backends for SaaS startups, media and publishing organisations, ecommerce brands, and agencies needing a white label CMS partner.
Unlike SaaS CMS platforms, Strapi is open source — no per-seat licensing, no vendor lock-in, and full control over where your data lives. The Next.js frontend fetches content from the Strapi API at build time or runtime, giving you static performance with live editorial control.
We handle WordPress to Strapi migrations, Strapi 4 to 5 upgrades, Contentful to Strapi migrations, and greenfield Strapi builds. Flat written quote after a free 30-minute discovery call.
Why Strapi
Six reasons teams choose Strapi.
Open source, API-first, and no per-seat pricing. Strapi combines editorial simplicity with developer flexibility.
01
100% open source — full code ownership
Strapi is open source under an MIT licence for the Community Edition. You own the code, the data, and the infrastructure. No vendor lock-in, no platform risk, no per-seat licensing as your editorial team grows.
02
REST and GraphQL APIs auto-generated
Every content type you create in Strapi automatically generates both REST and GraphQL endpoints. No custom API code required — you define the schema and the API is ready immediately, documented and explorable.
03
Plugin ecosystem for roles, i18n, media
Strapi's plugin system covers the most common CMS requirements — role-based permissions, internationalisation, media management with CDN, SEO fields, and review workflows — all configurable without code.
04
Self-hosted or Strapi Cloud
Deploy on Strapi Cloud for zero-ops managed hosting, or self-host on Railway, Render, Docker, or your own infrastructure for full data sovereignty and lower cost at scale. Your choice, advised honestly.
05
Content Type Builder — no-code schema creation
Strapi's Content Type Builder lets non-developers define and modify content schemas through a GUI — adding fields, relationships, and components without touching code. The API updates automatically.
06
Node.js runtime — same language as your frontend
Strapi runs on Node.js, which means your backend and frontend share the same language and toolchain. TypeScript throughout, shared types, and a single codebase if you want a monorepo setup.
What we build
12 Strapi services.
From a Strapi setup to a full headless stack, a migration, or a maintenance retainer — all built in-house in London.
01
Custom Strapi CMS Setup & Configuration
Full Strapi project setup from scratch — environment configuration, database connection (PostgreSQL or SQLite), admin panel branding, and initial content type architecture designed for your editorial team.
02
Strapi + Next.js Full-Stack Build
Complete headless stack: Strapi as the backend CMS, Next.js App Router as the frontend. Server components, ISR with on-demand revalidation via Strapi webhooks, TypeScript throughout, and a Lighthouse score of 90+.
03
Strapi REST & GraphQL API Development
REST and GraphQL API configuration, custom controllers and services, API token management, rate limiting, and population strategy optimisation — so your frontend never over-fetches or under-fetches content.
04
Strapi Content Type Architecture
Content type and component design tailored to your editorial workflow — single types, collection types, dynamic zones, and components. Schema reviewed for performance and maintainability before a line of code is committed.
05
Strapi Plugin Development
Custom Strapi plugins extending the admin panel — SEO field injectors, review workflows, custom sidebar widgets, third-party DAM integrations, and content scheduling logic built to Strapi plugin standards.
06
Strapi Roles & Permissions Setup
Granular role-based access control: admin, editor, author, and custom roles per content type per action. Public API permissions locked down correctly so only intended content is publicly accessible.
07
Strapi i18n (Multi-language)
Multi-locale content management configured in Strapi core — language variants per content type, locale-aware API responses, and Next.js i18n routing wired up so the right content serves the right market.
08
Strapi with PostgreSQL or SQLite
Database setup and optimisation: PostgreSQL for production (with connection pooling and backups), SQLite for local development and lightweight deployments. Migration scripts version-controlled from day one.
09
Strapi 4 to Strapi 5 Migration
Structured upgrade from Strapi 4 to Strapi 5 — plugin compatibility assessment, middleware and lifecycle hook rewrites, content type schema migration, and a parallel environment UAT period before the production cutover.
10
WordPress to Strapi (Headless) Migration
Export WordPress content via the REST API, map to Strapi content types, import with relationship preservation, and configure 301 redirects on the Next.js frontend to protect your SEO equity throughout the migration.
11
Strapi Deployment (Vercel/Railway/Docker)
Production deployment to Strapi Cloud, Railway, Render, or a self-hosted Docker environment. CI/CD pipeline setup, environment variable management, zero-downtime deploys, and health monitoring configured as standard.
12
Strapi Maintenance & Retainers
Monthly retainers covering Strapi version upgrades, plugin updates, security patches, content type changes, API additions, and performance monitoring. Block-of-hours retainers available from £400/month.
How we work
Four phases. No mystery.
Milestone payments — you see progress every week and own every deliverable the moment it lands.
01
Discovery
A free 30-min call to scope your content types, API requirements, tech stack, hosting preferences, and budget. You leave with a flat written quote — not an hourly estimate — and a clear content type architecture proposal.
02
Schema Design
Content type architecture finalised in a Strapi sandbox — collection types, single types, components, and dynamic zones. You review and approve the schema before any frontend work begins.
03
Build
Weekly staging updates. Strapi backend running with real content. Next.js frontend wired to the Strapi API. Roles and permissions configured, i18n set up if required, SEO and structured data from the first deploy.
04
Launch & Handover
Launch day, production deployment, Strapi admin training session, API documentation, and two weeks post-launch support. Optional maintenance retainer or take the keys — your choice.
Transparent pricing
What does Strapi development cost in London?
Every project is scoped individually — but here are real ranges based on scope. All prices are flat fees, not hourly estimates. Written quote after a free 30-min discovery call.
Starter
£3,000 – £6,000
2–4 weeks
Strapi backend and basic Next.js frontend.
- ✓Up to 6 content types
- ✓REST API
- ✓Roles & permissions (admin + editor)
- ✓PostgreSQL database
- ✓Vercel/Railway deployment
- ✓CMS training session
Best for: MVPs, small SaaS, simple marketing sites
Growth
£6,000 – £14,000
4–8 weeks
Full headless stack with i18n and custom plugins.
- ✓Up to 12 content types
- ✓REST + GraphQL APIs
- ✓i18n multi-locale setup
- ✓Custom plugin development
- ✓Webhook + ISR revalidation
- ✓2 weeks post-launch support
Best for: Content-heavy sites, media, agencies
Scale
£14,000 – £26,000
8–14 weeks
Multi-locale, complex content types, React frontend.
- ✓Unlimited content types
- ✓Multi-locale + complex components
- ✓Dynamic zones architecture
- ✓Custom admin UI sections
- ✓CRM/DAM integrations
- ✓Dedicated support month
Best for: Enterprise content platforms, DTC brands
Enterprise
From £26,000
14–20 weeks
Enterprise platform with CI/CD, compliance, training.
- ✓Full enterprise architecture
- ✓CI/CD pipeline setup
- ✓Compliance & security review
- ✓Review & approval workflows
- ✓Multi-environment deployment
- ✓Ongoing retainer available
Best for: Large organisations, regulated industries
Platform migrations
Moving to Strapi from another platform?
We migrate WordPress, Contentful, and custom REST APIs to Strapi — content, SEO equity, and schema mapping all handled. You keep your Google rankings and gain a fully owned open-source CMS.
WordPress → Strapi (Headless)
The most common Strapi migration we handle. We export WordPress content via the REST API, map posts and CPTs to Strapi collection types, import with asset migration, and configure 301 redirects on the Next.js frontend. Your Google rankings survive intact.
Contentful → Strapi (Cost Reduction)
Contentful costs scale steeply with seats and API usage. Strapi's open-source Community Edition has no per-seat charge. We export Contentful content via the Management API, map to equivalent Strapi content types, and migrate without downtime.
Strapi 4 → Strapi 5 Upgrade
Strapi 5 introduces a new Document Service API, improved TypeScript support, and a restructured plugin system. We assess plugin compatibility, rewrite affected middleware and lifecycle hooks, and run a parallel environment UAT before production cutover.
Custom REST API → Strapi
If you've outgrown a bespoke REST API and need an editorial interface, we migrate your data and API structure to Strapi — giving your content team an admin panel while keeping the same API surface your frontend consumes.
What you get
Everything included.
No hidden extras.
Every Strapi build ships with the full stack — backend, frontend, API configuration, and a proper handover your team can actually use.
- ✓Strapi CMS deployed (Strapi Cloud / Vercel / Docker)
- ✓Content type schemas documented
- ✓REST + GraphQL API endpoints configured
- ✓Roles and permissions configured
- ✓i18n configured (if multi-language)
- ✓Next.js / React frontend
- ✓Database (PostgreSQL / SQLite)
- ✓GA4 + Search Console setup
- ✓Two weeks post-launch support
From £3,000 for a Strapi setup. Full headless stack from £6,000. Flat quote after a free 30-min call.
Platform comparison
Strapi vs the alternatives.
We build on multiple CMS platforms. Here is an honest four-way comparison so you can make the right call for your project.
| vs Platform | Strapi wins on | They win on | Choose Strapi when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contentful | Open source, no per-seat licensing, self-hosted data ownership, visual Content Type Builder, built-in i18n without paid tier | Polished enterprise UI out of the box, larger SaaS ecosystem, faster initial setup for teams without DevOps capacity | Your team will grow beyond 5 editors, you want full data ownership, or Contentful pricing is becoming a concern |
| Sanity.io | Non-developer-friendly Content Type Builder, self-hosted option, cleaner editorial admin for non-technical teams, PostgreSQL relational model | GROQ query language, Portable Text, real-time collaboration, fully programmable Studio, stronger developer experience | Your editorial team is non-technical and needs a clean CMS admin, or you require self-hosted data sovereignty |
| Payload CMS | More mature plugin ecosystem, visual Content Type Builder, no-code schema creation, Strapi Cloud managed hosting option | TypeScript-first monorepo, Next.js built-in, more developer-friendly config, no admin UI for schema (everything in code) | Your team includes non-technical editors who need a clean GUI to manage content types without code |
| WordPress (headless) | Purpose-built API-first architecture, cleaner admin for headless use, auto-generated REST + GraphQL, no plugin bloat | Larger developer pool, more plugins, WooCommerce for ecommerce, lower barrier to entry for content editors familiar with WordPress | You're building a new headless project and want a clean API backend without WordPress's presentation-layer baggage |
“WebAnts built something better than I’d ever imagined — shipped faster than any agency I’ve worked with.”
LaTisha Ebanks
Marketing Director, North Pointe Marketing
Start a project
Free 30-min call.
Flat written quote.
No prepayment.
Tell us about your Strapi project — content types needed, API requirements, hosting preferences, and your timeline. We’ll review it and send a flat quote within 24 hours.
★★★★★ 4.9 on Google
★★★★★ 5.0 on Clutch
★★★★★ 5.0 on Upwork
Top Web Designers 2025 — DesignRush
FAQ
Strapi questions, answered directly.
What is Strapi?
Strapi is the world's leading open-source headless CMS, with over 60,000 GitHub stars. It provides a clean editorial admin panel for content editors and automatically generates REST and GraphQL APIs from the content types you define. Your frontend — Next.js, React, Vue, a mobile app, or any other consumer — fetches content from the Strapi API at build time or runtime. Unlike traditional CMS platforms, Strapi has no opinion about how content is presented — it manages and serves structured content via API.
How much does Strapi development cost in London?
A Strapi CMS setup with a basic Next.js frontend from WebAnts starts from £3,000 (2–4 weeks). A full headless stack with i18n, custom plugins, and complex content types costs £6,000–£14,000 (4–8 weeks). Multi-locale enterprise platforms start from £14,000. Every project gets a flat written quote after a free 30-minute discovery call — no hourly estimates, no deposit required.
What is the difference between Strapi and WordPress?
WordPress is a traditional CMS designed to manage and present content in one system. Strapi is headless and API-first — it manages content and serves it via REST or GraphQL to any frontend. WordPress can be used headlessly via WPGraphQL, but it was not designed for it. Strapi's admin is focused purely on content, the APIs are auto-generated, and the content type system is more flexible. For new headless projects, Strapi is almost always the cleaner choice.
Strapi vs Contentful — which should I choose?
The core difference is hosting model and pricing. Contentful is a cloud-hosted SaaS — your content lives on Contentful servers and costs scale with seats and API calls. Strapi is open source and self-hosted — you choose where your content lives and the Community Edition has no per-seat charge. Strapi also has a visual Content Type Builder that Contentful lacks. Choose Contentful if you want a polished SaaS with minimal setup. Choose Strapi if you want full data ownership and no per-seat licensing costs.
Strapi vs Sanity.io — what is the difference?
Both are headless CMS platforms with strong developer ecosystems. Strapi uses a visual Content Type Builder for non-developers and a familiar SQL database, making it accessible to editorial teams without code knowledge. Sanity uses GROQ as its query language and a fully programmable Studio — better for developer-led teams who want code-first schema definition and real-time collaboration. Strapi suits teams where editors need a clean no-code admin; Sanity suits teams where developers configure everything in TypeScript.
Strapi vs Payload CMS — which is better?
Payload CMS is code-first — schemas are defined in TypeScript config files, making it ideal for developer-led teams. Strapi's Content Type Builder allows non-technical editors to create and modify content types through a GUI without code, making it more accessible for editorial-heavy organisations. Payload is better for TypeScript monorepos and Next.js-native projects; Strapi is better when the CMS admin needs to be usable by non-developers.
Is Strapi open source?
Yes. Strapi's Community Edition is open source under an MIT licence — free to use, modify, and self-host. There is no per-seat charge for the Community Edition. Strapi also offers an Enterprise Edition with additional features including SSO, audit logs, and advanced role management for larger organisations.
Can Strapi be self-hosted?
Yes. Strapi can be self-hosted on any Node.js-compatible infrastructure — Railway, Render, a VPS, or a Docker container on your own servers. This gives you full data sovereignty, lower cost at scale, and no dependency on third-party hosting. Strapi Cloud is also available as a managed hosting option if you want zero-ops simplicity. We advise on the right deployment approach based on your team's technical capacity and data requirements.
What APIs does Strapi generate?
Strapi automatically generates both REST and GraphQL APIs for every content type you create. REST endpoints follow RESTful conventions for find, findOne, create, update, and delete operations. GraphQL is available via the Strapi GraphQL plugin and provides a fully typed schema matching your content types. Both APIs support filtering, sorting, pagination, and population of relations.
What is Strapi 5 and what is new?
Strapi 5 is the latest major version, introducing a new Document Service API that replaces the Entity Service API, improved TypeScript support throughout the codebase, a restructured plugin architecture, and breaking changes to middleware and lifecycle hooks. If you're starting a new project, Strapi 5 is the recommended version. Existing Strapi 4 projects need a structured migration — we handle the plugin compatibility assessment and API rewrites as part of our Strapi 4 to 5 upgrade service.
Can Strapi handle multi-language content?
Yes. Strapi has built-in internationalisation (i18n) in the Community Edition. You enable i18n per content type, define your locales (en, fr, de, etc.), and the API returns locale-aware responses. Editors can manage content in each locale from the same admin panel. We configure i18n and wire up the corresponding Next.js i18n routing strategy as part of every multi-language Strapi build.
What is the Strapi Content Type Builder?
The Content Type Builder is a GUI in the Strapi admin panel that lets you create and modify content schemas without writing code. You add fields (text, number, rich text, media, relation, component, dynamic zone) by clicking through a visual interface. The API and database schema update automatically. This makes it accessible to non-technical team members who need to extend the CMS without developer involvement.
Can Strapi handle ecommerce?
Strapi can serve as the product content backend for a headless ecommerce setup — managing product descriptions, categories, images, and metadata via API. For payment processing and order management, you'd pair Strapi with a dedicated solution like Stripe or a purpose-built ecommerce platform. For simple digital product catalogues, Strapi works well. For complex ecommerce with cart, checkout, and order management, we'd discuss whether Shopify or a dedicated ecommerce solution is a better fit.
What databases does Strapi support?
Strapi supports PostgreSQL (recommended for production), MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite (recommended for local development and lightweight deployments). We use PostgreSQL for all production Strapi setups — with connection pooling, automated backups, and migration scripts version-controlled from day one. SQLite works well for local development environments and low-traffic internal tools.
How do you deploy Strapi?
Strapi deployments depend on your requirements. We deploy to Strapi Cloud for managed zero-ops hosting, Railway or Render for simple self-hosted Node.js deployments, and Docker containers for organisations with existing containerised infrastructure. All deployments include environment variable management, health monitoring, and zero-downtime deploy configuration. We set up the full CI/CD pipeline on Scale and Enterprise projects.
Is Strapi good for SaaS applications?
Yes. Strapi is well-suited as the content and data backend for SaaS applications — managing marketing content, documentation, changelogs, and user-facing content via API. Its role-based permissions system allows fine-grained API access control, and the plugin architecture supports custom admin panels for SaaS-specific workflows. We've built Strapi backends for multiple London SaaS startups as part of their overall Next.js stack.
Can you migrate from WordPress to Strapi?
Yes. WordPress-to-Strapi migration is one of our most common headless projects. We export WordPress content via the REST API, map posts and custom post types to Strapi collection types, migrate assets to the Strapi media library, and import all content with relationship preservation. On the frontend, we configure 301 redirects in Next.js so your Google rankings are preserved. We scope migrations individually after the discovery call — complexity varies significantly by content volume and custom field structure.
What is Strapi Cloud?
Strapi Cloud is Strapi's managed hosting platform — a PaaS service that handles infrastructure, Strapi version updates, database backups, and scaling without any DevOps involvement on your side. It's the easiest way to run Strapi in production for teams without server management experience. Pricing starts at $29/month. For teams that want self-hosted data sovereignty or lower cost at scale, Railway or a VPS is often the better option.
Do you offer Strapi maintenance retainers?
Yes. After launch, you can take full control of your Strapi instance or continue with a monthly maintenance retainer. Retainers cover Strapi version upgrades, plugin updates, security patches, content type additions, API adjustments, and performance monitoring. We offer block-of-hours retainers from £400/month or a fixed monthly scope — structured based on your team's ongoing development needs.
Can Strapi handle large content operations?
Yes. Strapi scales well for large content operations — thousands of content items across multiple content types, multi-locale content, complex relationships, and high API traffic. Performance at scale depends on database configuration, caching strategy (Redis), and CDN setup for assets. For very large content archives (100,000+ entries), we discuss the right architecture during scoping — sometimes a more specialised data layer is a better fit.
(Related services)
Open source CMS. Full ownership. →
Free discovery call. Flat quote. 3–7 week delivery. No prepayment.
About WebAnts — Strapi CMS Development Agency in London
WebAnts is a London web design and development agency specialising in Strapi CMS development. 4.9★ rated on Google, 5.0 on Clutch, 5.0 on Upwork. Named Top Web Design Agency 2025 by DesignRush. Based in London, serving clients across the UK and 14 countries.
What is Strapi?
Strapi is the world's leading open-source headless CMS with over 60,000 GitHub stars. It provides a clean editorial admin panel and automatically generates REST and GraphQL APIs from content types you define. Strapi is API-first, self-hosted, and open source — no per-seat licensing, no vendor lock-in, full data ownership.
What Strapi services does WebAnts offer?
WebAnts offers 12 Strapi services: custom Strapi CMS setup, Strapi and Next.js full-stack builds, REST and GraphQL API development, content type architecture, plugin development, roles and permissions, i18n multi-language, PostgreSQL and SQLite database setup, Strapi 4 to 5 migrations, WordPress to Strapi migrations, deployment to Vercel, Railway, or Docker, and monthly maintenance retainers from £400/month.
How much does Strapi development cost in London?
A Strapi CMS setup from WebAnts starts from £3,000 (2–4 weeks). A full headless stack with i18n and custom plugins costs £6,000–£14,000 (4–8 weeks). Multi-locale enterprise platforms start from £14,000. Flat written quote after a free 30-minute discovery call — no hourly estimates, no deposit required.
Is Strapi open source?
Yes. Strapi Community Edition is open source under an MIT licence. No per-seat charge. Self-hosted or Strapi Cloud. Full data ownership.
What makes WebAnts different from other Strapi agencies?
No offshoring. No prepayment. Milestone payments so you own every deliverable as it lands. Direct access to the developer building your Strapi backend. 20+ Strapi projects shipped. Open source expertise with honest advice on self-hosted vs Strapi Cloud.
Dream Algorithm Ltd, trading as WebAnts · London, UK+44 20 3983 9795hello@webants.io