strapi vs better-auth
Two of the top projects in Backends, databases and hosting, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
strapi
Headless CMS that generates REST and GraphQL APIs from content models
better-auth
Framework-agnostic authentication and authorization library for TypeScript with plugins
Verdict
strapi ranks higher, 92 to 89. Of the 4 score parts we measure for both, strapi leads on 1, better-auth on 1 and 2 are even.
- Adoptionstrapi leads by 13 points, 97 to 84.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancebetter-auth leads by 1 point, 89 to 88: close to even.
- Agent-readyEven at 70.
Pick strapi if you are
Developers building content APIs for web, mobile or IoT frontends
- Auto-generated REST and GraphQL endpoints for every content type
- Built-in roles and permissions, media library, i18n, and draft and publish
Pick better-auth if you are
TypeScript developers who want self-hosted auth inside their own app
- Framework-agnostic TypeScript library, not tied to one web stack
- Plugin system for 2FA, multi-tenant and other advanced features
| What we compare | strapi | better-auth |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 97, widely used | 84, widely used |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 88, healthy | 89, healthy |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 70, partly |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 73.5k | 30.7k |
| License | custom license (read the license) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Nov 2026 | Nov 2026 |
| Last release | Nov 2026 | Nov 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Docker | Yes | Yes |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Not stated | Not stated |
strapi
Strapi is a self-hosted headless CMS written in TypeScript. You define content types in a visual builder, and it generates REST and GraphQL APIs plus an admin UI for editors. It includes roles and permissions, a media library, i18n, draft and publish, and a plugin system, and stores data in SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB.
Who it is for: Developers building content APIs for web, mobile or IoT frontends
Strengths
- Auto-generated REST and GraphQL endpoints for every content type
- Built-in roles and permissions, media library, i18n, and draft and publish
- Supports SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MariaDB
- Hosted live demo and a Next.js LaunchPad template to start from
Weaknesses
- No official Docker images; the README points to a community dockerize tool
- License is not auto-detected (NOASSERTION); check the LICENSE file before commercial use
- AI features are described as Strapi AI, with details only on the vendor site
- Managed hosting is pushed through Strapi Cloud, a separate paid product
- no GPU
- Compose
- Needs Node.js, SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB
better-auth
Better Auth is a TypeScript authentication and authorization library that works across frameworks. It ships core auth features and a plugin system for additions such as 2FA and multi-tenant support. It is a library you add to an existing app, not a hosted service.
Who it is for: TypeScript developers who want self-hosted auth inside their own app
Strengths
- Framework-agnostic TypeScript library, not tied to one web stack
- Plugin system for 2FA, multi-tenant and other advanced features
- MIT licensed, with a release published on the latest commit date
- Self-hosted in your own app, no third-party auth service required
Weaknesses
- README lists no supported frameworks, databases or auth providers
- Library only: no standalone auth server or admin UI described
- README has no install steps, code examples or docs link
- TypeScript only, so non-JS backends cannot use it directly
- no GPU
- Compose
- Compose runs MongoDB, Redis, PostgreSQL, MySQL
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