Strapi development and support
A small team that runs Strapi and Next.js projects in production. We build on Strapi 5, migrate from Strapi 4, deploy on your servers and stay on for support.
CoreLab is a development team that builds and maintains Strapi projects: Strapi 5 backends, Next.js frontends, self-hosted deployments, Strapi 4 to 5 migrations and ongoing support. We run our own Strapi sites in production alongside projects on Payload CMS, so the advice you get here comes from deployments we operate, not from a services catalogue.
What we do
| Service | What it covers | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Strapi 4 to 5 migration | Codemods, Document Service rewrite, plugin replacement, frontend update for the flat response format, rollout with rollback plan | [Strapi 4 → 5 migration](/strapi-5-migration) |
| Support and maintenance | Dependency updates, backups, log monitoring with alerts, SSL, a monthly hour budget for changes | [Strapi support plans](/strapi-support) |
| Dedicated Strapi developers | A developer or a pair embedded in your team, with a tech lead reviewing the work | [Hire Strapi developers](/hire-strapi-developers) |
| New projects | Content modelling, Next.js frontend, i18n, previews, Docker deployment on your server | Quote within one business day |
Two guides for teams doing it themselves: Strapi 5 migration guide: what actually breaks and what Strapi really costs in 2026, Cloud versus self-hosted with server sizes.
How a Strapi project looks when we build it
- Strapi 5 on Node.js 22 or 24 LTS, PostgreSQL 14 or newer. MySQL 8 and MariaDB if your company standard requires them.
- Next.js frontend in a separate container. Server-side requests go to Strapi by container name inside the Docker network; browsers load media from the public domain. Mixing the two is the most common deployment bug we fix in inherited projects.
- Admin panel on its own subdomain, HTTPS via Nginx, media on disk or in S3-compatible storage.
- Content types built so editors can manage page blocks, translations and galleries without a developer. Draft preview wired to the frontend.
- Everything in one Docker Compose file, so moving to another server takes an evening, not a sprint.
Migration from Strapi 4
Strapi 4 reached end of life in April 2026. Upgrading is a project, not a command: the REST response loses data.attributes, numeric id becomes documentId, Entity Service becomes Document Service, and every Strapi 4 plugin stops working. Our process: audit, upgrade a copy with npx @strapi/upgrade major, fix what the codemod marks as TODO, test every endpoint the frontend and integrations use, then roll out with a database backup and the old image ready to restore.
Typical timelines: a content site with standard plugins takes two to five working days, a site with custom controllers and several third-party plugins one to three weeks, a project with a customised admin panel and its own plugins three to six weeks. The exact number comes after we read the repository.
Support plans
Three plans that differ in monthly hours and response time. All of them include dependency updates tested on a staging copy, daily backups with restore checks, server and application log monitoring with alerts to a shared chat, certificate renewal and answers to editors' questions. Hours above the baseline go to changes: new fields, frontend fixes, integrations. Details on the support page.
Experience
Two corporate sites on Strapi with Next.js frontends that we run in production: multilingual content, editor-managed page sections through dynamic zones, project galleries, regional contacts, lead forms stored in Strapi, CAPTCHA on forms, content transfer between servers with strapi transfer, everything deployed in Docker on the clients' servers. We do not name these clients.
Alongside Strapi we run a warranty claims portal and an e-commerce site on Payload CMS with Next.js. That is why, when a project has more business logic than content and the frontend is already Next.js, we will tell you that Payload might fit better instead of selling another Strapi build.
Errors we have debugged in real logs and now check for in every audit: ECONNREFUSED when the frontend container calls Strapi through the public domain, ENOTFOUND on a container name outside the network, "Could not initialize the Strapi Client" during a Next.js build, corrupted export archives on large media libraries, absolute media URLs left in the database after a server move, 403 on media uploads caused by geo-blocking on the server.
Pricing
Fixed price per scope. The market rate for Strapi agencies is 60 to 150 dollars per hour and 15 to 50 for freelancers; we quote the job as a whole with hours per task listed, so you can see where the money goes. Migration and audit quotes arrive within one business day after we get repository access. Support is a fixed monthly fee per plan.
Send us a brief, a repository link or just the admin URL of your current Strapi. You will get a written estimate with hours, timeline and what we expect to be the hardest part by the next business day.
FAQ
What do you actually build with Strapi?
Corporate and marketing sites with a Next.js frontend, multilingual content, editor-managed page blocks, lead forms, and self-hosted deployments with Docker, Postgres and Nginx. We also migrate Strapi 4 projects to Strapi 5 and take over projects built by other teams.
How do you price projects?
Fixed price per scope. Send us a brief or a link to the current site, and within one business day you get a task list with hours per item, a timeline and a total. Agencies in this market charge 60 to 150 dollars per hour; we quote the whole job instead of billing open-ended hours.
Which Strapi version do you use for new projects?
Strapi 5 only. Strapi 4 stopped receiving security patches at the end of April 2026, so we do not start new work on it. Existing Strapi 4 projects we migrate first and then extend.
Can you take over a Strapi project from another agency?
Yes. We need the repository, server access, a database dump and the environment file. The first three days go into an audit: versions, plugins, API permissions, backups, server config. Then you get a prioritised report and a support plan.
Where do you host Strapi?
On your infrastructure: a VPS or cloud VM with Docker Compose running Strapi, Postgres, the Next.js frontend and Nginx with HTTPS. Media on disk or in S3-compatible storage. Strapi Cloud is an option, but most of our clients prefer to own the server.
What time zone do you work in?
UTC+3. That gives a full overlap with European business hours and a morning overlap with the US East Coast. Support requests go to a shared chat with a response time defined in your plan.