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CMS comparison DatoCMS vs Directus

DatoCMS vs Directus

DatoCMS is a closed-source headless CMS that runs on the vendor's cloud. Directus is a closed-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 10.

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  • DatoCMS Headless · Closed source · 16 of 28 built in
  • Directus Headless · Closed source · 18 of 28 built in

Sources checked: DatoCMS on 29 Sept 2026, Directus on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
DatoCMS vs Directus feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
DatoCMS Headless
Directus Headless
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by DatoCMS. It delivers content over a GraphQL API, with a REST API for content management.Source-available data platform and headless CMS that puts a Studio admin app and REST and GraphQL APIs over your own SQL database.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. DatoCMS SaaS, Free, Professional and Enterprise plans SaaS, continuously updated Directus 12, self-hosted core tier or licensed plans, with optional Directus Cloud Version 12.4.1, released 23 Sept 2026
Vendor DatoCMS datocms.com Monospace Inc. directus.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Closed source MSCL-1.0-GPL, source-available, GPL-3.0 after four years. Free under $5M revenue and 50 staff via the Open Innovation Grant
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Self-hosting Vendor cloud Directus Cloud is a $99 per month add-on for Core and Team. Enterprise cloud on request.
Built with Hosted SaaS with GraphQL delivery and REST management APIs, TypeScript clientTypeScript, Node.js, Vue
Database Managed by DatoCMSPostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MS SQL Server, Oracle, CockroachDB
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free plan. Professional €149 per month billed annually, or €199 monthly. Enterprise on request. Free to start Core free for 3 seats and 25 collections. Team $499 per month billed yearly or $599 monthly. Enterprise on request.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Limited Migration scripts run by the DatoCMS CLI, auto-generated from environment diffs. 12 Built in Schema snapshots are files in the repo, applied to an instance with the CLI. 16
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in 1 Built in
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Block library used in modular content and Structured Text fields. 1 Built in Page builders use many-to-any relations. 17
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Field-level locales, 5 included and up to 10 with paid add-ons. 1 Built in Translations field with related translation records.
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Images API with imgix URL parameters. 3 Built in URL parameters and saved presets. 13
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in REST Content Management API reads records. Delivery is GraphQL. 111 Built in
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 1 Built in
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in 1 Built in Through Flows. Core allows 5 Flows. 219
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Not available
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in 1 Built in Content versioning with a draft per item. 6
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in 1 Limited No schedule field. An official guide publishes future items with a scheduled Flow. 14
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Limited History kept 3 days on Free, 60 days on Professional. 1 Limited Revisions kept 30 days on Core, 90 on Team, configurable on Enterprise. 2
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 17 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Click-to-edit overlays on the site in draft mode. 17 Built in Visual Editor module. The site adds the Directus frontend library. 7
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Editorial workflows with stage permissions on Enterprise. 16 Limited Built from a status field and custom permissions, which need Team, Enterprise or the grant. 152
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited Publishing a record can also publish its linked records. No standalone releases. 1 Not available
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Not available Presence and live updates, but a record locks while one editor edits it. 4 Built in Collaborative Editing with field locking. 8
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Projects include Admin and Editor roles and can create additional roles. The Free plan is limited to 2 editor seats. 15 Built in Unlimited roles on Core. Custom access policies need Team, Enterprise or the grant. 220
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Rules apply per model, creator, locale and workflow stage. Locale rules need Enterprise. 5 Paid tier Custom permissions for fields and item rules need Team, Enterprise or the grant. 25
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise, with SCIM provisioning. 1 Paid tier Team plan and up, or the grant. SAML, OpenID, OAuth 2.0 and LDAP. 211
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Enterprise. 1 Limited Activity log kept 30 days on Core, 90 on Team, configurable on Enterprise. 212
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in Separate projects per site. 3 on Free, extra projects €39 a month on Professional. 1 Not available
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugin SDK for field editors, sidebars and custom pages. 1 Built in Extensions add interfaces, layouts, panels and modules.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in DatoCMS Marketplace. 19 Built in Marketplace inside the Studio. 18
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Not available
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Built in API-only application users do not use Studio seats. 3
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Plugin or add-on Official AI Translations plugin with your own OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or DeepL key. 89 Built in AI Assistant on every plan with your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini key. 29
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Remote MCP server at mcp.datocms.com. 10 Built in Built in since 11.12. 10

Considering more platforms? Compare DatoCMS and Directus with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

DatoCMS and Directus get a different status on 10 of the 28 features and the same status on 18. DatoCMS has 16 built in on its baseline edition, Directus has 18. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Self-hosting
DatoCMS cannot be self-hosted. Directus can be self-hosted.

Built in on DatoCMS, a different answer on Directus 2

  • Scheduled publishing DatoCMS: Built in. Directus: Limited.
  • Multiple sites DatoCMS: Built in. Directus: Not available.

Built in on Directus, a different answer on DatoCMS 4

  • Content model in code DatoCMS: Limited. Directus: Built in.
  • Real-time co-editing DatoCMS: Not available. Directus: Built in.
  • Site member accounts DatoCMS: Not available. Directus: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant DatoCMS: Plugin or add-on. Directus: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 4

  • Approval workflows DatoCMS: Paid tier. Directus: Limited.
  • Content releases DatoCMS: Limited. Directus: Not available.
  • Field-level permissions DatoCMS: Not available. Directus: Paid tier.
  • Audit log DatoCMS: Paid tier. Directus: Limited.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: DatoCMS vs Payload and Directus vs Payload.

DatoCMS against other platforms

Directus against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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