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CMS comparison Directus vs Instatic

Directus vs Instatic

Directus is a closed-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. Instatic is an open-source site builder that you host yourself. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 16.

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  • Directus Headless · Closed source · 18 of 28 built in
  • Instatic Site builder · Open source · 15 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Directus on 29 Sept 2026, Instatic on 30 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
Directus vs Instatic feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Directus Headless
Instatic Site builder
Overview
What it is Source-available data platform and headless CMS that puts a Studio admin app and REST and GraphQL APIs over your own SQL database.Open-source, self-hosted CMS with a visual canvas editor. One Bun server runs the editor, content store and publisher, and publishing writes plain HTML files to disk.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Directus 12, self-hosted core tier or licensed plans, with optional Directus Cloud Version 12.4.1, released 23 Sept 2026 Instatic 0.0.20, open source Version 0.0.20, released 13 Sept 2026
Vendor Monospace Inc. directus.com CoreBunch instatic.com
Licence 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 Open source MIT
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Directus Cloud is a $99 per month add-on for Core and Team. Enterprise cloud on request. Self-hosting No vendor cloud No managed hosting. You deploy the Docker image to your own server, or use the Railway and Render templates.
Built with TypeScript, Node.js, VueTypeScript, Bun, React admin
Database PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MS SQL Server, Oracle, CockroachDBSQLite, PostgreSQL
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Core free for 3 seats and 25 collections. Team $499 per month billed yearly or $599 monthly. Enterprise on request. Free to start Free and open source, with no paid tiers. You pay only for hosting.
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. Built in Schema snapshots are files in the repo, applied to an instance with the CLI. 16 Not available Tables and fields live in the database and change in the Data workspace. Plugins can create tables through the SDK. 610
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Built in Custom post types and data tables in the Data workspace. 616
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Page builders use many-to-any relations. 17 Built in Visual Components with typed parameters and named slots, placed and reordered on the canvas. 72
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Translations field with related translation records. Not available One site-wide language setting. No per-locale fields or entries. 21
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in URL parameters and saved presets. 13 Built in Uploads get a set of WebP sizes, and the publisher writes srcset and sizes from the layout. 81
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in Limited The JSON API under /admin/api/cms serves the admin behind a session cookie. No token-based content API outside MCP. 920
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in Not available
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in Through Flows. Core allows 5 Flows. 219 Not available No built-in webhooks. A plugin with network access can call a URL from content hooks. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Built in Publishing renders every page to static HTML on the server's disk. 11
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Content versioning with a draft per item. 6 Built in 51
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Limited No schedule field. An official guide publishes future items with a scheduled Flow. 14 Built in Per page and per post-type entry. 5
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Limited Revisions kept 30 days on Core, 90 on Team, configurable on Enterprise. 2 Built in Published versions of pages and entries, restorable into the draft. Added in 0.0.20. 124
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Built in The canvas renders drafts in the site design. Branch preview links work without an account. 122
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Visual Editor module. The site adds the Directus frontend library. 7 Built in Editing happens on the rendered page canvas, with a live mode for the full-size page. 214
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Limited Built from a status field and custom permissions, which need Team, Enterprise or the grant. 152 Limited Branch merge requests with a review page and comments. No configurable review stages. 12
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Limited Publish ships all draft pages at once. Branches group edits across pages and entries, but entries still publish one by one. 125
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Built in Collaborative Editing with field locking. 8 Limited Live co-editing of pages, components and layouts in the Site editor. Content workspace entries save separately. 13144
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Unlimited roles on Core. Custom access policies need Team, Enterprise or the grant. 220 Built in The Owner builds roles from a fixed list of capabilities. 1516
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Paid tier Custom permissions for fields and item rules need Team, Enterprise or the grant. 25 Not available Capabilities apply per table type and edit category, not per field. 16
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Team plan and up, or the grant. SAML, OpenID, OAuth 2.0 and LDAP. 211 Not available Email and password with optional TOTP two-factor. 15
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Limited Activity log kept 30 days on Core, 90 on Team, configurable on Enterprise. 212 Built in Append-only log of logins, content changes, role edits and plugin actions. 17
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Not available Not available One site per installation. 2
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Extensions add interfaces, layouts, panels and modules. Built in Plugins add admin pages, editor extensions, dashboard widgets and canvas modules. 10
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Marketplace inside the Studio. 18 Not available Plugins install as uploaded zip packages. No official directory. 10
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Built in Forms are built on the canvas and submissions land in a data table. 18
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Built in API-only application users do not use Studio seats. 3 Not available
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Built in AI Assistant on every plan with your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini key. 29 Built in Built-in agent in the Site and Content workspaces, with your own Claude, OpenAI, OpenRouter or Ollama key. 19
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Built in since 11.12. 10 Built in Built in at /_instatic/mcp, with OAuth or scoped personal access tokens. 20

Directus sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Directus 12, self-hosted core tier or licensed plans, with optional Directus Cloud.

  1. directus on the npm registry
  2. Directus pricing
  3. Directus docs: Licensing overview
  4. Monospace Sustainable Core License
  5. Directus docs: Access control
  6. Directus docs: Content versioning
  7. Directus docs: Visual Editor
  8. Directus docs: Collaborative Editing
  9. Directus docs: AI Assistant
  10. Directus docs: Directus MCP
  11. Directus docs: Single Sign-On
  12. Directus docs: Accountability
  13. Directus docs: Transform files
  14. Directus tutorial: Schedule future content with Flows
  15. Directus tutorial: Content approval workflows with custom permissions
  16. Directus tutorial: Promoting changes between environments
  17. Directus tutorial: Reusable blocks with many-to-any relationships
  18. Directus docs: Marketplace
  19. Directus docs: Send Directus webhooks to Clay with Flows
  20. Directus license, MSCL and v12 questions (Contensu)

Instatic sources

Checked 30 Sept 2026. Instatic 0.0.20, open source.

  1. Instatic homepage
  2. Instatic repository on GitHub
  3. Instatic 0.0.20 release
  4. Instatic changelog
  5. Instatic docs: Content storage
  6. Instatic docs: Data workspace
  7. Instatic docs: Visual Components
  8. Instatic docs: Media
  9. Instatic docs: Server
  10. Instatic docs: Plugin system
  11. Instatic docs: Publisher
  12. Instatic docs: Site branches
  13. Instatic docs: Site shell and real-time co-editing
  14. Instatic docs: Content workspace
  15. Instatic docs: Auth and access
  16. Instatic docs: Capabilities
  17. Instatic docs: Audit log
  18. Instatic docs: CMS-native forms
  19. Instatic docs: AI agent
  20. Instatic docs: MCP connectors
  21. Instatic docs: Editor

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

Where they differ

Directus and Instatic get a different status on 16 of the 28 features and the same status on 12. Directus has 18 built in on its baseline edition, Instatic has 15. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
Directus is 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). Instatic is open source (MIT).
Vendor cloud
Directus has a vendor-run cloud. Instatic has no vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Directus, a different answer on Instatic 8

  • Content model in code Directus: Built in. Instatic: Not available.
  • Localization Directus: Built in. Instatic: Not available.
  • REST API Directus: Built in. Instatic: Limited.
  • GraphQL API Directus: Built in. Instatic: Not available.
  • Webhooks Directus: Built in. Instatic: Not available.
  • Real-time co-editing Directus: Built in. Instatic: Limited.
  • Plugin marketplace Directus: Built in. Instatic: Not available.
  • Site member accounts Directus: Built in. Instatic: Not available.

Built in on Instatic, a different answer on Directus 5

  • Renders the website Directus: Not available. Instatic: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Directus: Limited. Instatic: Built in.
  • Version history Directus: Limited. Instatic: Built in.
  • Audit log Directus: Limited. Instatic: Built in.
  • Form builder Directus: Not available. Instatic: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 3

  • Content releases Directus: Not available. Instatic: Limited.
  • Field-level permissions Directus: Paid tier. Instatic: Not available.
  • Single sign-on Directus: Paid tier. Instatic: Not available.

More comparisons

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

Directus against other platforms

Instatic against other platforms

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

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