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CMS comparison Directus vs Strapi

Directus vs Strapi

Directus is a closed-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. Strapi is an open-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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  • Directus Headless · Closed source · 18 of 28 built in
  • Strapi Headless · Open source · 15 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Directus on 29 Sept 2026, Strapi 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
Directus vs Strapi feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Directus Headless
Strapi Headless
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 Node.js headless CMS with a visual content-type builder, self-hosted or run on Strapi Cloud. Paid plans add governance features.
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 Strapi 5 CMS, free Community edition with paid Growth and Enterprise plans for self-hosted projects Version 5.55.1, released 24 Sept 2026
Vendor Monospace Inc. directus.com Strapi strapi.io
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 Vendor cloud Strapi Cloud removed its free plan in 2026. Hosting starts at the Starter plan.
Built with TypeScript, Node.js, VueTypeScript, Node.js, React
Database PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MS SQL Server, Oracle, CockroachDBPostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite
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 Community free. Growth $45 per month with 3 seats, then $15 per seat. Cloud from $35 per project per month.
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 Built in Content types are schema.json files in the project. 19
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 Content-type Builder works in development mode only. 16
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 Components and dynamic zones. 216
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. Built in
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 Generates small, medium and large sizes on upload. No crops on request. 15
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in Built in 2
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in Plugin or add-on Official GraphQL plugin. 14
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in Through Flows. Core allows 5 Flows. 219 Built in 218
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 Content versioning with a draft per item. 6 Built in Draft & Publish. 2
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 Paid tier Growth plan, by scheduling a Release. 6
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 Paid tier Content History keeps 14 days on Growth, 30 to 90 days on Enterprise. 7
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Built in Basic preview is free. Side-by-side Live Preview needs Growth. 5
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 Paid tier On Growth, editors double-click content in Live Preview to edit it. 5
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 Paid tier Review Workflows on Enterprise. 9
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Paid tier Releases on Growth and Enterprise. 6
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 Not available
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 Unlimited admin roles on Community. 28
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 Built in 8
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 Paid tier Enterprise, or a $150 per month add-on on Growth. 211
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 Paid tier Enterprise plan. 10
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Not available Not available
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 20
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Marketplace inside the Studio. 18 Built in Strapi Marketplace. 2
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. Built in API-only application users do not use Studio seats. 3 Built in Users & Permissions feature for end users. 17
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 Paid tier AI translation and image alt text on Growth. Not yet available on Enterprise. 212
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. Developers switch it on in the server config. 13

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)

Strapi sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Strapi 5 CMS, free Community edition with paid Growth and Enterprise plans for self-hosted projects.

  1. @strapi/strapi on the npm registry
  2. Strapi CMS pricing
  3. Strapi Cloud pricing
  4. We're removing the Free plan from Strapi Cloud
  5. Strapi docs: Preview
  6. Strapi docs: Releases
  7. Strapi docs: Content History
  8. Strapi docs: Role-Based Access Control
  9. Strapi docs: Review Workflows
  10. Strapi docs: Audit Logs
  11. Strapi docs: Single Sign-On
  12. Strapi docs: AI for content managers
  13. Strapi docs: MCP server
  14. Strapi docs: GraphQL plugin
  15. Strapi docs: Media Library
  16. Strapi docs: Content-type Builder
  17. Strapi docs: Users & Permissions
  18. Strapi docs: Webhooks
  19. Strapi docs: Models
  20. Strapi docs: Admin panel customization

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

Where they differ

Directus and Strapi get a different status on 10 of the 28 features and the same status on 18. Directus has 18 built in on its baseline edition, Strapi 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). Strapi is open source (MIT).

Built in on Directus, a different answer on Strapi 4

  • GraphQL API Directus: Built in. Strapi: Plugin or add-on.
  • Visual editing Directus: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Real-time co-editing Directus: Built in. Strapi: Not available.
  • AI writing assistant Directus: Built in. Strapi: Paid tier.

Built in on Strapi, a different answer on Directus 1

  • Field-level permissions Directus: Paid tier. Strapi: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 5

  • Scheduled publishing Directus: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Version history Directus: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Approval workflows Directus: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Content releases Directus: Not available. Strapi: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Directus: Limited. Strapi: Paid tier.

More comparisons

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

Directus against other platforms

Strapi against other platforms

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

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