# Contentful vs Directus

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Contentful

| Attribute | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 80.5 (59% (medium)) | 59.9 (60% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Contentful is a headless CMS and digital experience platform enabling teams to create and deliver personalized content at scale, with AI-powered automation, visual content assembly, and comprehensive workflow capabilities. It is indexed under CMS Software.","source":"https://www.contentful.com","question":"What is Contentful?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Contentful offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $0 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.contentful.com","question":"Is Contentful free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Contentful. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.contentful.com","question":"What platforms does Contentful support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Contentful, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.contentful.com","question":"Can Contentful be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and ISO 27001 for Contentful. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Contentful not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.contentful.com/security","question":"What security certifications does Contentful have?","confidence":0.7}]` | `[{"answer":"Directus connects to existing or new SQL databases and automatically generates production-ready APIs, along with a visual management studio for team collaboration and content governance. It supports both self-hosting and cloud deployment, with built-in AI integration and MCP server support. It is indexed under CMS Software.","source":"https://directus.com/resources/a-change-in-our-pricing-july-2024","question":"What is Directus?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Directus offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $15 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://directus.com/resources/a-change-in-our-pricing-july-2024","question":"Is Directus free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Directus supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://directus.com/resources/a-change-in-our-pricing-july-2024","question":"What platforms does Directus support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Directus can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://directus.com/resources/a-change-in-our-pricing-july-2024","question":"Can Directus be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for Directus. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Directus not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://directus.com/features/security","question":"What security certifications does Directus have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Directus is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://directus.com/resources/a-change-in-our-pricing-july-2024","question":"Where is Directus available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Contentful is a headless CMS and digital experience platform enabling teams to create and deliver personalized content at scale, with AI-powered automation, visual content assembly, and comprehensive workflow capabilities. | A system that connects to any SQL database and provides a collaborative web interface for content and data management, while automatically generating REST and GraphQL APIs for developers. |
| features.capabilities | `{"cms_type":"headless","free_tier":true,"multisite":true,"open_source":false,"headless_api":true,"localization":true,"self_hostable":false,"visual_builder":true,"managed_hosting":true,"content_workflow":true,"plugin_ecosystem":"Marketplace with apps and integrations to extend platform","structured_content":true}` | `{"cms_type":"headless","free_tier":true,"multisite":true,"open_source":true,"git_workflow":true,"headless_api":true,"localization":true,"pricing_model":"freemium","self_hostable":true,"visual_builder":true,"managed_hosting":true,"content_workflow":true,"deployment_model":"self_hosted_open_source","plugin_ecosystem":"Directus Marketplace with Sandbox SDK for safe third-party extensions","rest_api_delivery":true,"structured_content":true,"graphql_api_native_delivery":true,"real_time_visual_preview_editor":true,"multi_language_localization_i18n":true,"visual_content_modeling_schema_builder":true,"granular_role_based_access_control_rbac":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 4 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"OpenAI","native":true,"category":"ai","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Anthropic","native":true,"category":"ai","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Google Gemini","native":true,"category":"ai","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Claude","native":true,"category":"ai","direction":"bidirectional"}]` |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free forever","features":["2 Roles (Admin, Editor)","2 Custom Locales","100K/month API calls (no overages)","50 GB/month asset bandwidth CDN (no overages)","50 MB max asset upload size","Structured content","Content tags","Links/reference fields","Visual modeler","Taxonomy","Localization","Reference view","Rich text editor","Markdown editor","Image editor","Scheduled publishing","Validation","Content versioning","Community support"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"roles":"2","locales":"2","api_calls":"100K/month","asset_bandwidth":"50 GB/month","asset_upload_size":"50 MB"}},{"free":false,"name":"Lite","summary":"Free base; additional spaces $850/month","features":["3 Roles (Admin, Editor, Author)","3 Custom Locales","1M/month API calls with paid overages allowed","100 GB/month asset bandwidth CDN with paid overages allowed","1000 MB max asset upload size","All Free features","Multi-space orchestration","Custom external references","Roles and permissions","ISO 27001 certified","API token management","Single Sign-On (SSO)","Teams","Custom roles and permissions","Tag-based permissions","User Management API","Environment governance","SCIM provisioning via IdP","Custom domain","Embargoed assets","Static webhook IPs","Security reporting","PCI DSS compliance","Encryption in transit and at rest","24/7 infrastructure monitoring","Medium-density infrastructure","Advanced caching","Standard technical support","Professional Services offerings","Infosec and legal review"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"roles":"3","locales":"3","api_calls":"1M/month","asset_bandwidth":"100 GB/month","asset_upload_size":"1000 MB"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing; contact sales","features":["All Lite features","Custom roles and locales","Custom API calls with paid overages","Custom asset bandwidth with paid overages","AI Actions with included quotas","Contentful Personalization compatible","Contentful Studio compatible","Dedicated infrastructure","Multi-region delivery infrastructure","EU data residency","Prioritized support with guaranteed response time SLAs","Dedicated Customer Success Manager","Professional Services offerings","Infosec and legal review"],"contactSales":true,"includedLimits":{"roles":"Custom","locales":"Custom","api_calls":"Custom with paid overages","asset_bandwidth":"Custom with paid overages","asset_upload_size":"1000 MB"}}],"addOns":[{"name":"Additional Lite Space","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":850,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free tier available. Lite plan free base with $850/month per additional space. Enterprise with custom pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.contentful.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-01T14:20:15.593Z","startingPrice":{"amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Core","summary":"Free","features":["3 user seats","5 Flows","25 collections","AI Assistant","Advanced RBAC","Community Support"],"minSeats":3,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For evaluating Directus or powering small individual builds","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"flows":"5","user_seats":"3","collections":"25"}},{"free":false,"name":"Team","summary":"$499/mo (annual) or $599/mo (monthly)","features":["10 SSO seats","50 Collections (expandable to 100)","20 Flows","Granular RBAC","Basic Support"],"minSeats":10,"commitment":"annual|monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":499,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For teams needing a supported, production-ready deployment with SSO","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"flows":"20","sso_seats":"10","collections":"50"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing","features":["Custom SSO seats","Custom Collections","Unlimited Flows","SSO (SAML / OIDC)","Custom LLM","Offline Mode","AI Translations","Telemetry Opt-out","Premium Support"],"description":"For organizations with complex requirements, multiple projects, or specific compliance needs","contactSales":true,"includedLimits":{"flows":"Unlimited","sso_seats":"Custom","collections":"200+"}},{"free":true,"name":"Open Innovation Grant","summary":"Free (self-hosted) or $99/mo (cloud)","features":["All features included","Free self-hosted","Cloud hosting $99/mo optional"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Free for qualifying organizations under $5M revenue and fewer than 50 employees","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"features":"Unlimited","collections":"Unlimited"}}],"addOns":[{"name":"Extra SSO Seats","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Extra Collections","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":100,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Cloud Hosting","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free Core tier. Team from $499/mo annual commitment. Enterprise custom. Grant available for organizations under $5M revenue and 50 employees.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://directus.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-09-18T15:59:30.413Z","freeTrialDays":14,"startingPrice":{"amount":499,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | high |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":499,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.iso27001 | yes | - |
| security.pci | yes | - |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |

## Capabilities (CMS Software)

| Capability | Contentful | Directus |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| CMS type | Headless / API-first | Headless / API-first |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Open-source | ✗ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Self-hostable | ✗ | ✓ |
| Managed / cloud hosting offered | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Headless API (REST/GraphQL) | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Content** |  |  |
| Structured content modelling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Localisation / i18n | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content workflow / approvals | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Editing** |  |  |
| Visual / no-code page builder | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Plugin / app ecosystem size | Marketplace with apps and integrations to extend platform | Directus Marketplace with Sandbox SDK for safe third-party extensions |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Multi-site / multi-tenant | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Git-based / code-first workflow | - | ✓ |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Free / open tier | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:10:27.688Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*