# Contentstack vs Directus

| Attribute | Contentstack | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 63.7 (74% (medium)) | 59.9 (60% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A SaaS-based content management platform combining structured content management, real-time customer data intelligence, and autonomous AI agent orchestration. Designed for enterprise teams managing complex, multi-channel digital experiences with strict governance and compliance requirements. It is indexed under CMS Software.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com","question":"What is Contentstack?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Contentstack does not publish its prices. Pricing is quoted on request, so the figure depends on your seat count and requirements. We record this as a pricing-transparency signal rather than guessing a number. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com/pricing","question":"How much does Contentstack cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Contentstack supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com","question":"What platforms does Contentstack support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Contentstack, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com","question":"Can Contentstack be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for Contentstack, including Salesforce, commercetools, Algolia, Lytics and Shopify Hydrogen. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com","question":"What does Contentstack integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR for Contentstack. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Contentstack not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com/blog/all-about-headless/best-headless-cms-platforms-for-governance-and-security-compliance","question":"What security certifications does Contentstack have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Contentstack is available worldwide. Its primary markets are the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU.","source":"https://www.contentstack.com/pricing","question":"Where is Contentstack available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"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 | A SaaS-based content management platform combining structured content management, real-time customer data intelligence, and autonomous AI agent orchestration. Designed for enterprise teams managing complex, multi-channel digital experiences with strict governance and compliance requirements. | 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,"iso_27001":true,"multisite":true,"open_source":false,"git_workflow":false,"headless_api":true,"localization":true,"soc2_type_ii":true,"pricing_model":"freemium","self_hostable":false,"visual_builder":true,"managed_hosting":true,"content_workflow":true,"deployment_model":"cloud_managed_saas","plugin_ecosystem":"Enterprise-grade marketplace with pre-built integrations and custom app framewor","rest_api_delivery":true,"structured_content":true,"webhooks_event_triggers":true,"graphql_api_native_delivery":true,"real_time_visual_preview_editor":true,"multi_language_localization_i18n":true,"granular_role_based_access_control_rbac":true,"shopify_bigcommerce_ecommerce_integration":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 | 1 | 4 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Salesforce"},{"name":"commercetools"},{"name":"Algolia"},{"name":"Lytics","category":"cdp"},{"name":"Shopify Hydrogen","category":"ecommerce"},{"name":"SAP Composable Storefront","native":true,"category":"ecommerce"}]` | `[{"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","GB","EU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"freemium","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free forever, no credit card required","features":["Headless CMS","Visual Editor","Custom domains","Contentstack Academy","Developer Resource Center","Email support"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Build and prototype with full CMS capabilities at no cost.","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"storage":"1 TB","api_calls":"100K/mo","content_types":"10"}},{"free":false,"name":"Growth","summary":"$299/month + $25 per additional user/month","features":["Headless CMS","Visual Editor","Custom domains","Custom roles","Custom workflows","Pay-as-you-go overages","Strategic Customer Success Manager","Expert monitoring","Contentstack Academy","Developer Resource Center","Email support"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":299,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":25,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Expanded capabilities and AI-powered workflows to scale content operations.","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"storage":"5 TB+","api_calls":"1M/mo","content_types":"20+"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing - contact sales","features":["All Growth features","Custom roles and workflows","Pay-as-you-go overages","99.5% Uptime SLA","Custom data residency","Compliance configuration","Strategic Customer Success Manager","Expert monitoring"],"description":"Full platform capabilities with custom infrastructure, compliance, and support.","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free tier. Growth plan from $299/month. Enterprise custom pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.contentstack.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-09-18T15:57:33.906Z","startingPrice":{"amount":299,"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 | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | high | high |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":299,"currency":"USD"}` | `{"amount":499,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.certifications | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active"},{"name":"ISO 27001","status":"active"},{"name":"HIPAA","status":"active"}]` | - |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.hipaa | yes | - |
| security.iso27001 | yes | - |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.trust_center | https://www.contentstack.com/blog/all-about-headless/best-headless-cms-platforms-for-governance-and-security-compliance | - |

## Capabilities (CMS Software)

| Capability | Contentstack | 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 | Enterprise-grade marketplace with pre-built integrations and custom app framewor | 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 2026-10-16T18:30:44.603Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*