# Directus vs Joomla

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Directus

| Attribute | Directus | Joomla |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 59.9 (60% (medium)) | 53.5 (62% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 75 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 5,147 |
| content.faq | `[{"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}]` | `[{"answer":"Joomla is a free, open-source CMS that enables users to build, manage, and customize websites and online applications. It features a large ecosystem of free extensions and templates, multilingual support, flexible user permission systems, and can be deployed via self-hosting or managed hosting services. It is indexed under CMS Software.","source":"https://www.joomla.org","question":"What is Joomla?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Joomla is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.joomla.org","question":"Is Joomla free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Joomla 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.joomla.org","question":"What platforms does Joomla support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Joomla 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://www.joomla.org","question":"Can Joomla be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 8 integrations for Joomla, including 123RF, Algolia, AppVeyor, Civic, CleanTalk, CloudAccess.net, CodiumAI and Crowdin. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.joomla.org","question":"What does Joomla integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Joomla. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Joomla not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.joomla.org/privacy-policy.html","question":"What security certifications does Joomla have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Yes. Joomla is published under the GPL-2.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms","question":"Is Joomla open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | 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. | An award-winning open-source content management system that empowers users to build and manage websites and online applications with extensive customization through a large ecosystem of community-contributed components. |
| features.capabilities | `{"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}` | `{"cms_type":"traditional","free_tier":true,"open_source":true,"git_workflow":true,"localization":true,"self_hostable":true,"managed_hosting":true,"content_workflow":true,"plugin_ecosystem":"Thousands of free extensions and templates","structured_content":true}` |
| integrations.count | 4 | 8 |
| 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"}]` | `[{"name":"123RF"},{"name":"Algolia"},{"name":"AppVeyor"},{"name":"Civic"},{"name":"CleanTalk"},{"name":"CloudAccess.net"},{"name":"CodiumAI"},{"name":"Crowdin"}]` |
| language.primary | - | PHP |
| license.spdx | - | GPL-2.0 |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"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"]}` | `{"type":"free","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.joomla.org","retrievedAt":"2026-10-15T09:21:24.312Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | free |
| pricing.price_level | high | free |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":499,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 2 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0","date":"2026-10-13T16:00:06Z","type":"stable","version":"6.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0-rc2","date":"2026-10-06T15:59:59Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.2.0-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.10","date":"2026-10-13T16:00:02Z","type":"stable","version":"5.4.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.10-rc1","date":"2026-10-02T17:41:21Z","type":"prerelease","version":"5.4.10-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0-rc1","date":"2026-09-29T17:20:27Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.2.0-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.1.4","date":"2026-09-29T16:02:41Z","type":"stable","version":"6.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.1.4-rc1","date":"2026-09-17T16:00:11Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.1.4-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.9","date":"2026-09-29T16:00:49Z","type":"stable","version":"5.4.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.9-rc1","date":"2026-09-17T16:00:00Z","type":"prerelease","version":"5.4.9-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0-beta3","date":"2026-09-15T16:00:01Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.2.0-beta3"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0-beta2","date":"2026-09-01T15:16:25Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.2.0-beta2"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0-beta1","date":"2026-08-18T18:31:13Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.2.0-beta1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.1.3","date":"2026-08-18T15:57:09Z","type":"stable","version":"6.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.1.3-rc2","date":"2026-08-15T21:26:06Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.1.3-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.8","date":"2026-08-18T15:58:36Z","type":"stable","version":"5.4.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.8-rc2","date":"2026-08-15T16:30:35Z","type":"prerelease","version":"5.4.8-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.1.3-rc1","date":"2026-08-11T21:05:31Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.1.3-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/5.4.8-rc1","date":"2026-08-11T17:45:29Z","type":"prerelease","version":"5.4.8-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.2.0-alpha3","date":"2026-07-21T16:00:13Z","type":"prerelease","version":"6.2.0-alpha3"},{"url":"https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/6.1.2","date":"2026-07-07T16:00:19Z","type":"stable","version":"6.1.2"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.scorecard | - | 4.5 |
| security.soc2 | yes | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fjoomla%2Fjoomla-cms&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (CMS Software)

| Capability | Directus | Joomla |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| CMS type | Headless / API-first | Traditional / monolithic |
| **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 | Directus Marketplace with Sandbox SDK for safe third-party extensions | Thousands of free extensions and templates |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Multi-site / multi-tenant | ✓ | - |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Git-based / code-first workflow | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Free / open tier | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-17T01:29:50.351Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*