vioscale
Comparison

Directus vs Strapi

No clear leader: Directus (73.9) and Strapi (71.1) are within the 5-point margin; treat as a tie. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

Directus full profile →Strapi full profile →
Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
Directus74
Strapi71
Score
Vioscale score
Directus74 / 100low · 47%
Strapi71 / 100high · 76%
Pricing
Free tier
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Model
Directusfreemium
Strapicommercial
Price level
Directuslow
Strapimid
Transparent
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Integrations
Count
Directus–
Strapi197
Security
Disclosure policy
Directus✓
Strapi–
Gdpr
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Scorecard
Directus–
Strapi6.5
Soc2
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Vulnerabilities
Reliability
Status page
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Adoption
Dependent repos
Directus–
Strapi4,257
Github stars
Directus–
Strapi73,016
Package downloads weekly
Directus–
Strapi184,945
Activity
Commits last 30d
Directus–
Strapi100
Release
Cadence days
Directus–
Strapi6
History
Directus–
Strapi20 items
License
Spdx
Directus–
StrapiSEE LICENSE IN LICENSE
Language
Primary
Directus–
StrapiTypeScript
Market
Availability

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for cms software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
CMS type
DirectusHeadless / API-first
StrapiHeadless / API-first
Licensing
Open-source
Directus✗
Strapi✓
Deployment
Self-hostable
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Managed / cloud hosting offered
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Delivery
Headless API (REST/GraphQL)
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Content
Structured content modelling
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Localisation / i18n
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Content workflow / approvals
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Editing
Visual / no-code page builder
Directus✗
Strapi✓
Extensibility
Plugin / app ecosystem size
DirectusDirectus Marketplace with Sandbox SDK for safe third-party extensions
Strapi197 community-built integrations and plugins
Scale
Multi-site / multi-tenant
Directus-
Strapi-
Workflow
Git-based / code-first workflow
Directus-
Strapi-
Pricing
Free / open tier
Directus✓
Strapi✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Directus

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.

Independently observed

Strapi

A TypeScript-based headless CMS that enables you to design content structures and automatically create REST and GraphQL APIs. Deploy it yourself for full data control or use managed cloud hosting, with extensive options to customize the admin interface and backend logic.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Directus

from $0.03/moHybridFree tier

Community Cloud free. Standard Cloud: $0.0347/node/hour. Enterprise: contact sales.

  • Community CloudFree
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited API requests
    • Unlimited bandwidth
    • Unlimited content collections and items
    • Unlimited content locales
  • Standard Cloud$0.03 per node-hour
    • Configurable node types for vertical scaling
    • Horizontal auto-scaling
    • Region selection
    • Automated backups
    • Unlimited users
    • +5 more
  • Enterprise CloudContact sales
    • Dedicated single-tenant servers
    • Custom configuration
    • Custom extensions
    • Additional features and support
as of verify ↗

Strapi

from $15/moSubscriptionFree tier30-day trial

Free forever with Community tier. Growth at $45/month (3 seats included) + $15 per additional seat. Enterprise available by quote. AI and SSO add-ons available.

  • CommunityFree
    • MIT-licensed open-source software
    • Role-based access control
    • REST and GraphQL APIs
    • Unlimited entries and API calls
    • Media library
    • +8 more
  • Growth$45/month includes 3 seats; additional seats $15/month each
    • Everything in Community
    • Strapi AI (1,000 credits/month)
    • Live Preview
    • Releases
    • Content History (30-day retention)
    • +2 more
  • EnterpriseContact sales
    • Everything in Growth
    • Review workflows
    • Audit logs
    • SOC 2 report
    • Standard and premium support with concierge advisory
    • +1 more
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Directus✓
Strapi✓
CLI
Directus✓
Strapi✗
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Directus✓
Strapi✓
Self-hosted
Directus✓
Strapi✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Directus

Not documented yet.

Strapi

25 total
  • React
  • Vue.js
  • Svelte
  • Astro
  • Next.js
  • Nuxt.js
  • Flutter
  • React Native
  • TanStack
  • React Router 7
  • React-admin
  • Azure
  • Railway
  • Cloudinary
  • ImageKit
  • Mux
  • Elasticsearch
  • Algolia
  • n8n
  • Postmark
  • Resend
  • Croct
  • SearchBlox
  • Expo
  • +1 more
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.