# Directus vs Strapi

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Strapi

| Attribute | Directus | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 59.9 (60% (medium)) | 75.3 (75% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 4,257 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 73,319 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 229,467 |
| 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":"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. It is indexed under CMS Software.","source":"https://strapi.io/pricing-cms","question":"What is Strapi?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Strapi is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $15 per user 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://strapi.io/pricing-cms","question":"Is Strapi free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Strapi. 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://strapi.io/pricing-cms","question":"What platforms does Strapi support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Strapi can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://strapi.io/pricing-cms","question":"Can Strapi be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 22 integrations for Strapi, including React, Vue.js, Svelte, Astro, Next.js, Nuxt.js, Flutter and TanStack, plus 14 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://strapi.io/pricing-cms","question":"What does Strapi integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for Strapi. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Strapi not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://strapi.io","question":"What security certifications does Strapi have?","confidence":0.48},{"answer":"Yes. Strapi is published under the SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE 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://www.npmjs.com/package/@strapi/strapi","question":"Is Strapi open source?","confidence":0.85},{"answer":"Strapi is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://strapi.io/pricing-cms","question":"Where is Strapi available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":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 open-source headless CMS enabling developers to visually design content structures and automatically generate REST and GraphQL APIs, while providing content creators with an intuitive interface for managing content. |
| 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":"headless","free_tier":true,"open_source":true,"headless_api":true,"localization":true,"soc2_type_ii":true,"pricing_model":"open_source_free","self_hostable":true,"visual_builder":true,"managed_hosting":true,"content_workflow":true,"deployment_model":"self_hosted_open_source","plugin_ecosystem":"197 community-built integrations and plugins","rest_api_delivery":true,"structured_content":true,"graphql_api_native_delivery":true,"multi_language_localization_i18n":true,"nextjs_gatsby_native_framework_support":true,"visual_content_modeling_schema_builder":true,"granular_role_based_access_control_rbac":true}` |
| integrations.count | 4 | 197 |
| 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":"React"},{"name":"Vue.js"},{"name":"Svelte"},{"name":"Astro"},{"name":"Next.js"},{"name":"Nuxt.js"},{"name":"Flutter"},{"name":"React Native"},{"name":"TanStack"},{"name":"React Router 7"},{"name":"React-admin"},{"name":"Azure"},{"name":"Railway"},{"name":"Cloudinary"},{"name":"ImageKit"},{"name":"Mux"},{"name":"Elasticsearch"},{"name":"Algolia"},{"name":"n8n"},{"name":"Postmark"},{"name":"Resend"},{"name":"Croct"},{"name":"SearchBlox"},{"name":"Expo"},{"name":"Medusa"},{"name":"TipTap","native":false,"category":"editor","direction":"outbound"},{"name":"Vercel","native":true,"category":"hosting","direction":"outbound"}]` |
| language.primary | - | TypeScript |
| license.spdx | - | SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":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":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Starter","summary":"$35/month","features":["100k API requests per month","50 GB asset storage","50 GB asset bandwidth","Unlimited database entries","Built-in email provider","Fast and global CDN"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":35,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"api_requests":"100k/month","asset_storage":"50 GB","asset_bandwidth":"50 GB/month","database_storage":"unlimited"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$90/month","features":["1M API requests per month","250 GB asset storage","500 GB asset bandwidth","Unlimited database entries","Multi-environment","Weekly backups","Manual backups","CRON jobs"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":90,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"api_requests":"1M/month","asset_storage":"250 GB","asset_bandwidth":"500 GB/month","database_storage":"unlimited"}},{"free":false,"name":"Business","summary":"$450/month","features":["10M API requests per month","1000 GB asset storage","1000 GB asset bandwidth","1 extra environment included","Daily backups","Uptime SLA (99.9%)"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":450,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"api_requests":"10M/month","asset_storage":"1000 GB","asset_bandwidth":"1000 GB/month","database_storage":"unlimited"}}],"addOns":[{"name":"Additional environment","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":60,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Additional API requests","components":[{"per":{"qty":25000,"unit":"requests"},"kind":"metered","amount":1.5,"currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Additional asset storage","components":[{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"gb"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.6,"currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Additional asset bandwidth","components":[{"per":{"qty":100,"unit":"gb"},"kind":"metered","amount":30,"currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"From $35/month for Strapi Cloud. Free open-source self-hosted option available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://strapi.io/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-15T20:27:07.062Z","startingPrice":{"amount":35,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | high | mid |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":499,"currency":"USD"}` | `{"amount":35,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 6 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.58.0","date":"2026-10-14T10:20:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.58.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.57.0","date":"2026-10-07T07:18:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.57.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.56.0","date":"2026-09-30T11:44:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.56.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.55.1","date":"2026-09-24T07:39:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.55.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.55.0","date":"2026-09-23T12:40:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.55.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.54.0","date":"2026-09-16T11:11:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.54.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.53.0","date":"2026-09-09T14:21:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.53.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.52.3","date":"2026-09-02T14:37:01Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.52.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.52.2","date":"2026-08-26T07:35:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.52.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.52.1","date":"2026-08-19T11:37:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.52.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.52.0","date":"2026-08-12T07:29:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.52.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.51.2","date":"2026-08-05T13:05:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.51.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.51.1","date":"2026-07-29T10:04:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.51.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.51.0","date":"2026-07-23T12:11:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.51.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.50.2","date":"2026-07-15T10:01:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.50.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.50.1","date":"2026-07-08T11:20:21Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.50.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.50.0","date":"2026-07-02T11:15:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.50.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.49.0","date":"2026-06-24T10:12:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.49.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.48.1","date":"2026-06-17T10:03:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.48.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v5.48.0","date":"2026-06-10T13:19:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.48.0"}]` |
| reliability.sla_pct | - | 99.9 |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.scorecard | - | 7 |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=strapi-utils&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (CMS Software)

| Capability | Directus | Strapi |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **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 | Directus Marketplace with Sandbox SDK for safe third-party extensions | 197 community-built integrations and plugins |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Multi-site / multi-tenant | ✓ | - |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Git-based / code-first workflow | ✓ | - |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Free / open tier | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:22:03.385Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*