Contentful vs Directus
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and integrations.
Quick Verdict
Contentful offers fewer features (40 vs 65) and more integrations (27 vs 0). Starting price: Contentful at $489/mo vs Directus at $99/mo. Contentful has 37 unique features while Directus has 62 unique features, with 3 features in common.
| Contentful | Directus | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management System | Content Management System |
| Total Features | 40 | 65 |
| AI-Powered Features | 3 | 2 |
| Starting Price | $489/mo | $99/mo |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 2 |
| Integrations | 27 | 0 |
| Shared Features | 3 | |
| Shared Integrations | 0 | |
| Data Quality | 70% | 80% |
Feature Comparison by Category
AI (1 vs 2)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| AI Assistant | ||
| Content Recommendations | ||
| Native MCP Server |
API (3 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| API Rate Limiting | ||
| Content Scheduling API | ||
| Content Sync API |
Analytics (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Analytics |
Automation (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Batch Operations |
Collaboration (3 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Preview Mode | ||
| Team Collaboration | ||
| Workflow Management |
Content (8 vs 10)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Bookmark Views | ||
| CSV/JSON Import and Export | ||
| Content History and Revisions | ||
| Content Modeling | ||
| Content References | ||
| Content Templates | ||
| Content Versioning | ||
| Customizable Data Layouts | ||
| Draft Management | ||
| Entry Management | ||
| Inline Content Editing | ||
| Live Preview | ||
| Localization | ||
| Multi-Language Support | ||
| Search and Filtering |
Core (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Headless CMS |
Data Management (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Content Migrations |
Delivery (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| API-First Delivery |
Developer (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| GraphQL Playground |
Editing (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Rich Text Editor |
Engine (0 vs 19)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| CRUD Operations | ||
| Custom Validation | ||
| Data Validation | ||
| Database Mirroring | ||
| Direct Database Access | ||
| Dynamic Variables | ||
| Existing Database Layer | ||
| Image & Asset API | ||
| Instant GraphQL APIs | ||
| Instant REST APIs | ||
| JavaScript SDK | ||
| Modular SDK | ||
| Multi-Database Support | ||
| OpenAPI Specification | ||
| Relational Data Fetching |
Extensibility (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Code Extensions |
Extension (2 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Apps | ||
| Plugin System |
File Library (0 vs 4)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Focal Point Editor | ||
| Folder Organization | ||
| Image Resizing and Scaling | ||
| S3 Compatible File Storage |
Flows (0 vs 4)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Automation Builder | ||
| Custom JavaScript Execution | ||
| Transactional Emails | ||
| Visual Workflow Automation |
Insights (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Insights Module | ||
| No-Code Dashboards |
Integration (2 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Content Sync | ||
| Webhooks |
Marketplace (0 vs 2)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Extensions | ||
| Extensions Marketplace |
Media (3 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Management | ||
| Image Optimization | ||
| Media Enrichment |
Organization (2 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Content Tags | ||
| Multi-Space Management |
Performance (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Content Infrastructure |
Planning (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Content Publishing Calendar |
Publishing (3 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk Publishing | ||
| SEO Management | ||
| Scheduled Publishing |
Quality (1 vs 0)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Content Validation |
Realtime (0 vs 1)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Real-Time APIs |
Security (3 vs 6)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| API Tokens | ||
| Activity Log | ||
| Data Processing Agreement (GDPR) | ||
| Granular Permissions | ||
| OAuth/OpenID/LDAP SSO | ||
| Policy-Based Access Control | ||
| Role-Based Access Control | ||
| SAML SSO | ||
| User Authentication |
Studio (0 vs 14)
| Feature | Contentful | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| 35+ Custom Field Types | ||
| Activity Log | ||
| Advanced Search and Filtering | ||
| Bulk Update | ||
| Collaborative Commenting | ||
| Conditional Fields | ||
| Customizable UI | ||
| Display Templates | ||
| Dynamic Page Builder | ||
| Multi-Lingual Admin Panel | ||
| Soft Delete Protection | ||
| User Management | ||
| Visual Data Modeling | ||
| White Label Customization |
Unique Features
Only in Contentful (37)
Content Recommendations
Performance Analytics
API Rate Limiting
Content Scheduling API
Content Sync API
Batch Operations
Preview Mode
Team Collaboration
Workflow Management
Content Modeling
Content References
Content Templates
Draft Management
Entry Management
Localization
Search and Filtering
Headless CMS
Content Migrations
API-First Delivery
GraphQL Playground
+ 17 more unique features
Only in Directus (62)
AI Assistant
Native MCP Server
Bookmark Views
Content History and Revisions
CSV/JSON Import and Export
Customizable Data Layouts
Inline Content Editing
Live Preview
Multi-Language Support
Singletons
Visually Edit Content
CRUD Operations
Custom Validation
Data Validation
Database Mirroring
Direct Database Access
Dynamic Variables
Existing Database Layer
Image & Asset API
Instant GraphQL APIs
+ 42 more unique features
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