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Head-to-head · Headless CMS

CrafterCMS vs Directus

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score CrafterCMS #5 in Headless CMS 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit CrafterCMS
Directus #7 in Headless CMS 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Directus

CrafterCMS leads on 0 checks, Directus on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCrafterCMS · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Directus

CrafterCMS scores higher on our rubric for headless cms: 8.9 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

CrafterCMS is the better fit for enterprise teams wanting open-source DevContentOps. Directus is the better fit for data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility.

  • CrafterCMS fits best

    Enterprise teams wanting open-source DevContentOps

  • Directus fits best

    Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature CrafterCMS 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Directus 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.7
Ranking #5 in Headless CMS #7 in Headless CMS
Best for Enterprise teams wanting open-source DevContentOps Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $499/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Web
Support Email, Community, Docs · 24/7 Community, Docs
Compliance SOC 2, SSO/SAML SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features CrafterCMS 4/4 · Directus 4/4
Content localization ✓ ✓
Webhooks ✓ ✓
Content preview ✓ ✓
Asset transformations ✓ ✓
Specs
API types Both Both
Role permissions Custom Custom
Our review
Pros
  • Free Community edition with Git-based DevContentOps workflows
  • REST and GraphQL APIs support multiple digital channels
  • Multisite, multilingual management with approvals and granular permissions
  • Generated REST and GraphQL APIs from SQL data models
  • Granular permissions, localization, versioning, and automation
  • Self-hosting, cloud hosting, and custom extensions are supported
Cons
  • Paid Enterprise and Cloud editions add commercial commitments
  • Self-hosting requires responsibility for deployment and operations
  • Its broad scope may exceed the needs of a single-site team
  • Team costs $499/month with annual billing or $599/month monthly
  • SSO is available on Team and Enterprise plans, not Core
  • Offline mode and AI translations are limited to Enterprise
Our verdict

CrafterCMS is an open-source, Git-based headless and hybrid-headless CMS for enterprise websites, portals, intranets, mobile applications, and other content-driven experiences. It suits teams that want open-source DevContentOps workflows…

Read the review →

Directus is a backend and headless CMS for teams managing structured data across web and API projects. It connects to SQL databases and combines content modeling, asset management, a web-based Data Studio, generated REST and GraphQL APIs,…

Read the review →
  1. CrafterCMSHeadless CMS 8.9Free plan
  2. DirectusHeadless CMS 8.7Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • CrafterCMS — where it wins

    • Free Community edition with Git-based DevContentOps workflows
    • REST and GraphQL APIs support multiple digital channels
    • Multisite, multilingual management with approvals and granular permissions

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid Enterprise and Cloud editions add commercial commitments
    • Self-hosting requires responsibility for deployment and operations
    • Its broad scope may exceed the needs of a single-site team

  • Directus — where it wins

    • Generated REST and GraphQL APIs from SQL data models
    • Granular permissions, localization, versioning, and automation
    • Self-hosting, cloud hosting, and custom extensions are supported

    Where it doesn't

    • Team costs $499/month with annual billing or $599/month monthly
    • SSO is available on Team and Enterprise plans, not Core
    • Offline mode and AI translations are limited to Enterprise

More comparisons

All headless CMS comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update