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Head-to-head · Headless CMS

Directus vs Contentful

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Directus #7 in Headless CMS 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Directus
Contentful #10 in Headless CMS 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Contentful

Directus leads on 0 checks, Contentful on 1, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDirectus · 8.7/10
  • Lowest starting priceContentful · $300/mo
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Directus

Directus scores higher on our rubric for headless cms: 8.7 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #10.

Contentful is cheaper to start at $300/mo against $499/mo.

Directus is the better fit for data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility. Contentful is the better fit for mature teams needing a broad enterprise CMS.

  • Directus fits best

    Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility

  • Contentful fits best

    Mature teams needing a broad enterprise CMS

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 Directus 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Contentful 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.4
Ranking #7 in Headless CMS #10 in Headless CMS
Best for Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility Mature teams needing a broad enterprise CMS
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $499/mo $300/mo (best)
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Docs Tickets, Docs, Community · 24/7
Compliance SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SSO/SAML
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Directus 4/4 · Contentful 4/4
Content localization ✓ ✓
Webhooks ✓ ✓
Content preview ✓ ✓
Asset transformations ✓ ✓
Specs
API types Both Both
Role permissions Custom Custom
Our review
Pros
  • Generated REST and GraphQL APIs from SQL data models
  • Granular permissions, localization, versioning, and automation
  • Self-hosting, cloud hosting, and custom extensions are supported
  • REST and GraphQL APIs support structured, omnichannel delivery.
  • Custom roles, permissions, and fine-grained policies support governance.
  • Localization, previews, webhooks, image transformations, and apps cover core workflows.
Cons
  • 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
  • The Lite plan costs $300 per month, raising the paid-entry cost.
  • Enterprise pricing and some advanced capabilities vary by plan and contract.
  • Its broad feature set is better suited to mature teams than narrow projects.
Our verdict

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 →

Contentful is a cloud-native, API-first headless CMS for teams creating, managing, localizing, and distributing structured content across websites, mobile apps, and other digital channels. It supports REST and GraphQL APIs, content…

Read the review →
  1. DirectusHeadless CMS 8.7Free plan · 14-day trial
  2. ContentfulHeadless CMS 8.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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

  • Contentful — where it wins

    • REST and GraphQL APIs support structured, omnichannel delivery.
    • Custom roles, permissions, and fine-grained policies support governance.
    • Localization, previews, webhooks, image transformations, and apps cover core workflows.

    Where it doesn't

    • The Lite plan costs $300 per month, raising the paid-entry cost.
    • Enterprise pricing and some advanced capabilities vary by plan and contract.
    • Its broad feature set is better suited to mature teams than narrow projects.

More comparisons

All headless CMS comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update