Directus vs dotCMS

Directus8.7Visit dotCMS8.6Visit

Higher score Directus #7 in Headless CMS 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Directus

vs

dotCMS #8 in Headless CMS 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit dotCMS

• Directus fits best

  Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility

• dotCMS fits best

  Multi-site teams wanting a free CMS option

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 ↗	dotCMS 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.6
Ranking	#7 in Headless CMS	#8 in Headless CMS
Best for	Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility	Multi-site teams wanting a free CMS option
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$499/mo	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA	SOC 2, ISO 27001, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Directus 4/4 · dotCMS 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	Free BSL plan includes unlimited users and unlimited content REST and GraphQL APIs support flexible content delivery Localization, permissions, previews, and multi-site management are included
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	Commercial plans require a pricing request Free BSL use has revenue and licensing conditions The free plan provides basic workflows rather than advanced governance
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 →	dotCMS is a headless content management platform for enterprises managing websites, portals, intranets, and other digital experiences. It suits multi-site teams that need structured reusable content, visual editing, multilingual entries,… Read the review →

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

• dotCMS — where it wins

  • Free BSL plan includes unlimited users and unlimited content
  • REST and GraphQL APIs support flexible content delivery
  • Localization, permissions, previews, and multi-site management are included

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial plans require a pricing request
  • Free BSL use has revenue and licensing conditions
  • The free plan provides basic workflows rather than advanced governance

• Directus8.7/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A flexible, API-first CMS for teams that need SQL data modeling and extensibility.

  Visit DirectusFull verdict →
• dotCMS8.6/10 · Free plan

  A multi-site CMS with free access, flexible APIs, and governance controls.

  Visit dotCMSFull verdict →