Payload CMS vs Directus

Payload CMS8.8Visit Directus8.7Visit

Higher score Payload CMS #6 in Headless CMS 8.8/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Payload CMS

vs

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

• Payload CMS fits best

  Developers building self-hosted TypeScript systems

• Directus fits best

  Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility

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Side by side

Feature	Payload CMS 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Directus 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.7
Ranking	#6 in Headless CMS	#7 in Headless CMS
Best for	Developers building self-hosted TypeScript systems	Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Open source	$499/mo
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Compliance	GDPR, SSO/SAML	SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Payload CMS 4/4 · Directus 4/4
Content localization	✓	✓
Webhooks	✓	✓
Content preview	✓	✓
Asset transformations	✓	✓
Specs
API types	Both	Both
Role permissions	Custom	Custom
Our review
Pros	REST and GraphQL APIs support flexible content delivery Field- and document-level access control supports custom permissions Next.js integration, drafts, previews, and localization support modern builds	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	Self-hosting requires teams to manage deployment and infrastructure Payload Cloud deployment of new projects is currently paused The code-first approach may not suit teams seeking a no-code CMS	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	Payload CMS is an open-source, code-first headless CMS and TypeScript application framework for developers, marketers, agencies, and enterprise teams. It supports configurable collections and global documents, authentication, custom access… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Payload CMS — where it wins

  • REST and GraphQL APIs support flexible content delivery
  • Field- and document-level access control supports custom permissions
  • Next.js integration, drafts, previews, and localization support modern builds

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosting requires teams to manage deployment and infrastructure
  • Payload Cloud deployment of new projects is currently paused
  • The code-first approach may not suit teams seeking a no-code CMS

• 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

• Payload CMS8.8/10 · Open source

  A TypeScript-first CMS for teams building self-hosted, API-driven applications.

  Visit Payload CMSFull verdict →
• 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 →