Squidex vs Directus

Squidex9.0Visit Directus8.7Visit

Higher score Squidex #4 in Headless CMS 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Squidex

vs

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

• Squidex fits best

  Developers wanting open-source deployment options

• Directus fits best

  Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility

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Side by side

Feature	Squidex 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Directus 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.7
Ranking	#4 in Headless CMS	#7 in Headless CMS
Best for	Developers wanting open-source deployment options	Data-centric teams needing APIs and extensibility
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$499/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Compliance	GDPR	SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Squidex 4/4 · Directus 4/4
Content localization	✓	✓
Webhooks	✓	✓
Content preview	✓	✓
Asset transformations	✓	✓
Specs
API types	Both	Both
Role permissions	Custom	Custom
Our review
Pros	Self-hosting with Docker or Kubernetes deployment options REST and GraphQL APIs with structured schemas and localized content Fine-grained permissions, previews, version history, and image processing	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-hosted deployments require Docker or Kubernetes operations Usage limits vary across API, traffic, storage, and contributor tiers The platform may exceed the needs of teams seeking a simpler 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	Squidex is an open-source headless CMS for teams managing structured content, assets, schemas, workflows, and localized entries. Developers can deliver content to websites, mobile applications, and other digital products through REST and… 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

• Squidex — where it wins

  • Self-hosting with Docker or Kubernetes deployment options
  • REST and GraphQL APIs with structured schemas and localized content
  • Fine-grained permissions, previews, version history, and image processing

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployments require Docker or Kubernetes operations
  • Usage limits vary across API, traffic, storage, and contributor tiers
  • The platform may exceed the needs of teams seeking a simpler 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

• Squidex9.0/10 · Free plan

  A flexible headless CMS for teams that want open-source or hosted deployment.

  Visit SquidexFull 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 →