Directus, Strapi, and Contentful get compared constantly because they solve the same problem (a structured content backend with an API and an editor UI) from three different starting points. The feature lists overlap almost completely. The architecture and the pricing shape do not.
Where each one starts from
The comparison that matters
| Kryeo | Strapi / Contentful | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Directus: self-host or managed Cloud | Strapi: self-host (or Cloud) · Contentful: managed only |
| Where content lives | Directus: rows in your own SQL database | Strapi: your database · Contentful: Contentful's infrastructure |
| Schema definition | Directus: in the app; exportable as a snapshot for version control | Strapi: code files in your repo · Contentful: in the app / migrations API |
| Pricing shape | Directus: infra + licence tier (revenue-based) or Cloud plan | Strapi: infra + optional Cloud/Enterprise · Contentful: seats + usage |
| Best fit | Directus: teams wanting DB ownership + a strong editor UI | Strapi: code-first teams · Contentful: teams that want zero ops |
| Direct SQL access | Directus: yes, it is your database | Strapi: yes (self-host) · Contentful: no |
How to choose
Choose Contentful when you want the content backend to be someone else's operational problem, your team is fine working within usage limits and per-seat pricing, and you do not need direct access to the underlying data. It is the lowest-ops option by a wide margin.
Choose Strapi when your team is developer-led and wants the content schema to live in the repository, reviewed in pull requests and promoted through environments alongside application code. It is the most natural fit for a "content types are code" workflow.
Choose Directus when you want a real admin UI and API sitting directly on a PostgreSQL database you control, so your content is queryable with plain SQL, backed up with your other data, and never locked in a vendor's model. It is also our default recommendation when editors need a genuinely good day-to-day experience and the team wants self-hosting without building the admin themselves.
Choosing a CMS for a real project?
Tell us your team, your data-residency needs, and how your editors work. We'll recommend one, and design the content model, which matters more than the tool.
Ask us →What does not decide it
- Field types. Text, rich text, relations, repeatables, media, JSON: all three have them. The content model you design on top matters far more than the primitives.
- "Headless" branding. All three are headless. That word tells you nothing about which fits your project.
- GraphQL vs REST. All three offer an API you can build a Next.js site against without friction.
The rule
Answer two questions. Do you want to run infrastructure? If no, Contentful. If yes: should the content schema live in your codebase, or in a database you query directly? Codebase → Strapi. Database → Directus. Then spend your real design effort on the content model, because that is what you will live with.