Craft CMS vs Directus
Craft CMS and Directus are both CMS options. Here's how they compare on official platforms, features, and positioning — sourced from each vendor's own site, not from ratings or reviews.
Side-by-side summary
Best for Craft CMS
Agencies and developers building multi-site or e-commerce projects who want flexible content modeling without being locked into a rigid page structure.
Best for Directus
Development and content teams that want to turn an existing SQL database into a governed API and content backend without vendor lock-in.
Feature comparison
Every feature listed here comes directly from each vendor's own official site.
Craft CMS
- Customizable field types and flexible content modeling
- Multi-site support with unlimited localization, translated into 25 languages in the control panel
- Twig templating for coupled sites and a self-generating GraphQL API for decoupled apps
- Extensible plugin framework with a built-in Plugin Store
- Craft Commerce for e-commerce functionality
- Third-party integrations including Salesforce, Mailchimp, and HubSpot
- Craft Cloud managed hosting option
Directus
- Instant REST and GraphQL API generation from an existing database
- No-code admin interface (Studio) for content management and data governance
- Digital asset manager with CDN-ready file transformation
- Real-time updates via WebSockets and subscriptions
- Visual editing with live preview
- Role-based access control for both human users and AI agents
- Native MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor integrations
- Self-hosted via npm on your own infrastructure or managed Directus Cloud
Pros and cons
Craft CMS
- Customizable field types and flexible content modeling
- Multi-site support with unlimited localization, translated into 25 languages in the control panel
- Twig templating for coupled sites and a self-generating GraphQL API for decoupled apps
- Extensible plugin framework with a built-in Plugin Store
- Craft Commerce for e-commerce functionality
- Third-party integrations including Salesforce, Mailchimp, and HubSpot
- Craft Cloud managed hosting option
We don't publish a "cons" list for either product. No vendor's official site documents its own product's weaknesses, so there's no sourced basis for one — and we'd rather say that plainly than invent one.
Directus
- Instant REST and GraphQL API generation from an existing database
- No-code admin interface (Studio) for content management and data governance
- Digital asset manager with CDN-ready file transformation
- Real-time updates via WebSockets and subscriptions
- Visual editing with live preview
- Role-based access control for both human users and AI agents
- Native MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor integrations
- Self-hosted via npm on your own infrastructure or managed Directus Cloud
We don't publish a "cons" list for either product. No vendor's official site documents its own product's weaknesses, so there's no sourced basis for one — and we'd rather say that plainly than invent one.
Key differences
- Craft CMS lists Customizable field types and flexible content modeling, Multi-site support with unlimited localization, translated into 25 languages in the control panel, Twig templating for coupled sites and a self-generating GraphQL API for decoupled apps, Extensible plugin framework with a built-in Plugin Store, Craft Commerce for e-commerce functionality, Third-party integrations including Salesforce, Mailchimp, and HubSpot, Craft Cloud managed hosting option that Directus doesn't list.
- Directus lists Instant REST and GraphQL API generation from an existing database, No-code admin interface (Studio) for content management and data governance, Digital asset manager with CDN-ready file transformation, Real-time updates via WebSockets and subscriptions, Visual editing with live preview, Role-based access control for both human users and AI agents, Native MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor integrations, Self-hosted via npm on your own infrastructure or managed Directus Cloud that Craft CMS doesn't list.
- Craft CMS supports Web (Craft Cloud), which Directus doesn't list.
- Directus supports Web (Directus Cloud), which Craft CMS doesn't list.
Choose Craft CMS if…
Choose Craft CMS if this fits: Agencies and developers building multi-site or e-commerce projects who want flexible content modeling without being locked into a rigid page structure.
Choose Directus if…
Choose Directus if this fits: Development and content teams that want to turn an existing SQL database into a governed API and content backend without vendor lock-in.
Facts on this page are sourced from each vendor's official site (linked below), not from ratings or reviews. Products change — verify anything that matters to your decision directly on the vendor's own site before switching. See our Disclaimer and Sources Policy.
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