Directus vs. Payload CMS Comparison


Directus Monospace Inc	Payload CMS	+	+
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From virtual machines with proven price/performance advantages to a fully managed app development platform. Scalable, resilient, high performance object storage and databases for your applications. State-of-the-art software-defined networking products on Google’s private fiber network. Fully managed data warehousing, batch and stream processing, data exploration, Hadoop/Spark, and messaging. 61,066 Ratings Visit Website Google Cloud SQL Fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server with rich extension collections, configuration flags, and developer ecosystems. New customers get $300 in free credits to spend on Cloud SQL. You won’t be charged until you upgrade. Reduce maintenance costs with fully managed MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server databases. Ensure business continuity with reliable and secure services backed by 24/7 SRE team. Data encryption at rest and in transit. Private connectivity with Virtual Private Cloud and user-controlled network access with firewall protection. Compliant with SSAE 16, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and HIPAA. Scale your instances effortlessly with a single API call whether you start with simple testing or you need a highly available database in production. Simplify database operations with AI-powered assistance in Gemini, now in preview on Cloud SQL. It streamlines development, performance optimization, fleet management, governance, and migration. 554 Ratings Visit Website Couchbase Couchbase’s operational data platform for AI is a scalable foundation for enterprise operational, analytical, mobile and AI workloads that replaces legacy infrastructure and data services. Bring your data to life in new ways with Couchbase’s enterprise data partnership: launch game-changing customer experiences, explore the infinite possibilities of AI, scale your global operations, and move your data from the cloud to the edge, and beyond. 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About Directus is an Open Data Platform for managing the content of any SQL database. It provides a powerful API layer for developers and an intuitive App for non-technical users. Written entirely in JavaScript (primarily Node.js and Vue.js), Directus is completely open-source, modular, and extensible, allowing it to be fully tailored to your exact project needs. With Directus Cloud, we've taken our open-source spirit to the cloud by offering Directus Community Cloud, a completely free tier - without quotas or limitations. It's ideal for hobby projects and demos, and when you're ready for production, Standard Cloud has the power and infrastructure options you need. Our pricing is usage-based, which means you only pay for what you use. Use Directus on your next headless cms, internal tool, or SaaS project, or use our Insights for better data management and analytics. With Directus, you're only limited by your imagination.	About Payload is an open‑source, code‑first backend and headless CMS built on Next.js that lets teams simplify their stack and build anything, from content sites and headless e‑commerce to enterprise apps and digital asset management, using a single, extensible framework. Developers can scaffold projects instantly with npx create-payload-app, define schemas in fully typed JavaScript configurations, and auto‑generate REST APIs for any supported database adapter, while marketers use a minimal, elegant admin UI offering visual editing, live preview, localization, multi‑tenancy, white‑label branding, granular access control, authentication, and real‑time RAG‑ready vector embeddings without manual effort. Payload also delivers enterprise features such as Single Sign‑On (SSO), AI auto‑embedding, static AB testing, and configurable publishing workflows.
Platforms Supported Windows Supported Mac Supported Linux Supported Cloud Supported On-Premises Supported iPhone Not Supported iPad Not Supported Android Not Supported Chromebook Not Supported	Platforms Supported Windows Not Supported Mac Not Supported Linux Not Supported Cloud Supported On-Premises Not Supported iPhone Not Supported iPad Not Supported Android Not Supported Chromebook Not Supported
Audience Developers and Database Engineers; Content Authors, Executives, and Non-Technical Staff	Audience Development and marketing teams requiring a solution to build, manage, and scale modern web applications with total control and flexibility
Support Phone Support Not Supported 24/7 Live Support Supported Online Supported	Support Phone Support Not Supported 24/7 Live Support Not Supported Online Supported
API Offers API Supported	API Offers API Supported
Screenshots and Videos View more images or videos	Screenshots and Videos View more images or videos
Pricing Free While Directus can be self-hosted completely free, we also offer two managed Cloud options. Free Version Supported Free Trial Supported	Pricing Free Free Version Supported Free Trial Not Supported
Reviews/Ratings Overall 0.0 / 5 ease 0.0 / 5 features 0.0 / 5 design 0.0 / 5 support 0.0 / 5 This software hasn't been reviewed yet. Be the first to provide a review: Review this Software	Reviews/Ratings Overall 0.0 / 5 ease 0.0 / 5 features 0.0 / 5 design 0.0 / 5 support 0.0 / 5 This software hasn't been reviewed yet. Be the first to provide a review: Review this Software

Training Documentation Supported Webinars Supported Live Online Supported In Person Supported	Training Documentation Supported Webinars Not Supported Live Online Supported In Person Not Supported
Company Information Monospace Inc Founded: 2005 United States directus.io	Company Information Payload CMS Founded: 2018 United States payloadcms.com
Alternatives Budibase	Alternatives b10cks Coder's Cantina
NocoDB	ContioReach
Bold Quintype	UnderPeaks
Contentstack	Flotiq
Storyblok View All	Rierino View All
Categories API Design Supported API Management Supported Content Management Supported Dashboard Supported Data Visualization Supported Database Supported Database as a Service (DBaaS) Supported Digital Asset Management Supported Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) Supported Headless CMS Supported	Categories Headless CMS Supported
Show More Features API Management Features Access Control Supported Analytics Supported API Design Supported API Lifecycle Management Not Supported Dashboard Supported Developer Portal Supported Testing Management Supported Threat Protection Not Supported Traffic Control Not Supported Version Control Supported Content Management Features Audio Content Supported Customizable Templates Supported Document Indexing Supported E-forms Supported Full Text Search Supported Image Editor Supported SEO Management Supported Text Editor Supported Version Control Supported Video Content Supported Website Management Supported Database Features Backup and Recovery Supported Creation / Development Supported Data Migration Supported Data Replication Supported Data Search Supported Data Security Supported Database Conversion Supported Mobile Access Supported Monitoring Supported NOSQL Supported Performance Analysis Not Supported Queries Supported Relational Interface Supported Virtualization Supported Digital Asset Management Features Asset Categorization Supported Asset Library Supported Asset Sharing Supported Brand Control Supported Customizable Branding Supported File Conversion Supported Metadata Management Supported Mobile App Supported Reporting/Analytics Supported Search Within Document Not Supported Search/Filter Supported Version Control Supported Watermarking Supported Workflow Management Supported Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) Features Alerts / Notifications Supported Auto-Tagging Supported Blogs Supported Calendar Supported Content Modeling Supported Digital Asset Management Supported File Sharing Supported Form Builder Supported Forums / Message Boards Supported Headless CMS Supported Knowledge Base Supported Performance Monitoring Supported Personalization / Segmentation Supported Reporting / Analytics Supported Surveys / Polls Supported Templates Supported User Management / Permissions Supported Version Control Supported Wiki Supported Workflow Management Supported
Integrations Azure Marketplace Supported Commerce Layer Supported Crowdin Supported Elestio Supported JavaScript Not Supported Kamatera Supported MongoDB Not Supported MySQL Not Supported Next.js Not Supported PostgreSQL Not Supported React Not Supported TypeScript Not Supported Workers by Delos Supported Show More Integrations View All 6 Integrations	Integrations Azure Marketplace Not Supported Commerce Layer Not Supported Crowdin Not Supported Elestio Not Supported JavaScript Supported Kamatera Not Supported MongoDB Supported MySQL Supported Next.js Supported PostgreSQL Supported React Supported TypeScript Supported Workers by Delos Not Supported Show More Integrations View All 7 Integrations
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