Strapi vs Contentful vs Directus ring a bell?

If you're making something serious in 2025, you've likely reached this exact same fork in the road. Make one wrong choice here and it'll set you back months of dev time, rebuilds by the thousands, and a huge headache later.

We all think we know what CMS to use until reality hits.

If you're the lead on the product, a founder, or a developer, you can't afford not to know. When you're through here, you'll know clearly which one does for your project.

Let's put this one to rest once and for all: Which is the best headless CMS for you?

Overview of Each CMS Platform

1. Directus:

If you enjoy being directly involved with databases and being fully in control of your schema, then Directus may be the best choice for you. Rather than most headless CMS options forcing you into their data models, Directus just adds an API and a nice admin UI on top of your existing SQL database.

This implies you don't need to alter how your data is organized; you simply hook Directus up to your database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, etc.) and it does the rest. It's basically granting superpowers to your database.

Directus runs Node.js behind the scenes and has both REST and GraphQL built in. You can self-host or utilize their managed cloud if you don't feel like messing around with infrastructure. Because it's open-source (MIT license), you can modify it however you see fit.

What sets Directus apart is the fact that it allows you complete control of your content model without sacrificing modern CMS features, such as role-based permissions, versioning, file management, and a nice-looking admin panel that your content team will love using.

If you require something that seamlessly fits into your current stack and you don't want to be locked into a vendor, Directus is a great, future-proof choice.

If you choose Directus, then hire Directus developer who is capable enough to properly structuring the databases and workflows.

2. Strapi: 

Strapi is usually the default option for businesses that desire a flexible, API-first CMS that is simple to install and customize. It's developed using JavaScript (Node.js and Koa), and has a developer experience that feels like a breath of fresh air compared to conventional CMS platforms.

By using Strapi, you can fire up a ready-to-use backend with REST and GraphQL APIs with just the creation of your content models. It takes care of all the work, like authentication, role-based permission, media uploading, and even email integrations, without requiring all these plugins and setups.

What's so great about Strapi is its customization. You can override routes, customize controllers, hook into lifecycle events, and add plugins to add extra functionality to the core. It's particularly loved within the React/Vue/Next.js world since the API structure is predictable and clean, just what frontend developers want.

You can host it yourself wherever (Heroku, DigitalOcean, Vercel) or go with Strapi Cloud if you prefer to have the hosting taken care of. It's also open-source and supported by an expanding community and team, making it simple to locate resources, plugins, and assistance.

If you want to make things move fast, iterate rapidly, and have the ability to tailor every aspect of your backend, then Strapi is the way to go. Hire Strapi developer to have custom APIs done the first time.

3. Contentful: 

Contentful is the enterprise choice of the headless CMS world. It’s fully hosted, polished, and built to scale, which makes it a great fit for large teams and companies that want a CMS without the maintenance burden.

One of the biggest differences between Contentful and platforms like Directus or Strapi is that you don’t manage the backend or the database yourself. Everything is handled through their hosted API and admin panel. You define your content models in the UI, and Contentful takes care of generating the APIs for you.

The setup is fast; you sign up, create a space, build your content types, and start pushing content. It comes with built-in features like media asset management, content localization, versioning, and a global CDN for superfast content delivery. Their SDKs (JavaScript, iOS, Android, etc.) make it easy to consume the content from almost any frontend.

However, the trade-off is flexibility. You can’t customize much beyond what the platform offers. And pricing can get steep as you scale up in usage, roles, or locales.

Still, if you're working with a marketing team or enterprise client that wants a fast, reliable, low-maintenance solution, and they’re okay with SaaS pricing, Contentful is often the safe (and smart) choice. 

Hire Contentful developer to integrate it seamlessly with your frontend, apps, and marketing stack.

Direct Comparison: Directus vs Strapi vs Contentful

Developer Experience 

When it comes to Strapi vs Contentful vs Directus, the developer experience can make or break your project.

Directus gives hardcore SQL developers total freedom. You’re working directly with your own database, designing your own schema, and shaping the API exactly how you want. If you love understanding every table and index inside your system, Directus feels like home. But be ready,  you’ll need to roll up your sleeves. This isn’t a “click next-next-finish” setup. You’re in control, but you’re also responsible.

Strapi offers a sweet spot between structure and flexibility. You get quick scaffolding,  meaning you can spin up a working API in minutes, but you can dive deep into customization whenever you need. Want to tweak authentication? Override a controller? Build a custom plugin? Strapi makes it feel natural, not painful. It’s built by developers, for developers.

Contentful is the smoothest if you don't want to touch much backend at all. You define content types in their web UI and fetch them using their hosted APIs. No database management, no server setup. However, this simplicity comes at a cost,  if you need serious customization, you’ll quickly find yourself limited by what Contentful allows.

Setup Time Setup time varies a lot depending on the CMS you choose.

Directus expects you to already have a database ready to go. You’ll need to connect it, configure roles, set up permissions, and deploy it somewhere. If your team is already comfortable with cloud hosting and databases, it’s not a big deal. But if you’re hoping for a one-click deploy, Directus isn’t it.

Strapi is one of the easiest CMSs to set up for developers. A few CLI commands (`npx create-strapi-app`) and you’re up and running with a local instance. You don’t even need to touch a database initially; Strapi will spin up SQLite by default for testing. Scaling to a real database (like PostgreSQL or MySQL) takes just a few config tweaks.

Contentful is designed for non-developers and developers alike. You sign up, create a space, and start defining content models right inside their web UI. No infrastructure, no server setup. It’s by far the fastest to get started if you want to skip the DevOps work and jump straight into content.

Scalability and Performance Under High Traffic

Performance and scaling are critical once your project starts to grow. Each CMS takes a different approach.

Directus scales based on your hosting environment. It’s a double-edged sword ,  you get total flexibility, but also full responsibility. Want to scale to millions of requests? Great, but you’ll need to optimize your server, database, and caching layers yourself. It's ideal for teams that already know how to manage scalable infrastructure.

Strapi can scale very well, especially when deployed with proper server setups like Kubernetes, AWS Fargate, or similar. However, because it’s still a Node.js app, you might need to do a little tuning,  things like clustering, database optimization, and caching,  when you’re handling very high traffic.

Contentful basically removes scaling worries from your plate. It’s a SaaS platform backed by a global CDN, so your content delivery stays fast even at high volume. But there’s a catch: the more you grow, the more you pay. Large spaces, high API call volumes, and additional users can make Contentful pretty expensive over time.

Pricing Tiers and Cost at Scale

Directus: Self-hosting is free, you pay only for your own servers or database. For Directus Cloud (the SaaS), pricing starts at $15/month for the Starter tier (annually billed), which includes 1 admin user and 5,000 records. 

The Professional plan is $99/month, and Enterprise pricing is custom. At scale, costs come from user seats, data/record volumes, and API calls on paid plans, or hosting costs on your own.

Strapi: The open-source Community edition is free; you host it yourself at no CMS license cost. Strapi Cloud has usage-based pricing: the entry (Developer) plan is $15/project, with higher plans for teams. 

Strapi Enterprise self-host includes paid support/services, but the code remains MIT. In effect, Strapi’s cost at scale is mostly infrastructure (hosting DB/servers) unless you use Strapi Cloud, where you pay by project size and data.

Contentful: Offers a free tier and tiered paid plans. As of 2025, the Lite (small business) plan is $300/month; Premium (enterprise) is custom pricing. The free plan includes up to 100K API calls/month and 50 GB bandwidth. Above those limits, higher tiers or add-ons (spaces, users, calls) cost more. In general, Contentful can be more expensive at scale than self-hosted CMSs, because you pay for API and content usage. 

Enterprise customers can negotiate volume discounts and extended features. The key cost factor in Contentful is content volume and request volume; performance/headroom comes at higher plan levels.

Contentful vs Directus vs Strapi: Which Is Best?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here, it really depends on your use case.

Let’s break it down with a few real-world scenarios:

Strapi is a fantastic choice for startups or solo developers who want speed. You can get up and running fast, build custom features when needed, and still maintain a solid structure and flexibility.

Contentful shines for enterprise teams and marketing-heavy use cases. It’s fully hosted, globally available, and packed with tools for localization, media management, and collaboration. If you don’t want to think about infrastructure, it's the obvious pick.

Directus is ideal for developer-heavy teams working on products that need tight control over the backend, like internal tools, custom dashboards, or SaaS apps that deal with complex relational data. It respects your database instead of replacing it.

So again, this isn’t about picking a single “winner.”

The better question would be: What do you need?

• Want maximum control and don’t mind rolling up your sleeves? → Go with Directus.
• Want speed to market and flexibility with an open plugin system? → Strapi is your friend.
• Want enterprise reliability and don’t want to worry about infrastructure? → Choose Contentful.

Final Thoughts

If you need full control over your backend and are comfortable managing infrastructure, Directus gives you unmatched flexibility. For teams that want to move fast while keeping customization open, Strapi offers the perfect balance of structure and freedom. And if you’d rather skip the DevOps work and go all-in on a polished, reliable platform, Contentful delivers, though it comes at a cost. The real win? Choosing the CMS that fits your project now and scales with you later.

Your CMS should grow with your business, not limit it.

So ask the real question: What kind of product are we building, and who’s building it?

Make your CMS choice with intention. The right platform will save time, reduce headaches, and scale with you. And once you've picked the right tool, make sure you've got the right developers behind it, because great tech still needs great execution.