Directus vs Sanity

Side-by-side — pricing, strengths, tradeoffs, and fit.

Directus

Open data platform for any SQL database

Sanity

Headless CMS with a real-time, customizable content studio and structured content.

At a glance

Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From Freemium
Free TierEnterprise
● Established·From $15/user/mo

Overview

One-liner

Open data platform for any SQL database

One-liner

Headless CMS with a real-time, customizable content studio and structured content.

Maturity

Established

Maturity

Established

Open source

✓ Yes

Open source

✕ No

Pricing

Free tier

✓ Available

Free tier

✓ Available

Free tier with generous usage and 3 users

Starts at

Freemium

Starts at

$15/user/mo

Model

Hybrid

Model

Per seat

Enterprise

✕ None

Enterprise

✓ Available

Best for

✓ Best for

Teams wanting a flexible headless CMS that works with existing SQL databases

✓ Best for

Custom content workflowsTailor the Studio to editors’ needs
Structured, multi-channel contentModel once, deliver anywhere via API

Not ideal for

✕ Not for

Pure content-only use cases where a traditional CMS workflow is preferred

✕ Not for

—

Strengths

↑ Strengths

Database-agnostic
REST & GraphQL
No-code app
Flows (automations)

↑ Strengths

Highly customizable Studio
Structured content + GROQ
Real-time collaboration

Weaknesses

↓ Weaknesses

—

↓ Weaknesses

Learning curve for modeling/GROQ
Usage-based costs can grow
Full Directus profile →Full Sanity profile →