Sanity vs Directus(2026)
Sanity is better for teams that need flexible schema. Directus is the stronger choice if works with your existing database. Sanity is freemium (from $15/month) and Directus is open-source (from $15/month (cloud)).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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Sanity
Sanity is a headless CMS with real-time collaboration, a customizable studio, and a GROQ query language.
Starting at $15/month
Visit SanityDirectus
Directus is an open source headless CMS and data platform that wraps any SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API.
Starting at $15/month (cloud)
Visit DirectusHow Do Sanity and Directus Compare on Features?
| Feature | Sanity | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Starting price | $15/month | $15/month (cloud) |
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ | — |
| Portable Text | ✓ | — |
| GROQ queries | ✓ | — |
| Studio customization | ✓ | — |
| Content Lake | ✓ | — |
| Image CDN | ✓ | — |
| Auto-generated REST API | — | ✓ |
| GraphQL support | — | ✓ |
| Any SQL database | — | ✓ |
| Role-based permissions | — | ✓ |
| Data studio UI | — | ✓ |
| Real-time webhooks | — | ✓ |
Sanity Pros and Cons vs Directus
Sanity
Directus
Should You Use Sanity or Directus?
Choose Sanity if…
- •Flexible schema
- •Real-time editing
- •Powerful GROQ
Choose Directus if…
- •Works with your existing database
- •Open source (self-host free)
- •Flexible data model