Storyblok vs Directus
Storyblok is an editor-first CMS from Linz, built so marketers can click into their live page. Directus sits on top of a SQL database you can host yourself on every tier, under a source-available licence. Editors favour the first, and teams with structured data favour the second.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Choose Storyblok ifyou want marketers to edit pages visually without a developer, and you want an Austrian vendor with published tiers.
Choose Directus ifyour content is really structured data in a SQL database, you want to self-host, and you accept a source-available licence and a United States entity.
Storyblok and Directus side by side
| Storyblok | Directus | |
|---|---|---|
| Our headless CMS platform rank | #7 of 13 | #8 of 13 |
| Established in | Austria | United States |
| List price, 4 November 2026 | Starter free; Growth $99 per month ($90.75 billed annually); Growth Plus $349 ($319.91 annually); extra seats $15; Premium and Elite custom | Core $89 per month billed yearly ($99 monthly); Team shown as $588 yearly in plan cards but $499 in the FAQ; Enterprise custom; Cloud trial 14 days |
| Free tier | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Self-hostable | — | Yes |
| Built for | A marketing team that must edit pages without a developer | A team that already has a database and wants an API and an editor on it |
| Not for | A one-page site with no ongoing content | An editorial team that needs review and publishing workflow first |
Both are reviewed in full in our headless CMS platform ranking: Storyblok and Directus.
Where they differ
Storyblok 1 · Directus 2 · open 1- 01
Entry price and what it buys
Storyblok has a free Starter with 1 seat, then Growth at $99 per month ($90.75 when billed annually). Directus lists Core at $89 per month billed yearly ($99 monthly), with 3 seats as a hard limit. Directus is cheaper at the entry paid tier, and Storyblok has the free plan.
Depends on the buyer
- 02
Hosting and licence
Directus allows self-hosting on every tier, and its repository carries the Monospace Sustainable Core License, whose permitted purposes exclude Competing Use. That makes it source-available, not open source. Storyblok's pages we read show no self-hosted option. If running your own server matters, Directus is the only one here.
Edge: Directus
- 03
Editing history and enterprise controls
Storyblok keeps 1 day of content versions on Starter, 30 days on Growth and Growth Plus, and 180 on Premium. Taxonomies, environments, release management and SSO sit on Premium and Elite. Directus puts SSO on Team, with 10 SSO seats and extra seats at $50 per month. Directus reaches SSO at a lower tier.
Edge: Directus
- 04
Price clarity on the page
Storyblok lists Starter, Growth and Growth Plus ($349 per month, $319.91 annually) with extra seats at $15. Directus shows Team at $588 yearly ($698 monthly) in the plan cards, but its FAQ says $499 and $599. Confirm that quote before budgeting. Storyblok's page is consistent.
Edge: Storyblok
When neither fits
If you need a developer-owned, code-first stack or a publication-style editorial workflow, check other options. Strapi and Sanity are both in our headless CMS ranking.
Storyblok or Directus: questions
3 answersCan I self-host either one?
Directus can be self-hosted on every tier, and organisations under $5M revenue and fewer than 50 employees can qualify for its Open Innovation Grant. We found no self-hosted option on Storyblok's pricing page.
Is Directus open source?
Its repository uses the Monospace Sustainable Core License, which excludes Competing Use, so it is source-available. It runs on SQL databases including MariaDB, MySQL and PostgreSQL.
Where are the vendors based?
Storyblok GmbH is in Linz, Austria. Directus is operated by MONOSPACE, INC., a Delaware entity.
Sources
Checked 4 November 2026- Storyblok pricing page: tier prices, seats, extra seat cost, version retention, features under Premium and Elite.
- Storyblok legal notice: Storyblok GmbH in Linz, Austria.
- Directus pricing page: Core and Team prices, FAQ price discrepancy, seats, SSO, self-hosting, grant eligibility.
- Directus licence file: Monospace Sustainable Core License with Competing Use excluded.
- Directus on GitHub: supported SQL databases.
- Directus terms: MONOSPACE, INC. as a Delaware entity.