strapivsdirectus
Strapi is plugin-rich, has a strong community, REST + GraphQL out of the box. Directus is more flexible with existing databases (it wraps your DB; Strapi creates one). Pick Directus to add CMS to an existing Postgres.
strapi
github.com/strapi/strapiHeadless CMS with admin UI. ~64k stars. Mature, large community, plugin ecosystem. Heavier than Payload, more familiar if you come from WordPress.
Full review →directus
github.com/directus/directusHeadless CMS layered on top of any SQL database. ~28k stars. Strong when you have an existing database and want a no-code admin UI bolted on.
Full review →Which should you pick?
Pick strapi if…
You want a mature CMS with a friendly admin UI and a large plugin ecosystem.
Skip strapi if…
You want TypeScript-native code-first content modeling — Payload fits builders better.
Pick directus if…
You have an existing Postgres/MySQL DB and want a CMS admin UI without migrating schema.
Skip directus if…
You are starting fresh — Payload is more modern.
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