# Decap CMS vs directus

> Two self-hosted [Headless CMS projects](https://selfhost.directory/headless-cms), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Decap CMS | directus |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 72/100 | 79/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 13 in Headless CMS | #3 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 19 456 | 38 708 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +752 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v12.6.0 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

directus scores 79/100 against 72/100 for Decap CMS, so it is the safer default.

directus ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Decap CMS.

If you want the quickest setup, Decap CMS is easier to run; directus needs more configuration.

directus is growing faster right now (+752 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Decap CMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/decap-cms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/decap-cms.md)
- [directus](https://selfhost.directory/project/directus) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/directus.md)

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- [directus vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/directus-vs-payload-cms)
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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/decap-cms-vs-directus