Directus VS Underlayer

Compare Directus VS Underlayer and see what are their differences

Rating: 0 reviews
Pricing: Open source

Rating: 0 reviews
Pricing: Freemium $149 / Monthly

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Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Directus seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 126 times since March 2021.

social mentions: 126 vs 0
CMS popularity: 100% vs 0%
alternatives listed: 240+ vs 2

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

	Directus	Underlayer
Website	directus.com	underlayerhq.com
Pricing	Open source Official pricing	Freemium $149 / Monthly Official pricing
Company	Startup from the United States	Startup from the United Arab Emirates · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in	CMS Blogging Blogging Platform Website Builder +1	Education E-learning Education / E-Learning

About Directus and Underlayer

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Directus

Underlayer

No description of Directus yet.

Underlayer is headless, API-first training for SaaS products. Instead of sending your users to a separate LMS portal, you generate a course, embed it where they already work, and get every completion sent back to your own systems. How it works Create a course. Generate one from a doc or a prompt...

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Directus 6 features

Underlayer 0 features

Headless CMS
Directus offers a headless CMS, which decouples the content management back-end from the front-end. This allows for greater flexibility in how content is displayed across different platforms and devices.
Open-source
Being open-source, Directus allows developers to contribute to its development, inspect the code, and build custom features according to their needs. This fosters a large, active community and encourages rapid iteration and innovation.
Database Agnostic
Directus can be used with any SQL database, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. This gives developers the flexibility to work within their preferred database environments.
User-friendly Interface
The Directus app provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface for non-developers. This makes it easier for content creators and managers to handle their content without needing to understand the technical aspects.
API-first
Directus provides a powerful API out of the box, enabling easy integration with other services and applications. This ensures that developers can build seamless, robust, and scalable services.
Customizable
Directus offers extensive customization options, including custom roles, permissions, and interfaces. This makes it adaptable to a wide range of use cases and specific requirements.

Possible disadvantages

Learning Curve
While powerful, Directus can have a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with headless CMSs or API-first architectures. This might require additional training or time to become fully efficient in its use.
Resource Intensive
Operating Directus can be resource-intensive, especially in larger, more complex implementations. This might necessitate more robust server hardware or cloud infrastructure, increasing operational costs.
Complex Setup
Setting up Directus, particularly in production environments, can be complex and may require significant technical know-how. This can be a barrier for smaller teams or those without in-depth technical expertise.
Limited Built-in Features
Directus, being a headless CMS, does not come with built-in themes or front-end templates, unlike traditional CMSs. This can necessitate additional development to create a presentable front-end.
Dependency Management
Managing dependencies and keeping Directus up-to-date with the latest versions of its underlying components can be challenging and time-consuming for administrators.

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Directus

Underlayer

Overall verdict

Directus is a highly regarded solution for those seeking a flexible and powerful headless CMS. Its open-source license and ease of integration make it a strong choice for projects that require custom content management solutions.

Why this product is good

Directus is known for its flexibility and ease of use. It offers a headless CMS solution that connects seamlessly with various types of databases, providing a robust platform for managing digital content. Its open-source nature allows for extensive customization, and its user-friendly interface makes it accessible to both developers and non-technical users. Additionally, Directus provides real-time APIs and support for a range of content types, which can significantly streamline content management processes.

Recommended for

Developers looking for a customizable and adaptable CMS
Organizations needing a headless CMS with real-time API capabilities
Teams seeking a user-friendly and straightforward interface for content management
Projects that require integration with a variety of databases

No analysis of Underlayer yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Directus 3 videos + Add

Underlayer 1 video + Add

Using Directus

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100

Directus

Underlayer

100% 100%

CMS

0% 0%

Education

100% 100%

Blogging

0% 0%

E-learning

100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Directus and Underlayer.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Underlayer's answer:

it's pre-launching

What makes your product unique?

Underlayer's answer:

Underlayer is training with no portal. You build a course by API, by MCP, or in the visual builder, and add it to your product with one iframe. Then signed webhooks tell your systems who finished. Learners never create an account or leave your app, and the player uses your theme, so it looks like part of your product. We charge per course view, not per seat, and every price and overage rate is published.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Underlayer's answer:

Most course tools, like Coassemble, Trainn and LearningStudioAI, assume training happens on their own site: learners sign up, log in and get enrolled, and you pay per seat. Underlayer takes the opposite approach:

No learner accounts. You pass in your own user IDs and we track progress against them. Built for developers. A full REST API covers every resource, and an MCP server lets AI agents create and edit courses. Results in your own tools. Signed webhooks send completions to your CRM, your product or your data warehouse. SCORM 1.2 and 2004 export for customers who still need to load courses into an LMS. Public pricing. Plans start at $149/month for 25,000 course views, with unlimited learners and no sales call required.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Underlayer's answer:

SaaS product, customer success and engineering teams who want onboarding, product education or compliance training inside their own app. It also suits platforms that train other people's users, like partner networks, marketplaces and field-ops tools, where a separate LMS login gets in the way.

What's the story behind your product?

Underlayer's answer:

Every company putting training in front of its users hit the same wall: the LMS wanted to own the learner. That meant a separate portal, a second login and a per-seat bill for people who never opened a course. We built Underlayer as the layer underneath instead. You keep the product and the user relationship. We handle building the course, playing it and tracking progress, and we stay out of the way.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Underlayer's answer:

Next.js 16 (App Router) with React 19 and TypeScript, Tailwind CSS v4, and Supabase (Postgres with row-level security, Auth and Storage). Claude from Anthropic generates courses with AI. Stripe handles billing and Resend sends email. There is also a remote MCP server with OAuth 2.1 for AI-agent access.

User comments

Share your experience with using Directus and Underlayer. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Directus no reviews yet

Underlayer no reviews yet

21 Headless CMS Platforms That You Should Check Out
popupsmart.com · Mar 2022

Directus is an open data platform where you can turn SQL databases into an API. Furthermore, you can customize your content with this platform entirely since it is an extensible headless CMS platform.
Best Headless CMS in 2022
flatlogic.com · Feb 2022

Directus is a great headless CMS if you have a current SQL database. It is written with vue.js, REST is used for the public API and it is powered by Node.js. Directus is open-source so you can use it free without any...
Best Node.js CMS platforms for 2022
blog.logrocket.com · Dec 2021

Directus is an open-source headless CMS for managing custom SQL databases. Directus also has an intuitive admin app for non-technical users to manage content.

We have no reviews of Underlayer yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Directus 126 mentions

Underlayer 0 mentions

Ask HN: Looking for Headless CMS Recommendation
Im using directus (https://directus.io/) for my personal website with a vacation blog and some posts… So far it works pretty well and my gf is also able to use it on her own, so you could say its non-tech user approved haha. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
Directus.js (JavaScript SDK) – The official client for Directus APIs
If you're working with Directus, the open-source headless CMS and data platform, then Directus.js is your new best friend. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
Ditching Obsidian and building my own
It seems to really be an ad for Directus (https://directus.io/) (?). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

Tracking Underlayer since Sep 2026.

Alternatives to Directus and Underlayer

When comparing Directus and Underlayer, you can also consider the following products.

WordPress
WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

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Coassemble
Coassemble is an all-in-one, online training tool that connects people with the information they need – anytime, anyplace.

Compare Coassemble to Directus or Underlayer:

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Ghost
Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

Compare Ghost to Directus or Underlayer:

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Trainn.co
Trainn is a Customer Education platform for SaaS companies of all sizes to onboard and train customers, at scale, using product training & how-to videos, feature walkthroughs, and a dedicated customer training Academy.

Compare Trainn.co to Directus or Underlayer:

Trainn.co vs Directus Trainn.co vs Underlayer
Strapi
Manage any content. Anywhere. The leading open-source headless CMS. 100% JavaScript / TypeScript and fully customizable.

Compare Strapi to Directus or Underlayer:

Strapi vs Directus Strapi vs Underlayer
Drupal
Drupal - the leading open-source CMS for ambitious digital experiences that reach your audience across multiple channels. Because we all have different needs, Drupal allows you to create a unique space in a world of cookie-cutter solutions.

Compare Drupal to Directus or Underlayer:

Drupal vs Directus Drupal vs Underlayer