Case Study
View Case StudyTray.ai
Migrating hundreds of thousands of pages, re-platforming and extending for the leading composable AI integration platform
We are the Contentstack to Directus migration experts
Challenges with Contentstack
Contentstack comes with a hefty price tag and an even heftier learning curve. You don’t just “spin it up,” you architect it, model it, train teams, fight through workflows, and hope your budget survives the onboarding. The editor can drag when the content tree gets big, and the visual builder starts feeling like it's running a marathon with ankle weights.
Pricing is also locked behind sales calls and enterprise paperwork. Good luck, if you want to switch platforms later. The custom setups and integrations turn migration into a full-blown project. Even with strong APIs, a lot of “advanced” tasks still need bespoke dev work, meaning you’ll rely on specialists whether you like it or not.
Key pain points
Steep learning curve
Even seasoned teams need time to get comfortable. Content modeling and workflows aren’t “plug and play,” expect onboarding sessions and a couple of headaches.
Complex initial setup
Getting everything wired up the way you want takes real developer hours. This isn’t a “spin it up on a Friday” CMS.
Performance lags in editor
Large content models and lots of entries can make the editor feel sluggish, especially when teams scale up.
Limited self-service customization
Anything beyond the basics tends to require a developer. Marketers won’t be bending this platform to their will alone.
Editor usability concerns
The visual builder is powerful but can get overwhelming fast, especially with deep nesting or complex blocks.
Content modeling complexity
You’ll spend time architecting your content upfront. If your team isn’t used to strict modeling, brace yourself.
Benefits of Directus
Directus instantly wins points with us because, well… it has a rabbit for a logo. But beyond that, it’s genuinely a solid database-first CMS. If you like the idea of a CMS that sits directly on top of your SQL database without any abstractions, Directus feels incredibly natural.
You can self-host it, tweak it endlessly, and treat your schema exactly the way you want. Editors get a no-code admin UI that feels polished, developers get REST and GraphQL out of the box, and teams get workflows, versioning, automations, and proper permission controls. It’s flexible, fast, and a great fit if your content is really just structured data waiting for a smarter interface. If your project revolves around relational data and you want total control from database to API, Directus is one of the cleanest ways to build it.
Key advantages
Intuitive non-technical interface
Editors get a clean, no-code admin panel that feels more like a productivity tool than a CMS. Non-technical teams can handle content updates without pinging developers every five minutes.
Database-agnostic SQL integration
Directus plugs straight into your SQL database and turns it into an API instantly. If your data lives in Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, or SQLite, it just works.
Field-level permission controls
You can lock down every field, table, and action with granular role-based permissions. Perfect for teams that care about security and don’t want interns accidentally deleting production data.
Built-in REST/GraphQL support
Your entire database is instantly exposed as both REST and GraphQL endpoints. Just plug into your frontend and start shipping.
Extensive UI customization
Directus lets you tweak the interface, add custom views, tailor layouts, and build the exact editing experience your team needs. It feels like a CMS you can actually shape instead of fight.
Real-time collaboration tools
Multiple contributors can work together without stepping on each other’s toes. Edits sync instantly, drafts stay clean, and the whole workflow feels built for modern teams, not 2010 intranets.
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