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 Directus to Payload migration experts
Challenges with Directus
Directus looks fantastic in demos, but things get rocky once you actually try to use it at scale. Cloud plans jump to enterprise the moment your team grows past five users, and the API limits are tight enough that any traffic spike means aggressive caching or a surprise bill. It feels flexible until you realise the platform has a lot of operational overhead baked in.
On the dev side, updates can introduce breaking changes, the documentation doesn’t always keep pace, and the extension ecosystem is pretty thin. Localization is technically supported but fiddly and easy to misconfigure, and large datasets make the UI noticeably sluggish. And if you want anything deeply custom, you’re suddenly living in Vue.js land, which is not where most teams want to spend their weekends.
Key pain points
Breaking update changes
Directus has a habit of shipping updates that occasionally break things you weren’t planning to fix. Unless you're on an enterprise plan, you don’t get clean version control.
Limited extension ecosystem
The plugin ecosystem is still pretty bare. Anything even mildly niche ends up becoming a “let’s just custom build it” moment, which defeats the purpose of picking a CMS with extensions.
Complex localization setup
Yes, it supports multilingual content, but setting it up feels like assembling IKEA furniture blindfolded. It works, but expect extra config, extra steps, and extra patience.
Version control paywall
Want safe rollbacks, controlled releases, and predictable deployments? Great, Directus will tell you to upgrade first. Versioning is locked behind higher-tier plans, which is… bold.
Vue.js knowledge requirement
Custom interfaces and deeper tweaks need Vue.js, so if your team only speaks React, prepare for a small identity crisis (or a hiring plan).
Large dataset performance issues
Heavy tables and deeply relational data can slow down queries and the UI, forcing you to optimise more than you probably wanted to.
Benefits of Payload
Payload CMS stands out as a robust and flexible content management solution, particularly for developers working with Next.js. Its seamless integration with Next.js allows for a smooth development experience, enabling developers to harness the full power of this popular framework while managing content efficiently. The CMS is open-source, which means it can be customized and extended to meet specific project requirements, offering unparalleled flexibility. With support for custom data models, Payload CMS can handle a wide variety of applications, from simple blogs to complex enterprise systems, making it a versatile choice for developers.
The user-friendly admin interface of Payload CMS enhances the content management process, making it accessible even to non-technical users. This intuitive interface simplifies tasks such as content creation and media management, allowing teams to focus on delivering quality content without technical hurdles. Furthermore, Payload comes equipped with rich features, including authentication, access control, and media management, right out of the box, which accelerates development and reduces the need for additional plugins. Supported by a growing community, developers can benefit from shared knowledge and contributions, ensuring that Payload CMS continues to evolve and improve over time.
Key Advantages
- •Seamless integration with Next.js applications
- •Fully customizable and extendable by developers
- •Supports custom data models for diverse applications
- •Intuitive admin UI for easy content management
- •Custom plugins and APIs for added functionality
- •Growing developer community for contributions and support
- •Built-in authentication, access control, media management
Get in touch
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