Directus
Slidev
| Feature | Directus | Slidev |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $99/mo | Free only |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, agencies, content-teams, data-driven-teams | developers, tech-speakers, educators, open-source-contributors |
| Founded | 2016 | 2021 |
| Data Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rest Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Graphql Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Flows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Permissions | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown Slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Coding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vue Components | ✗ | ✓ |
| Themes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Recording | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pdf Export | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Directus Pros
- Open source
- Database-first
- Beautiful admin UI
- REST + GraphQL
✗ Directus Cons
- Self-hosting required for free
- Smaller community
- Documentation gaps
✓ Slidev Pros
- Write slides in Markdown
- Live coding in presentations
- Full Vue component support
- Export to PDF or SPA
✗ Slidev Cons
- Requires developer knowledge
- No visual editor
- Not suitable for non-technical users
The Verdict
Directus is built for developers and agencies, with a focus on data-studio and rest-api. Slidev targets developers and tech speakers and leads with markdown-slides and live-coding.
Slidev uses custom enterprise pricing, while Directus starts at $99/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.