Bynder vs Directus

by Gralio Feb 27, 2025

Bynder excels in DAM for marketing teams needing streamlined asset management and distribution with integrations for creative workflows. Directus offers a more developer-centric approach for flexible data management and API access with customization options, making it suitable for wider use cases.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1062 reviews and 60 websites, saving 6 hours, 24 minutes of reading.

Bynder

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Directus

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Bynder is a cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) software that helps mid-sized and larger companies organize, manage, and distribute their digital content. It offers tools to streamline workflows, ensure brand consistency, and gain insights into content performance. Key features include AI-powered search, automated workflows, and integrations with other marketing tools. Bynder is used by companies like Spotify and Puma to manage a large volume of assets and streamline their creative processes.

Directus is a tool that makes it easier for your company to manage its data, even if you don't have a team of tech experts. It works directly with your existing databases and provides a user-friendly interface for non-technical staff to update and manage website content, product information, and more. Directus offers developers powerful tools to customize the platform while giving everyone in the company access to the information they need. This means Directus can be customized to your company's needs and can grow with your business.

Summary

Main difference

Bynder is a specialized Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform ideal for marketing teams needing to organize, share, and distribute digital assets efficiently, featuring AI-powered search and automated workflows. Directus is a headless CMS and data management platform best suited for developers and organizations requiring flexible data management and API-driven access, offering customization and open-source control.

Relative strengths of Bynder (compared to Directus)

Superior Digital Asset Management (DAM) focused features like AI-powered search, automated workflows, and in-app annotations.
Strong integrations with marketing tools like Canva and Adobe, facilitating creative workflows.
Focus on brand consistency and asset distribution, essential for marketing and branding efforts.

Relative weaknesses of Bynder (compared to Directus)

Less flexible data model compared to Directus, limiting customization beyond DAM use cases.
Limited API capabilities compared to Directus's comprehensive REST and GraphQL APIs.
Closed-source nature restricts the level of customization and community support available compared to open-source Directus.

What companies are using Bynder and Directus?

No data

The Shift Network

Ripley Entertainment

Copa Airlines - Colombia

Who should use Bynder VS. Directus

Bynder is a user-friendly DAM platform praised for its intuitive interface and smooth integrations with tools like Canva and Adobe. It effectively manages large volumes of assets, ensuring brand consistency. However, some users find the taxonomy setup challenging and smart filter functionality limited. Perfect for mid-sized to large companies.

Directus is a flexible and extensible headless CMS and backend solution ideal for organizations of all sizes seeking streamlined data management and API integrations. Users praise its intuitive interface and powerful API, while some note occasional bugs and areas for documentation improvement. Directus is particularly well-suited for custom development needs and integrates seamlessly with various platforms.

Best for mid-sized to large companies needing to manage extensive digital assets.
Ideal for marketing, media, e-commerce, and retail companies.

Best for small to large businesses needing custom development and data management.
Suitable for various industries, especially Software, IT & Telecommunications.

Bynder and Directus features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

REST and GraphQL API

Not supported

Bynder supports REST API but not GraphQL API.

Supported

Directus instantly generates REST and GraphQL APIs for seamless data access and manipulation.
Custom data browsing and filtering

Partially supported

Bynder supports filtering with metaproperties and tags, but custom layouts are not confirmed.

Supported

Directus supports custom data browsing and filtering through its API and low-code platform.
Digital asset management

Supported

Bynder offers centralized storage, transformation, and streamlined management for digital assets.

Supported

Directus provides centralized storage and management for product-related digital assets.
Brand portal

Supported

Brand portal is supported via Content Experiences and Digital Asset Management features.

Partially supported

Directus can be customized to create brand portals for external partners.
Dropbox integration

Supported

Bynder supports Dropbox integration for syncing finalized assets.

Not supported

Directus does not directly integrate with Dropbox.
In-app annotations

Supported

Bynder supports in-app annotations for assets to facilitate collaboration.

Not supported

Directus does not natively support in-app annotations, but custom solutions might be possible.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

No data

No data
Reliability and Performance

No data

No data
Ease of Implementation

No data

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

Bynder and Directus Pricing

Bynder offers custom-made packages tailored to specific business needs. The pricing is based on the number of users, storage, usage within the MarTech ecosystem, the products included, and the desired level of support.

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.33

See full Pricing page

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for Directus.

Bynder and Directus review insights

Users love

User-friendly interface and easy navigation.
Excellent onboarding and customer support experience.
Seamless integration with other tools, such as Canva and Adobe.
Highly customizable to fit specific business needs.
Effective for managing large volumes of assets and ensuring brand consistency.

Intuitive and user-friendly interface for both developers and content managers
Flexible and customizable data models and content structures
Powerful API (REST and GraphQL) for seamless integration with various platforms
Open-source nature allows for full control, customization, and community support
Active development and frequent updates with new features and improvements

Users dislike

Difficult taxonomy work can be challenging for some.
Limited smart filter functionalities.
Occasional small functionality bugs.
Mass uploading process can be time-consuming.

Occasional bugs and regressions can disrupt workflows
Documentation can be lacking for some features, especially for complex setups or customizations
Limited plugin/extension ecosystem compared to some other CMS options
Steep learning curve for advanced customizations and extending the platform

Bynder and Directus Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(763)
Capterra

4.5/5

(215)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(179)

G2

5.0/5

(35)
Capterra

4.5/5

(60)

Company health

Employee growth

7% increase in the last year

91% increase in the last year

Web traffic

16% decrease in the last quarter

No data

Financing

July 2016 - $22M

No data

How do Bynder's AI-powered search capabilities compare to Directus's custom filtering options?

Bynder leverages AI for its search functionality, allowing users to search by keywords, metadata, and even visually. Directus, on the other hand, offers custom filtering options through its API and low-code platform, giving developers more control over how users browse and filter data. While Bynder's AI might be more intuitive for quick searches, Directus provides more granular control and customization for specific data filtering requirements.

Which product better facilitates collaboration between technical and non-technical teams?

Directus facilitates better collaboration between technical and non-technical teams. Its user-friendly interface allows non-technical staff to manage content directly, while simultaneously offering developers robust customization tools through its REST and GraphQL APIs. This empowers both groups to work within the same system, fostering better communication and streamlining workflows. Bynder, while excellent for digital asset management, focuses primarily on marketing and creative teams and lacks the same level of developer-focused features that would enable the same degree of cross-functional collaboration.

What are the advantages of Bynder?

Bynder's advantages include its focus on digital asset management with AI-powered search, automated workflows, and integrations with other marketing tools. It's specifically designed for managing large volumes of assets and ensuring brand consistency, which is particularly useful for marketing, media, e-commerce, and retail industries. Its user-friendly interface and established presence in the market with clients like Spotify and Puma make it a strong contender.

What are the disadvantages of Bynder?

Users have reported difficulties with Bynder's taxonomy work, limited smart filter functionalities, occasional minor bugs, and a potentially time-consuming mass uploading process.

Alternatives to Bynder and Directus

Canto

Canto is a digital asset management (DAM) software that helps mid-sized to large companies organize and manage their digital content in one central location. It offers features like AI-powered search to easily find files, streamlined sharing options, and integrations with other tools. Canto aims to improve content management efficiency, collaboration, and overall brand consistency.

Strapi

Strapi is a tool that helps developers create and manage content for websites and apps. It's considered "headless", meaning it focuses on the behind-the-scenes content management while giving developers flexibility in how that content looks and works on the front-end. Strapi is popular among developers because it's open-source (free to use and customize) and works well with other tools they might use. Large and small companies use it to streamline their content management processes.

Frontify

Frontify is a cloud-based software platform designed to help mid-sized and larger companies manage their brand assets and create consistent branding across all channels. It offers tools for storing and organizing digital assets, creating and sharing brand guidelines, and building design templates. This allows marketing and creative teams to work more efficiently and ensures everyone in the company has access to the latest brand materials. Frontify integrates with other popular tools to streamline workflows.

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is a database management system for businesses of all sizes. It helps you analyze various types of data and can be used in multiple environments, including on your servers and in the cloud. SQL Server offers high performance and strong security features. It allows developers to build applications using different programming languages and provides mobile business intelligence tools.

WoodWing Swivle

WoodWing Swivle is a cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) solution designed for businesses of all sizes. It provides a central hub to organize, manage, and share digital files, promoting streamlined workflows and collaboration. With WoodWing Swivle, you can easily store, locate, and distribute your company's digital assets from any location or device.

ReadMe

ReadMe helps you create an interactive and user-friendly website specifically for developers who use your company's technical tools. It takes your existing technical information and makes it easy to understand and navigate. ReadMe offers features like customized branding, usage analytics, and troubleshooting tools to improve how developers experience your products and solve problems efficiently.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know