Keystone CMS Alternative: Managed Hosting, Zero DevOps
Keystone is free but hidden costs add up fast: servers, databases, backups, updates, compliance, monitoring. Directus on Opsily gives you API-first flexibility without the DevOps bill. EU-hosted. GDPR-compliant. Data is yours.
Why teams move from Keystone to Directus on Opsily
Three simple reasons: we handle the ops, your data stays in the EU, and you're never locked in.
EU data residency by default
Your data lives in ISO 27001-certified German data centers. No separate compliance configuration. No vendor-locked SaaS in the US. GDPR is built in, not bolted on. You own everything.
Zero DevOps required
Backups, security updates, monitoring, auto-scaling, SSL certificates, disaster recovery. We handle all of it. You log in, manage your content, ship your API. The infrastructure disappears.
Wrap any existing database
Directus is database-agnostic: Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, SQLite, Oracle, CockroachDB. No rip-and-replace. Migrate from Keystone without touching your data structure.
Built for teams who need reliability
Keystone vs. Directus: Head-to-head
Why the switch makes sense.
The full picture: how Directus stacks up
Keystone was the right choice once. But it's not the only choice now. Here's how Directus compares to other popular alternatives.
Strapi: the familiar competitor
Strapi is the most popular open-source headless CMS. It works well. The community is strong. If you self-host it, the experience is similar to Keystone: you own the data, you run the server, you pay for the infrastructure. Strapi also offers managed SaaS (45/mo minimum), but that price scales fast with seats and features. For a team of five, you're at 200+/month before you've added much. Both Keystone and Strapi put the DevOps burden on you if you self-host, or lock you into SaaS if you want hands-off.
Sanity: the premium play
Sanity is fully managed. Their Studio is beautiful. Real-time collaboration is native. The problem: you cannot self-host. If you move to Sanity, you are choosing managed-only. The floor is 15/user/month, minimum 50 seats on Growth. That's 750+/month for a small editorial team. And your data lives in their cloud. For teams that can afford it and need bleeding-edge real-time editing, Sanity works. For everyone else, it's expensive lock-in.
Payload CMS: the emerging TypeScript player
Payload is young and gaining traction with developers who love TypeScript and Next.js. It's code-first, like Keystone. If you are a developer who wants to define your CMS in your codebase, Payload is the right direction. Cloud hosting is available (35/mo starting) but is still building out. The community is smaller than Strapi or Directus. It's a solid pick if your team is deeply JavaScript-native. Otherwise, it's still finding its footing.
Directus: the flexible middle ground
Directus sits between Keystone and Sanity. It is open-source (free to self-host) and fully managed (99/mo and up on Opsily). Unlike Keystone, it does not force you to define your database in code: it wraps an existing database. Unlike Sanity, you are never locked into SaaS: you can run it anywhere. Real-time collaboration, automated workflows, visual role-based access — all built in. Professional support is available. For mid-market teams that want flexibility without the DevOps tax, Directus is the practical choice. Especially when hosted on Opsily in the EU.
Get started in four steps
From Keystone to Directus on Opsily.
Sign up, choose your data center (Germany), and deploy a blank Directus instance in minutes. No credit card for the free trial.
Map your Keystone collections to Directus. Database-agnostic design means no data loss. We provide a migration playbook.
Hit your REST or GraphQL endpoints. Run your frontend apps against Directus. Verify everything works.
Sign up, choose your data center (Germany), and deploy a blank Directus instance in minutes. No credit card for the free trial.
Map your Keystone collections to Directus. Database-agnostic design means no data loss. We provide a migration playbook.
Hit your REST or GraphQL endpoints. Run your frontend apps against Directus. Verify everything works.
Create your Opsily account
Sign up, choose your data center (Germany), and deploy a blank Directus instance in minutes. No credit card for the free trial.
Migrate your schema
Map your Keystone collections to Directus. Database-agnostic design means no data loss. We provide a migration playbook.
Test your API
Hit your REST or GraphQL endpoints. Run your frontend apps against Directus. Verify everything works.
Go live and scale
Switch your DNS. Opsily handles backups, updates, monitoring, and auto-scaling. You manage content.
Built for compliance-first teams
GDPR compliance, data ownership, and infrastructure trust out of the box.
GDPR compliant
Directus and Opsily are fully GDPR compliant. Your data stays under your control. No US cloud vendors.
EU data residency
Your data lives in secure, audited German data centers. Full EU infrastructure with no US cloud crossing.
Encrypted backups
Daily encrypted backups stored separately from live data. Restore in minutes. You own the encryption keys.
Data ownership
Your database is yours. No vendor lock-in. Export, migrate, self-host — you decide the future.
Simple pricing that grows with you
All plans include EU data residency, GDPR compliance, daily backups, and customer support. No hidden fees. Cancel anytime.
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Frequently asked questions
Keystone is powerful, but it requires you to manage hosting, backups, updates, monitoring, and compliance. Directus gives you the same API-first flexibility without the DevOps burden. Add Opsily's managed hosting and EU data residency, and Directus becomes the practical choice for mid-market teams. You own your data, we handle the infrastructure.
Stop paying for DevOps you don't want
Directus on Opsily gives you API-first CMS flexibility with zero infrastructure burden. EU-hosted. GDPR-compliant. Data is yours. Free trial, no card required.