Directus vs Sanity vs SonicJS: Database Wrapper vs SaaS vs Edge

Directus and Sanity take fundamentally different approaches: database wrapper vs cloud-native SaaS. SonicJS offers a third path with edge-first architecture. Here's how they compare.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Directus	Sanity	SonicJS
Architecture	Database wrapper (Express)	Cloud SaaS	Edge-first (Cloudflare Workers)
Database	PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL, Oracle	Proprietary	D1 (SQLite at edge)
Existing DB Support	Yes (unique strength)	No	No
Real-time Collab	Basic	Best-in-class	Roadmap
Query Language	REST/GraphQL	GROQ	REST API
Cold starts	300-1000ms	N/A (SaaS)	0-5ms
Global latency	200-500ms	CDN-cached	Under 50ms
Data Ownership	Full	Sanity-controlled	Full
License	GPL v3 / BSL	Proprietary	MIT
Self-hosted	Yes	Studio only	Yes (edge)

The Real Problems

Directus: Performance at Scale

Directus's ability to wrap existing databases is powerful, but performance degrades with complexity.

Documented Performance Issues from GitHub:

Issue	Scenario	Reported Time	Notes
#11766	500 items with relations	1,500ms	runAST bottleneck
#7783	400k files	45,000ms+	Heap out of memory
#1575	Simple queries	4,000ms	Cold query performance
#2020	1,000 items	5,500ms	Collection listing
#10034	200 row inserts	Connection crashes	Pool exhaustion

"With a lot of items linked to other items, Directus becomes slow. For only 500 items, Directus took 1.5 seconds." — GitHub Issue #11766

"Loading with 400k files takes around 45 seconds. My latest test was now at 500 seconds." — GitHub Issue #7783

Common Directus issues:

• Connection pool crashes under load
• Missing database indexes
• Complex relations slow dramatically
• Memory consumption with large datasets

Sanity: Usage-Based Pricing Trap

Sanity's collaboration is excellent, but costs escalate:

"Started at $99/month, ended up at $400+ with document growth and API calls we didn't anticipate."

GROQ learning curve:

"GROQ is its own thing. Your team needs to learn yet another query syntax useful nowhere else."

Common Sanity frustrations:

• Custom roles require $949/month enterprise
• Studio keystroke lag (GitHub #7456)
• Proprietary data format lock-in
• Build times 10+ minutes reported

SonicJS: Honest Limitations

SonicJS is newer:

• Can't wrap existing databases like Directus
• No real-time collaboration yet (Sanity's strength)
• Smaller plugin ecosystem
• D1 database only

Architecture Deep Dive

Directus: Database First

Unique ability to wrap any SQL database:

// Directus configuration
{
  "database": {
    "client": "pg",
    "connection": {
      "host": "localhost",
      "database": "existing_db"
    }
  }
}

When this excels:

• Legacy database integration
• Multiple apps sharing data
• Gradual CMS adoption
• Database portability

When this fails:

• High-traffic applications
• Complex relations at scale
• Global performance needs

Sanity: Collaboration First

Built for real-time editing:

// Sanity Studio
export default defineConfig({
  projectId: 'your-project',
  dataset: 'production',
  schema: { types: schemaTypes },
})

Strengths:

• Multiple editors, same document
• Live presence
• Instant sync

Trade-offs:

• GROQ lock-in
• Proprietary storage
• Unpredictable costs

SonicJS: Edge First

Runs globally on Cloudflare:

import { createSonicJS } from '@sonicjs-cms/core'

const cms = createSonicJS({
  database: env.DB,
  cache: env.CACHE,
  storage: env.STORAGE,
})

export default cms.app

Benefits:

• Under 50ms worldwide
• Zero cold starts
• Full data ownership
• Predictable pricing

Performance Comparison

Scenario	Directus	Sanity	SonicJS
Simple GET (same region)	50-200ms	30-80ms	15-30ms
Simple GET (cross-region)	200-500ms	50-150ms (CDN)	30-60ms
Complex query (relations)	500-1500ms+	50-200ms	40-80ms
Cold start	300-1000ms	N/A	0-5ms
With 400k files	45,000ms+	Unknown	Under 100ms

Edge Architecture Advantage

Directus runs on a single server. Sanity caches at the edge but queries hit origin.

SonicJS runs the entire CMS at 300+ edge locations:

User in Sydney → Sydney Edge → Response (15ms)
User in Tokyo → Tokyo Edge → Response (15ms)
User in Berlin → Berlin Edge → Response (15ms)

No origin round-trips. Consistent global performance.

Data & Lock-in

Directus: Full Ownership

• Your database, any SQL engine
• Standard SQL exports
• GPL v3 license (copyleft—derivatives must be open source)
• Switch databases anytime

Sanity: Vendor Lock-in

• Proprietary data storage
• GROQ creates query lock-in
• Export available but requires transformation
• Cursor.com migration cost: $260 + dev time

SonicJS: Full Ownership

• Standard SQLite in D1
• MIT license (permissive)
• Export anytime
• No proprietary formats

Pricing Comparison

Directus

Self-hosted: Free (GPL v3) Cloud: Starting at $99/month

Real costs (self-hosted):

• Server: $20-200+/month
• Database: $15-100+/month
• DevOps time: Ongoing

Sanity

Published pricing:

• Free: 100k requests/month, 500k documents
• Growth: $15/user/month + usage
• Enterprise: $949/month minimum

Reality: Mid-size sites often hit $300-500/month with usage.

SonicJS

Cloudflare-based:

• Free: 100,000 requests/day, 10GB D1
• Paid: $5/month flat + minimal usage
• Typical: $5-20/month

Use Case Fit

Choose Directus If:

• You have an existing database to wrap
• Database flexibility is essential
• You can handle performance optimization
• GPL licensing works for you

Choose Sanity If:

• Real-time collaboration is critical
• Budget can handle usage-based pricing
• Team can learn GROQ
• Lock-in is acceptable

Choose SonicJS If:

• Global performance is priority
• Predictable costs matter
• Full data ownership required
• MIT licensing preferred

FAQ

Can SonicJS wrap existing databases like Directus?

No. SonicJS uses D1 (edge SQLite) by design for consistent global performance. Directus is unique in this capability.

Is Sanity's real-time collaboration worth the cost?

For content teams doing heavy simultaneous editing, yes. For API-first or solo content work, probably overkill.

Which has better performance?

For complex queries at scale: SonicJS > Sanity > Directus. Directus's database wrapper approach creates overhead that compounds with complexity.

What about GraphQL support?

• Directus: Built-in
• Sanity: Via GROQ or plugin
• SonicJS: REST-focused, GraphQL on roadmap

Conclusion

Three philosophies:

• Directus: Database flexibility with performance trade-offs
• Sanity: Collaboration excellence with usage-based pricing risk
• SonicJS: Edge-first performance with data ownership

For new projects prioritizing global performance and cost predictability, SonicJS provides a compelling modern alternative.

Key Takeaways

• Directus excels at wrapping existing databases but struggles at scale
• Sanity offers best-in-class collaboration at premium pricing
• SonicJS delivers under 50ms global latency with predictable costs
• Directus is GPL v3; SonicJS is MIT—different licensing implications
• Edge-first architecture eliminates database performance bottlenecks

Ready to try edge-first CMS? Get started with SonicJS in under 5 minutes.

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Sources & References

Directus

• Performance with Relations (Issue #11766) — 1.5s with 500 items
• File Loading Times (Issue #7783) — 45s+ with 400k files
• Cold Query Performance (Issue #1575) — 4s simple queries
• Collection Listing Performance (Issue #2020) — 5.5s for 1k items
• Connection Pool Issues (Issue #10034) — Pool exhaustion

Sanity

• Studio Performance (GitHub #7456)
• Sanity Pricing