To me, I’m leaning better off. It’s hard to say just because of how consequential Napoléon was for the 19th century, and taking him out of it radically changes the next two hundred years in Europe. I’ll go with a Point of Divergence of Napoleon dying in combat or of disease (much of his army was sick in Egypt) just before the coup of 18 Brumaire, so everything else before then stays the same.
I cannot see the Directory lasting long, or at least one led by Paul Barras. It’s surprising how long he did last considering his endless open affairs with women and secret affairs with men, embezzlement from the nation, and his general opportunism. If not Napoléon, another general, or perhaps generals, would act against Barras. Keep in mind that coups, big and small, were common in revolutionary France. Its practically a question of when, not if, there is a coup. Victor Moreau, who had helped Napoleon seize power IOTL, was a leader of a dissidents faction in the wake of Napoleon's solidification of power, and was known to be less autocratic/imperialistic minded than the little corporal. Moreau came to be seen as a threat to Napoleon's power and was banished. This all shows that he indeed had an interest in politics himself, and was known to oppose both Napoleon being crowned Emperor and a hypothetical restoration of the old monarchy.
So, as the War of the Second Coalition draws to a close, and political instability plagues France, Moreau makes his move on Paris and arrests the directory, declaring himself the head of state. He assembles a new government composed of less-corrupt, more-reformist politicians and military officers beneath him, likely choosing Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (OTL Charles XIV John of Sweden) as his second-in-command. The war probably continues identical to OTL, ending with the Treaties of Luneville and Amiens that establishes France's "natural borders" on the Rhine and a white peace with England. The war of the third coalition likely does not happen under Moreau, but I do imagine Europe being an uneasy continent with fighting between France and her allies against the "traditionalist" British, Russians, Austrians. As for things at home, I think Moreau would reopen elections but I imagine they would be controlled to prevent the return of extremists or reactionaries.