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Directus alternatives: 8 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Directus: source-available licence, not OSI open source, and larger organisations must buy a commercial licence. We ranked 8 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Directus, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Strapi currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Strapi logoStrapiOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web3 of 366.5
2Payload logoPayloadOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web4 of 462.6
3Sanity logoSanityFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 359.6
4Keystone logoKeystoneOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web4 of 457.2
5Cockpit logoCockpitOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web3 of 355.3
6Supabase logoSupabaseFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 438.6
7Appsmith logoAppsmithOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 438.6
  1. Strapi logo

    1. StrapiTop pick

    Best for: JavaScript teams that want a self-hostable headless CMS they can customise in code

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    MIT-licensed headless CMS with no revenue-based licence threshold.

    Pros

    • MIT-licensed core that's free to self-host
    • Generates REST and GraphQL APIs from your content types
    • Extensible with custom code and plugins in Node.js

    Cons

    • Major version upgrades can be painful
    • SSO, audit logs and review workflows are paid
    • You run and scale the server yourself unless you pay for Cloud
    Visit Strapi Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Strapi a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026strapi.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud starting price
    $35 per project/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026strapi.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Pro
    $90 per project/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026strapi.io(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Payload logo

    2. Payload

    Best for: TypeScript and Next.js developers who want the CMS inside their own codebase

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    MIT-licensed, code-first CMS with similar admin and API features.

    Pros

    • MIT-licensed and fully self-hostable
    • Lives inside your Next.js app with a type-safe local API
    • Auth, uploads, drafts and access control built in

    Cons

    • Content model changes require code and deploys
    • You manage the database and hosting yourself
    • SSO and some workflow features are enterprise-only
    Visit Payload Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Payload a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Framework
    Next.js
    Checked Oct 25, 2026payloadcms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Codebase
    Open-source TypeScript
    Checked Oct 25, 2026payloadcms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise features
    SSO, publishing workflows, visual editor
    Checked Oct 25, 2026payloadcms.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Sanity logo

    3. Sanity

    Best for: Developer teams who want an editing interface tailored to their content

    Free plan + paidWeb

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    Hosted content platform focused on editorial collaboration.

    Pros

    • Editing studio is fully customisable in code
    • Real-time collaboration and visual editing
    • Generous free plan with many user seats

    Cons

    • Needs developers to set up and evolve the studio
    • GROQ is a proprietary query language to learn
    • Add-ons for extra quota and support cost extra
    Visit Sanity Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Sanity a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    $0 forever, up to 20 seats
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sanity.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth plan
    $15 per seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sanity.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Dedicated support add-on
    $799 per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sanity.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Keystone logo

    4. Keystone

    Best for: Node.js developers who want a code-defined GraphQL backend with an admin UI

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    MIT-licensed Node.js CMS that generates a GraphQL API from code.

    Pros

    • Schema in TypeScript generates API and admin
    • Strong access control and hooks
    • MIT-licensed and free

    Cons

    • Smaller community and slower releases than rivals
    • GraphQL-centric API
    • Admin UI is basic for marketing teams
    Visit Keystone Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Keystone a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    npm installs
    1m+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keystonejs.com(opens source in a new tab)
    First commit
    2013
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keystonejs.com(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    GraphQL
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keystonejs.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Cockpit logo

    5. Cockpit

    Best for: Developers wanting a small self-hosted headless CMS on cheap PHP hosting

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    Lightweight self-hosted headless CMS with no subscription.

    Pros

    • Installs in minutes on almost any PHP host
    • Self-hosted with no account or subscription
    • REST and GraphQL APIs

    Cons

    • Small community and limited documentation
    • Few integrations and starters
    • Depends on a small team for updates
    Visit Cockpit Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Cockpit a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Self-hosting
    Yes, 5-minute setup
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getcockpit.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Subscription
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getcockpit.com(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    REST and GraphQL
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getcockpit.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. Supabase logo

    6. Supabase

    Best for: Developers who want Postgres plus auth, storage and realtime without running servers

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    Hosted Postgres with auto-generated APIs and auth if you used Directus mainly as a data backend.

    Pros

    • Real Postgres underneath, so SQL, extensions and standard tooling all work
    • Auth, storage, realtime and functions in one dashboard
    • Open source and self-hostable with Docker
    • Large community and many framework guides

    Cons

    • Free projects pause after a week of inactivity
    • Usage charges for compute and egress can be hard to predict
    • Self-hosting the full stack takes real operations work
    Visit Supabase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Supabase a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0/month, 2 active projects
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    From $25/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free project pausing
    After 1 week of inactivity
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  7. Appsmith logo

    7. Appsmith

    Best for: Developer teams that want a Retool-style builder they can self-host for free

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Directus

    Open-source builder for custom admin apps if Directus's studio is too rigid.

    Pros

    • Apache-licensed and free to self-host
    • Git-based version control for apps
    • Connects to common databases and any REST or GraphQL API

    Cons

    • Fewer and less polished components than Retool
    • SSO and audit features need paid plans
    • Large apps can feel sluggish
    Visit Appsmith Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Appsmith a good Directus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Up to 5 users on cloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appsmith.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    $15 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appsmith.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Community edition
    Free, open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appsmith.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Directus alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Strapi logo

Best Directus alternative for most people

Strapi

MIT-licensed headless CMS with no revenue-based licence threshold.

Payload logo

Best Directus alternative for a free option

Payload

MIT-licensed, code-first CMS with similar admin and API features.

Sanity logo

Best Directus alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Sanity

Hosted content platform focused on editorial collaboration.

Keystone logo

Best Directus alternative for open source

Keystone

MIT-licensed Node.js CMS that generates a GraphQL API from code.

Cockpit logo

Best Directus alternative for self-hosting

Cockpit

Lightweight self-hosted headless CMS with no subscription.

PocketBase logo

Best Directus alternative for Mac

PocketBase

A tiny self-hosted backend with an admin UI, REST API and auth in one binary.

PocketBase logo

Best Directus alternative for Windows

PocketBase

A tiny self-hosted backend with an admin UI, REST API and auth in one binary.

PocketBase logo

Best Directus alternative for Linux

PocketBase

A tiny self-hosted backend with an admin UI, REST API and auth in one binary.

Supabase logo

Best Directus alternative for working in the browser

Supabase

Hosted Postgres with auto-generated APIs and auth if you used Directus mainly as a data backend.

Directus alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Directus?

Strapi ranks first right now. MIT-licensed headless CMS with no revenue-based licence threshold. Payload and Sanity follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Directus?

Yes. Strapi (open source), Payload (open source), Sanity (free plan + paid) and Keystone (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Directus?

Yes: Strapi, Payload, Keystone and Cockpit, plus 3 more in the list above. Strapi, Payload and Keystone can also be self-hosted.

Which Directus alternatives work on Linux?

PocketBase runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Directus?

The complaints we hear most: source-available licence, not OSI open source; larger organisations must buy a commercial licence; licence terms have changed more than once.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Directus, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.