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Last Updated: 08-19-2026 07:27 PM (UTC)

Directus

With 37,000 GitHub stars and over 45 million downloads powering 500,000+ deployed projects, Directus is the most widely adopted open-source backend platform that connects to your existing SQL database without requiring schema migrations or data duplication. Point it at PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MS SQL, SQLite, OracleDB, or CockroachDB and it instantly generates production-ready REST and GraphQL APIs complete with filtering, sorting, pagination, field selection, and relational queries — all derived from your actual schema with zero configuration. The visual Studio provides a full no-code management interface where non-technical teammates create content, manage assets, build dashboards, and configure access policies without engineering involvement. Field-level granular permissions govern every API request and Studio action through composable policies applied to roles, users, and AI agents identically. A built-in AI Assistant writes copy, translates content across languages, creates records, and routes items for review directly within the Studio interface. The native Model Context Protocol server connects Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible tool to your live data governed by the same access policies. Real-time WebSocket subscriptions push collection changes instantly for collaborative editing and live dashboards. Extensibility covers custom endpoints, hooks, interfaces, displays, layouts, modules, and operations. Deploy via Docker with environment-variable configuration or use Directus Cloud for managed hosting. Running on a dedicated VPS on RepoCloud with guaranteed CPU, RAM, and SSD, full root SSH access, and a browser serial console. BSL-1.1 licensed with free self-hosting.

Directus
Directus
Directus
Directus
Directus

Benefits

  • Instant APIs From Any Database
  • Connect PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MS SQL, SQLite, OracleDB, or CockroachDB and get production-ready REST and GraphQL APIs with filtering, sorting, and pagination automatically.
  • No-Code Studio For Everyone
  • Non-technical teammates manage content, upload assets, build dashboards, and configure workflows through a visual interface without writing code or submitting tickets.
  • AI-Native With MCP Integration
  • Built-in AI Assistant plus a native MCP server connects Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT directly to live data governed by the same granular access policies as human users.
  • Zero Schema Lock-In
  • Works with your existing database tables without migrations or abstractions — remove Directus and your schema, data, and relationships remain exactly as they were.

Features

  • REST & GraphQL
  • Auto-generated APIs from database schema with relational queries, aggregation, filtering, full-text search, and real-time WebSocket subscriptions.
  • Visual Data Studio
  • No-code admin interface with customizable layouts, drag-and-drop dashboards, rich text editing, file management, and configurable content workflows.
  • Granular Access Control
  • Policy-based permissions at field level with composable rules applied to roles, users, and AI agents through conditional filters and validation logic.
  • Asset Management
  • Upload, organize, and serve files with on-the-fly image transformations including resize, crop, format conversion, and CDN-ready delivery.
  • Extensibility Framework
  • Custom endpoints, hooks, interfaces, displays, layouts, modules, and operations extend every layer of the platform through a documented SDK.