Directus
App in the BluixApps catalog
What it is
Directus is a data platform / headless CMS that turns any SQL database into a REST + GraphQL API with an admin app on top. Works on top of your existing Postgres / MySQL / SQLite — no opinion about schema. Modern admin UI for non-technical content editors, programmatic API for developers.
The "BaaS without the lock-in" — Firebase-style features on top of your own database.
What it's for
- Headless CMS — content + media management for static sites, mobile apps
- Backend-as-a-Service — instant REST + GraphQL API on existing DB
- Internal CRUD app — admin UI for any database
- Multi-channel content — single source feeding web, mobile, marketing
- Data layer for apps — auth + permissions + file uploads in one tool
Who it's for
- Frontend developers needing a backend without writing one
- Content teams managing data across web, mobile, marketing channels
- Agencies building client CMS solutions on existing databases
- Mobile app developers wanting backend with admin without bespoke code
- Migration projects modernizing legacy SQL data with a real admin UI
Why teams pick Directus over alternatives
- Schema-agnostic — works on top of existing databases, no migration required
- BSL → MIT — source-available with conversion to MIT after a year
- Real-time — WebSocket subscriptions for live updates
- Flows automation — visual workflow builder for data transforms
- Roles + permissions granular — field-level access control
- Active community — frequent releases, strong commercial backing
Integrations
- Databases — Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MSSQL, Oracle, CockroachDB
- Auth — local, OAuth (Google, GitHub, custom), LDAP, SAML, OpenID
- File storage — local, S3-compatible, Azure, GCS
- Webhooks — fire on collection events for downstream automation
- Email — SMTP, SendGrid, Mailgun for transactional
- Real-time — WebSocket subscriptions on collection changes
- GraphQL + REST — both auto-generated from schema
Notable users & community
- 28k+ GitHub stars
- Used by leading agencies and SaaS companies for headless CMS
- Active Discord with thousands of developers
- Backed by Directus (NL) — sustainable European OSS company
- Featured in headless CMS comparisons
Tips & operations
- Schema-first mindset — design your DB schema thoughtfully; Directus surfaces what you build
- Use roles + permissions early — granular access control beats rebuilding later
- Flow automation > webhooks — built-in flow builder beats external orchestration for simple cases
- Persist
database+uploads— both essential; mount volumes from day one - Cache strategy — Redis-backed cache speeds up read-heavy APIs significantly
- Backup is straightforward — your DB + uploads dir, standard backup pipeline works
What we ship in BluixApps
- Docker compose: Directus + Postgres + Redis + MinIO
- Pinned
directus/directus:latest(release-tagged) - HTTPS via Let's Encrypt; admin user with random password
- MinIO for file uploads
- Auto-detection of standalone Postgres / Redis on same VPS
- Persistent volumes for all stores
- Backup hook covers Postgres + MinIO uploads
Get this app — pick a BluixApps plan
Same catalog. Scaling tenant isolation, white-label and support tier.
| Tier | Tenants | Catalog | Support | White-label | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacks | 1 | 19 curated stacks | Standard | — | $19/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Starter | 10 | Full catalog | Standard | +$15–25/mo | $49/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Pro | 25 | Full catalog | Priority bugfix | +$15–25/mo | $149/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Growth | 100 | Full catalog | Priority bugfix | +$15–25/mo | $349/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Scale | 500 | Full catalog | 7-day window | +$15–25/mo | $799/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Full catalog | Priority 7-day | Bundled | $1,499/mo | DetailDeploy |
