Directus vs Hasura
Pricing
Directus: Free self-hosted, cloud from $15/mo
Hasura: Free tier, paid from $5 per active model/mo
Description
Directus: Open-source headless CMS and backend-as-a-service that wraps any SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API
Hasura: Instant GraphQL and REST API engine that connects to existing databases and services, from the maker of PromptQL
Pros
- Works with existing SQL databases without migration
- Visual admin panel for non-technical content management
- Self-hostable for free under MIT license
- Generates a full GraphQL API from a database in minutes
- Fine-grained row-level authorization built in
- Supports connecting multiple databases and remote schemas
Cons
- Revenue threshold requires a paid license for self-hosted (over $5M/yr)
- More CMS-oriented, less suited for complex application logic
- GraphQL-centric approach has a learning curve if unfamiliar
- Paid plans charge per active model ($5 on Base, $30 on Advanced), which is harder to estimate than a flat fee
- The company now leads with PromptQL, its AI product, and lists the older v2 cloud as a legacy product
Details
Directus is an open-source data platform that layers a real-time API and intuitive admin app on top of any SQL database. It supports REST and GraphQL out of the box, with granular role-based access control and built-in file storage. Ideal for solo founders who need a content backend with a visual dashboard, or who want to expose an existing database as an API without rewriting anything.
Hasura generates instant GraphQL and REST APIs from your PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, or other databases. It includes a built-in authorization engine with row-level permissions, event triggers, and the ability to federate multiple data sources into a single API.
The current platform is Hasura DDN. Its free tier has no limit on API requests and suits prototyping. Paid plans charge per active model, meaning any model or command queried more than 1,000 times a month: from $5 on Base and from $30 on Advanced. Hasura v2 Cloud is listed as a legacy product, with Professional from $1.50 per active hour. The company’s homepage now leads with PromptQL, an AI product that learns the context of your business, alongside the GraphQL engine.
Directus verified
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