Directus

Directus is a source-available headless CMS and backend that connects to an existing SQL database and instantly provides REST, GraphQL and WebSocket APIs plus a no-code Studio for managing content and data. It does not impose a schema, so you keep your existing database structure.

Directus is source-available under the Monospace Sustainable Core License (MSCL-1.0-GPL), not an OSI-approved open-source license. You can view, modify and self-host the code, but may not offer it as a competing hosted service. Each release converts to GPL-3.0 on its fourth anniversary.

Self-hosted instances can run on the free Core tier, which has seat and collection limits. Organizations under $5M in annual revenue and fewer than 50 employees can apply for the Open Innovation Grant, which unlocks the full platform for free. Larger teams need a paid Teams or Enterprise license, and Directus Cloud is available as managed hosting.

Yes. Directus runs on Node.js with a supported SQL database and is commonly deployed with Docker. Version 12 requires a valid PUBLIC_URL and, for paid tiers, a license key; the Core tier runs without one. You remain responsible for upgrades, backups and infrastructure.

Directus supports PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and CockroachDB. It introspects existing tables and adds Directus metadata without changing your schema, so you can point it at a database you already have.

Directus 12 brings a redesigned Studio, native draft and publishing workflows, collaborative editing, a Tiptap-based rich-text editor, AI assistant and MCP tooling, and the new MSCL licensing model with license keys and tiered plans.

Directus can replace WordPress as a headless content backend, but it is not a website builder: it has no themes or front-end rendering. You pair it with any frontend — Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, a mobile app — and get structured content, permissions and APIs.