Appwrite vs Directus
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Appwrite
Open-source backend platform for building applications
VS
Directus
Instant REST and GraphQL API for any SQL database
| Feature | Appwrite | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSL-1.1 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 56,800 | ★ 37,238 |
| First released | 2019 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Firebase, Supabase | Contentful, Firebase |
Why pick each one
Choose Directus if…
- Released under the BSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 37.2k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Appwrite or Directus better?
Neither is universally better. Appwrite has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Appwrite and Directus free and open-source?
Yes. Appwrite is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Directus under BSL-1.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Appwrite and Directus with Docker?
Appwrite: yes. Directus: yes.