CapRover 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?
CapRover
Scalable PaaS built on Docker Swarm and Nginx
VS
Directus
Instant REST and GraphQL API for any SQL database
| Feature | CapRover | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSL-1.1 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,123 | ★ 37,238 |
| First released | 2017 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Heroku | Contentful, Firebase |
Why pick each one
Choose CapRover if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
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 CapRover or Directus better?
Neither is universally better. Directus has the larger community, while CapRover is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CapRover and Directus free and open-source?
Yes. CapRover is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Directus under BSL-1.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CapRover and Directus with Docker?
CapRover: yes. Directus: yes.