Directus vs Dokku
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?
Directus
Instant REST and GraphQL API for any SQL database
VS
Dokku
Smallest open-source PaaS implementation you can run
| Feature | Directus | Dokku |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | BSL-1.1 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 37,238 | ★ 32,099 |
| First released | 2015 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Contentful, Firebase | Heroku |
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
Choose Dokku if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 32.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or Dokku better?
Neither is universally better. Directus has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Directus and Dokku free and open-source?
Yes. Directus is licensed under BSL-1.1 and Dokku under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Directus and Dokku with Docker?
Directus: yes. Dokku: yes.