Directus vs InstantDB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — 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
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InstantDB
Realtime client-side database with relational queries
| Feature | Directus | InstantDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | BSL-1.1 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 37,238 | ★ 10,383 |
| First released | 2015 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Contentful, Firebase | 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
Choose InstantDB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.4k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or InstantDB 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 InstantDB free and open-source?
Yes. Directus is licensed under BSL-1.1 and InstantDB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Directus and InstantDB with Docker?
Directus: yes. InstantDB: yes.