Directus vs Plasmic
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
VS
Plasmic
Visual builder and headless CMS for web apps
| Feature | Directus | Plasmic |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Content Management Systems |
| License | BSL-1.1 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 37,238 | ★ 6,945 |
| First released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Contentful, Firebase | Webflow, Contentful |
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 Plasmic if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or Plasmic better?
Directus is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Plasmic if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Directus and Plasmic free and open-source?
Yes. Directus is licensed under BSL-1.1 and Plasmic under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Directus and Plasmic with Docker?
Directus: yes. Plasmic: yes.