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Screenshot of Directus website

// screenshot of directus.io ↗

DEVOPS & INFRASTRUCTURE · PRO TIER

Directuspro

Directus is a data platform / headless CMS that turns any SQL database into a REST + GraphQL API with an admin app on top. Works on top of your existing Postgres / MySQL / SQLite — no opinion about schema. Modern admin UI for non-technical content editors, programmatic API for developers.

Install via WHMCS → Visit directus.io ↗
⚙️ DevOps & Infrastructure Min 512 MB RAM Port 8055 (http) Tier pro
// What it is

A closer look.

Directus is a data platform / headless CMS that turns any SQL database into a REST + GraphQL API with an admin app on top. Works on top of your existing Postgres / MySQL / SQLite — no opinion about schema. Modern admin UI for non-technical content editors, programmatic API for developers.

The "BaaS without the lock-in" — Firebase-style features on top of your own database.

// Use cases

What it's for.

Concrete scenarios where teams pick Directus over the SaaS alternative.

◆

Headless CMS

content + media management for static sites, mobile apps

◈

Backend-as-a-Service

instant REST + GraphQL API on existing DB

◇

Internal CRUD app

admin UI for any database

▣

Multi-channel content

single source feeding web, mobile, marketing

▦

Data layer for apps

auth + permissions + file uploads in one tool

// Who it's for

Built for these teams.

If your team profile matches one of these, Directus is a strong fit out of the box.

Profile A

Frontend developers

needing a backend without writing one

Profile B

Content teams

managing data across web, mobile, marketing channels

Profile C

Agencies

building client CMS solutions on existing databases

Profile D

Mobile app developers

wanting backend with admin without bespoke code

Profile E

Migration projects

modernizing legacy SQL data with a real admin UI

// Differentiators

Why teams pick Directus.

When evaluating self-hosted options for this category, here are the dimensions on which Directus consistently lands above the alternatives.

  • ✓Schema-agnostic — works on top of existing databases, no migration required
  • ✓BSL → MIT — source-available with conversion to MIT after a year
  • ✓Real-time — WebSocket subscriptions for live updates
  • ✓Flows automation — visual workflow builder for data transforms
  • ✓Roles + permissions granular — field-level access control
  • ✓Active community — frequent releases, strong commercial backing
// Integrations

Connects to.

The stack you'll plug Directus into — services, protocols, and adjacent apps in the BluixApps catalog.

◇
Databases
Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MSSQL, Oracle, CockroachDB
◈
Auth
local, OAuth (Google, GitHub, custom), LDAP, SAML, OpenID
◆
File storage
local, S3-compatible, Azure, GCS
▣
Webhooks
fire on collection events for downstream automation
▦
Email
SMTP, SendGrid, Mailgun for transactional
▩
Real-time
WebSocket subscriptions on collection changes
▼
GraphQL + REST
both auto-generated from schema
// Adoption & deployment

Notable users & community

  • 28k+ GitHub stars
  • Used by leading agencies and SaaS companies for headless CMS
  • Active Discord with thousands of developers
  • Backed by Directus (NL) — sustainable European OSS company
  • Featured in headless CMS comparisons

What we ship

  • Docker compose: Directus + Postgres + Redis + MinIO
  • Pinned directus/directus:latest (release-tagged)
  • HTTPS via Let's Encrypt; admin user with random password
  • MinIO for file uploads
  • Auto-detection of standalone Postgres / Redis on same VPS
  • Persistent volumes for all stores
  • Backup hook covers Postgres + MinIO uploads
// Tips & operations

Run it properly.

Operational guidance from running this in production — what to do before you scale, what to lock down, what surprises people.

// PERFORMANCE
Schema-first mindset
design your DB schema thoughtfully; Directus surfaces what you build
// SECURITY
Use roles + permissions early
granular access control beats rebuilding later
// OPERATIONS
Flow automation > webhooks
built-in flow builder beats external orchestration for simple cases
// RELIABILITY
Persist database + uploads
both essential; mount volumes from day one
// DEPLOYMENT
Cache strategy
Redis-backed cache speeds up read-heavy APIs significantly
// SCALING
Backup is straightforward
your DB + uploads dir, standard backup pipeline works
512
// min ram (MB)
5
// min disk (GB)
8055
// access port
http
// protocol
pro
// bluixapps tier
postgres:17-alpine · directus/directus:11
// docker image

Project resources

Official sitedirectus.io ↗
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