Directus Self-Hosted
A polished data studio with tables, forms, dashboards, flows, and APIs; free only below its organization-size ceiling.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Free tier / Free tool)
- License
- MSCL-1.0
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Docker Compose with SQLite for a test install, or a supported SQL database and persistent file storage for production
- Operational Setup
- Requires Docker, a secret, persistent database/uploads, backups, TLS, and attention to Directus's non-OSI license and free-tier limits
- Where Your Data Lives
- Business records stay in the connected SQL database; assets live in configured local or object storage; Directus metadata is stored alongside the database
- The Catch / Trade-off
- Directus provides an excellent database administration studio but not Appsmith's general-purpose widget canvas for composing arbitrary multi-source dashboards.
Replaces 2 paid apps
up to $30/mo ($360/yr) in subscriptions
Directus Self-Hosted FAQ
Common questions
Is Directus Self-Hosted free and open source?+
Directus Self-Hosted is a free tool that runs on self-host. A polished data studio with tables, forms, dashboards, flows, and APIs; free only below its organization-size ceiling.
What paid software does Directus Self-Hosted replace?+
Directus Self-Hosted serves as a free replacement for 2 paid SaaS applications: Appsmith Cloud, Retool, saving up to $30/month ($360/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Directus Self-Hosted?+
Installation: Docker Compose with SQLite for a test install, or a supported SQL database and persistent file storage for production. Setup notes: Requires Docker, a secret, persistent database/uploads, backups, TLS, and attention to Directus's non-OSI license and free-tier limits
What is the catch or trade-off with Directus Self-Hosted?+
Directus provides an excellent database administration studio but not Appsmith's general-purpose widget canvas for composing arbitrary multi-source dashboards.