Directus

What it is for

Directus is an open-source data studio: you define collections, run flows, and you can start Cloud Core at $89/month billed yearly (14-day trial) or self-host. Use it when the job is tables you start at $89 Cloud or $0 self-host, not when you need a $20 chat seat.

What makes it unique: the cover is the official Directus collection page (Posts rows, filters, layout options) from the Collection Page docs — not a pricing card. The table itself is ops of Collections.

Key features

• Collections — typed tables you browse in Studio (pricing Collections; cover). One collection. Filters and layouts are ops of this. Core includes 25; extra packs are $100 / 25.
• Flows — trigger → operation automations (pricing Flows). A run, not a row. Core includes 5. Team includes 20.
• RBAC — roles that gate collections and fields (pricing Advanced / Granular RBAC). A grant, not a flow. Team prints granular RBAC; Core prints advanced RBAC.
• AI Assistant — in-studio help on Core and up (pricing AI Assistant). A prompt, not a collection. MCP / AI access is this surface, not a fifth Cloud meter.
• Self-host — the open-source app you run; Cloud adds hosting on top of a license tier (pricing). A deploy, not a collection. Self-host of the public app is $0; Cloud Core adds $89 / month yearly ($99 monthly).

Seats and collections are the Cloud meters. Extra seats are $50 / seat / month. SSO seats sit on Team (10 included).

Who it's for

Best fit: teams who will self-host the public app at $0 while they define a first collection, or start the Cloud Core 14-day trial and land on $89/month yearly (3 seats, 25 collections, 5 flows) when they do not want to run the stack.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) from directus.io/pricing. Cloud is seats + collections + flows. The cards we fetched:

• Core (Cloud) — $89 / month billed yearly, or $99 monthly. 14-day trial. 3 user seats. 25 collections. 5 flows. AI Assistant. Advanced RBAC. Community support.
• Team (Cloud) — $588 / month billed yearly, or $698 monthly. 14-day trial. 10 SSO seats. 50 collections. 20 flows. Granular RBAC. Basic support. Extra seats $50 / seat / month. Extra collections $100 / 25-pack.
• Enterprise — custom seats, collections, flows, support.
• Self-host — public app $0. Cloud hosting on Core / Team is the add-on above. The page also describes an Open Innovation Grant (under $5M revenue, under 50 employees) for a free self-host license or Cloud at hosting-only $99 / month — confirm eligibility; do not treat it as a fourth public card.
• The FAQ also prints Team at $499 / month annual ($5,988 / year) or $599 monthly. The live cards we fetched say $588 / $698. Cite the cards; confirm checkout.

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Limitations / costs

• Core is 3 seats and 25 collections. The next Cloud step is Team at $588 / month yearly.
• A data studio, not a spreadsheet CRM. For a grid on any database see NocoDB. For an internal app builder see Budibase.

Alternatives

• NocoDB — a spreadsheet on any database when you want a grid, not a CMS studio.
• Budibase — internal apps when you will design screens, not collections.
• GitBook — product docs when you are not storing records.

Official tutorial

Official Directus channel video: Getting Started with Directus (oEmbed author: Directus). First-party start; the collection-page still is the cover.

Written path: directus.io/pricing plus the official collection page in the docs.

Website

https://directus.io

Repository

https://github.com/directus/directus

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is the official Directus collection page from the docs. Dollars checked on directus.io/pricing (Core $89/$99 mo; Team $588/$698 mo; extra seats $50; extra collections $100/25; self-host $0). Tutorial oEmbed author: Directus.

Last verified

2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.