head to head · open source
Directus vs Budibase
Directus has 37,947 GitHub stars, 4,944 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Budibase has 28,289 stars, 2,218 forks, 276 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Directus leads on adoption by 34% (37,947 vs 28,289 stars). Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Budibase is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Directus has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Budibase 8%. Directus was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Directus | Budibase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 38K | ★ 28K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.9K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Directus if
- You weight community size — 38K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Budibase if
- You want the Budibase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Budibase fits your workflow better
About Directus
Directus is an open source data platform that wraps any SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API layer and a visual management interface. It lives in the developer tools and frameworks ecosystem, specifically targeting teams needing a flexible backend for content management, admin panels, or custom applications without writing boilerplate code.
read the full Directus overview →
About Budibase
Budibase is an open source low code platform for building internal tools, data apps, and AI powered agents that automate operational workflows. It lives in the low code/no code ecosystem and serves as a self hostable alternative to proprietary platforms like Retool.
read the full Budibase overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or Budibase more popular?
Directus has 37,947 GitHub stars and Budibase has 28,289. Directus has the larger community by that measure.
Are Directus and Budibase free?
Neither Directus nor Budibase declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Directus and Budibase?
Directus is written in TypeScript and Budibase in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Directus or Budibase?
Choose Directus if you want the larger community (37,947 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Budibase if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.