head to head · open source
herdr vs Directus
herdr has 47,391 GitHub stars, 3,789 forks, 337 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Directus has 38,782 stars, 4,989 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. herdr leads on adoption by 22% (47,391 vs 38,782 stars). herdr is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. herdr has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Directus 13%. herdr 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
| herdr | Directus | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 47K | ★ 39K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Rust | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-10-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.8K | ⑂ 5.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick herdr if
- You weight community size — 47K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Directus if
- You want the Directus feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Directus fits your workflow better
About herdr
herdr herdr.dev · install · quick start · docs English · 简体中文 the runtime your coding agents live on. detach without stopping work — herdr keeps terminals running in a background server when you close the client or lose your SSH connection. after a server or machine restart, herdr restores the saved layout and can resume supported agent sessions; the original processes do not survive. session state → several machines, one window — keep local work and saved ssh machines together, with a combined agent list and independent reconnects. remote machines → never hunt for the stuck one — every pane is marked working…
read the full herdr overview →
About Directus
The Collaborative Backend for Builders & AI Connect any SQL database and get instant REST and GraphQL APIs, a visual management Studio, and a native MCP server for AI agents. 45M+ downloads · 500K+ projects deployed [!NOTE] Free for most organizations. Under $5M annual revenue and 50 employees? Directus is completely free. Apply for an Open Innovation Grant license and get a key in minutes. Learn more about our license. 🐇 Introduction Directus wraps any SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API layer and a visual Studio. Engineers control schema and access. Non technical teammates and AI agents work directly…
read the full Directus overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is herdr or Directus more popular?
herdr has 47,391 GitHub stars and Directus has 38,782. herdr has the larger community by that measure.
Are herdr and Directus free?
Both are open source. herdr is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Directus has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between herdr and Directus?
herdr is written in Rust and Directus 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, herdr or Directus?
Choose herdr if you want the larger community (47,391 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Directus if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.