head to head · open source
Directus vs ProcessWire
Directus has 37,911 GitHub stars, 4,951 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ProcessWire has 1,152 stars, 207 forks, 93 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Directus leads on adoption by 3,191% (37,911 vs 1,152 stars). Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; ProcessWire is written in PHP under a custom or non-standard licence. Directus has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, ProcessWire 18%. ProcessWire was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (cms), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | ProcessWire | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 38K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.0K | ⑂ 207 |
| 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 ProcessWire if
- You want the ProcessWire feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and ProcessWire 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 ProcessWire
ProcessWire is an open source PHP content management system and framework (CMS/CMF) with a strong API, aimed at web developers, designers, and the clients who maintain the sites they build.
read the full ProcessWire overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or ProcessWire more popular?
Directus has 37,911 GitHub stars and ProcessWire has 1,152. Directus has the larger community by that measure.
Are Directus and ProcessWire free?
Neither Directus nor ProcessWire 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 ProcessWire?
Directus is written in TypeScript and ProcessWire in PHP. 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 ProcessWire?
Choose Directus if you want the larger community (37,911 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose ProcessWire if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.