head to head · open source
react vs Directus
react has 252,080 GitHub stars, 51,601 forks, 1,377 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Directus has 38,782 stars, 4,989 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. react leads on adoption by 550% (252,080 vs 38,782 stars). react is written in JavaScript under MIT; Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. react has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, Directus 13%. react was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (javascript), 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
| react | Directus | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 252K | ★ 39K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-31 | 2026-10-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 52K | ⑂ 5.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick react if
- You weight community size — 252K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- 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 react
React · React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Declarative: React makes it painless to create interactive UIs. Design simple views for each state in your application, and React will efficiently update and render just the right components when your data changes. Declarative views make your code more predictable, simpler to understand, and easier to debug. Component Based: Build encapsulated components that manage their own state, then compose them to make complex UIs. Since component logic is written in JavaScript instead of templates, you can easily pass rich data through your app and…
read the full react 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 react or Directus more popular?
react has 252,080 GitHub stars and Directus has 38,782. react has the larger community by that measure.
Are react and Directus free?
Both are open source. react is licensed under MIT, and Directus has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between react and Directus?
react is written in JavaScript 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, react or Directus?
Choose react if you want the larger community (252,080 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Directus if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.