head to head · open source
Directus vs Vendure
Directus has 38,812 GitHub stars, 4,992 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Vendure has 8,563 stars, 1,541 forks, 231 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Directus leads on adoption by 353% (38,812 vs 8,563 stars). Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Vendure is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Directus has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Vendure 18%. Directus was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (graphql), 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 | Vendure | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 8.6K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.0K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Directus if
- You weight community size — 39K 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 Vendure if
- You want the Vendure feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Vendure fits your workflow better
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 →
About Vendure
Vendure The open source headless commerce platform. Plugin first, TypeScript end to end: a Node.js, NestJS, and GraphQL backend with a React and TanStack admin dashboard. Documentation Website What is Vendure Vendure is an open source headless commerce platform. Model your catalog, orders, pricing, promotions, and customers on one backend you can change at the core. Run D2C, B2B, marketplace, and omnichannel on it, so teams don't choose between a rigid suite and a DIY composable stack. Model your business, no forks required : Extend or override any part of the system through stable plugin contracts and service…
read the full Vendure overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or Vendure more popular?
Directus has 38,812 GitHub stars and Vendure has 8,563. Directus has the larger community by that measure.
Are Directus and Vendure free?
Neither Directus nor Vendure 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 Vendure?
Directus is written in TypeScript and Vendure 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 Vendure?
Choose Directus if you want the larger community (38,812 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Vendure if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.