head to head · open source
NocoDB vs Directus
NocoDB has 65,002 GitHub stars, 5,055 forks, 710 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Directus has 37,952 stars, 4,946 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped yesterday. NocoDB leads on adoption by 71% (65,002 vs 37,952 stars). NocoDB is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. NocoDB has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Directus 13%. 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
| NocoDB | Directus | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 65K | ★ 38K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 4.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick NocoDB if
- You weight community size — 65K 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 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 NocoDB
NocoDB is a free and self hostable open source Airtable alternative that turns an existing relational database into an intuitive spreadsheet interface, built for teams who want no code data management without moving their data into a hosted SaaS product.
read the full NocoDB overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is NocoDB or Directus more popular?
NocoDB has 65,002 GitHub stars and Directus has 37,952. NocoDB has the larger community by that measure.
Are NocoDB and Directus free?
Neither NocoDB nor Directus 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 NocoDB and Directus?
NocoDB is written in TypeScript 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, NocoDB or Directus?
Choose NocoDB if you want the larger community (65,002 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Directus if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.