head to head · open source
Supabase vs Directus
Supabase has 114,446 GitHub stars, 15,770 forks, 1,128 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Directus has 38,799 stars, 4,991 forks, 402 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Supabase leads on adoption by 195% (114,446 vs 38,799 stars). Supabase is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Directus is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Supabase has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, Directus 13%. Supabase was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (database), 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
| Supabase | Directus | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 114K | ★ 39K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 16K | ⑂ 5.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Supabase if
- You weight community size — 114K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 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 Supabase
Supabase Supabase is the Postgres development platform. We're building the features of Firebase using enterprise grade open source tools. [x] Hosted Postgres Database. Docs [x] Authentication and Authorization. Docs [x] Auto generated APIs. [x] REST. Docs [x] GraphQL. Docs [x] Realtime subscriptions. Docs [x] Functions. [x] Database Functions. Docs [x] Edge Functions Docs [x] File Storage. Docs [x] AI + Vector/Embeddings Toolkit. Docs [x] Dashboard Watch "releases" of this repo to get notified of major updates. Documentation For full documentation, visit supabase.com/docs To see how to Contribute, visit Getting…
read the full Supabase 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 Supabase or Directus more popular?
Supabase has 114,446 GitHub stars and Directus has 38,799. Supabase has the larger community by that measure.
Are Supabase and Directus free?
Both are open source. Supabase 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 Supabase and Directus?
Supabase 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, Supabase or Directus?
Choose Supabase if you want the larger community (114,446 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.