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Best Directus alternatives in 2026

Directus is data platform that turns SQL databases into a headless CMS and API. These 18 alternatives come from the same rankings, ordered by editorial score. Connected products carry a small, disclosed lift.

18 alternatives From best headless CMS platforms, best backend-as-a-service platforms How we rank Share

Ranked alternatives

  1. Supabase

    Is open source. An open-source Postgres platform with auth and storage, Apache-2.0 licensed, with a generous Free plan. Pro is $25 a month, and extra compute instances add cost as a project grows.

    Best for Postgres apps with auth and storage

    WebFree plan, paid upgradesOpen source

    92.0of 100
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  2. Strapi

    Is open source. An open-source headless CMS with an MIT-licensed Community Edition you can self-host, and a paid Strapi Cloud option from $35 a month per project. Enterprise Edition code uses a separate license.

    Best for Self-hosted open-source content API

    WebSelf-hostedFree plan, paid upgradesOpen source

    91.0of 100
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  3. Firebase

    A mature app backend from Google with a no-cost Spark plan and a pay-as-you-go Blaze plan, plus up to $300 in credit for eligible customers. It is proprietary, and its costs spread across many line items.

    Best for Mobile and web apps on Google's platform

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    90.0of 100
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  4. Payload

    Is open source. An MIT-licensed headless CMS that runs inside a Next.js project, with the admin panel and APIs in one codebase. It suits developers, since content models are code.

    Best for Developers building in Next.js

    WebSelf-hostedFree and open sourceOpen source

    89.5of 100
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  5. Appwrite

    Is open source. An open-source backend with auth, databases and storage under BSD-3-Clause, with a Free plan and self-hosting. Dedicated compute costs extra, and its plan tiers are numerous.

    Best for Open-source backend that can self-host

    WebSelf-hostedFree plan, paid upgradesOpen source

    88.0of 100
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  6. Sanity

    A hosted content platform with a customizable studio and a free plan for 20 seats. The Studio editor is MIT-licensed, but the hosted platform is not open source, and add-ons apply as projects grow.

    Best for Structured content with a custom studio

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    88.0of 100
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  7. Convex

    A TypeScript backend with live-updating queries and a built-in database, free to start. Its backend is source-available under FSL rather than open source, and Enterprise starts at $2,500 a month.

    Best for Reactive TypeScript apps

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    86.5of 100
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  8. Nhost

    Is open source. MIT-licensed Postgres backend with a GraphQL API and built-in authentication, a free Starter plan and a self-hosted option. It ranks just under Supabase here, and its Pro tier and compute are priced separately.

    Best for Postgres and GraphQL apps with MIT-licensed code

    WebFree plan, paid upgradesOpen source

    85.5of 100
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  9. PocketBase

    Is open source. A single-executable backend under MIT with realtime and auth, free to run on your own server. You handle hosting, backups and upgrades, and it is not a managed service.

    Best for Small apps on one self-run server

    WebSelf-hostedFree and open sourceOpen source

    84.0of 100
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  10. Storyblok

    A hosted headless CMS with a visual editor, a free Starter plan for testing and personal projects, and Growth plans from $99 a month. It is not open source, and extra seats cost $15 each on paid plans.

    Best for Visual editing for marketing pages

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    84.0of 100
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  11. TinaCMS

    Is open source. Apache-2.0 open-source CMS with a visual editor for content stored in Git, and TinaCloud as a hosted option. It is close to Keystatic in approach, but its hosted plan is priced per project, which fits teams that want hosted editing.

    Best for Git-based content with visual editing

    WebSelf-hostedFree plan, paid upgradesOpen source

    83.0of 100
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  12. Hygraph

    A GraphQL headless CMS with a Hobby plan that is free forever. The Growth plan starts at $199 a month, which costs more than Storyblok's Growth plan, and Enterprise pricing is set through sales.

    Best for GraphQL content APIs for product teams

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    82.5of 100
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  13. Parse Server

    Is open source. Apache-2.0 Node.js backend that stores data in MongoDB or PostgreSQL and runs locally, in Docker or on your own servers. It is a self-hosted framework rather than a managed service, so it suits teams with operations capacity.

    Best for Self-hosted backend on Node.js and MongoDB or PostgreSQL

    Self-hostedFree and open sourceOpen source

    82.5of 100
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  14. Prismic

    Headless CMS with a Free plan for personal sites and proof-of-concept work, and paid plans billed per repository with clear limits. It is hosted, so self-hosting is not listed; compare Strapi or Payload for that.

    Best for Managed headless content with per-repository plans

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    81.5of 100
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  15. AWS Amplify

    A full-stack toolkit and hosting on AWS with no minimum fees. Costs depend on the AWS services an app uses, and it ties the app to AWS.

    Best for Full-stack apps already on AWS

    WebPay as you go

    81.0of 100
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  16. Kontent.ai

    Enterprise headless CMS for content and marketing teams, with a trust center and developer API, priced on request. It suits large organizations, and its pricing page lists no free plan, unlike the smaller options here.

    Best for Enterprise teams with large content operations

    WebContact for pricing

    80.0of 100
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  17. Xano

    No-code backend with a visual logic builder, an API builder and a managed database, and a free plan for development and testing. Production use moves to paid Pro or Custom plans, which suits teams that avoid writing server code.

    Best for No-code backends for small teams

    WebFree plan, paid upgrades

    79.5of 100
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  18. Keystatic

    Is open source. MIT-licensed Git-based CMS from Thinkmill that stores content as Markdown, YAML or JSON files, with a TypeScript API and no database. It keeps content in your repository, so there is no separate database to host.

    Best for Developer-run sites that keep content in Git

    WebSelf-hostedFree and open sourceOpen source

    79.0of 100
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Open-source alternatives to Directus

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About Directus alternatives

What is the best alternative to Directus?
On listme.name the highest-scored alternative is Supabase, followed by Strapi. The right choice depends on price, platform and whether you need open source.
Is there a free alternative to Directus?
Yes. Free options include Supabase, Strapi, Firebase.

Before you switch

Learning Center
1:16Intermediate · 6 min readLock-in and exit costs: check how you leave before you commitLearn what lock-in is, run an export test on real data, compare open formats and local versus hosted storage, and plan an exit with your EU data rights in mind.1:20Beginner · 5 min readHow to run a software trial that tells you somethingRun a software trial that answers your question. Set criteria first, use real files, test import, export and sharing, then decide before the end date.

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