Directus

What is Directus?

Directus is an open-source data platform that connects to an existing SQL database (Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, and others) and automatically generates a REST and GraphQL API plus an admin UI on top of it, without requiring you to restructure your schema to fit its model. Unlike a typical headless CMS that owns the database and defines the schema, Directus wraps whatever schema you already have, so you keep direct SQL access and can migrate away later without an export/import step.

Key features

• Instant REST and GraphQL APIs generated from your existing database schema, no separate content model to maintain
• Admin UI (data studio) for non-technical users to manage content without touching the database directly
• Role-based permissions down to the field level for controlling who can see or edit what
• Extensible with custom endpoints, hooks, and panels when the built-in UI isn't enough
• Self-hostable or available as a managed cloud offering

Who it's for

Teams with an existing SQL database who want a content admin UI and API layer without giving up ownership of their schema, or developers who want a CMS they can drop later without a painful migration. If you're starting from scratch and don't already care about owning the schema, a more opinionated headless CMS may get you moving faster.

Pricing

Self-hosted and open-source for free. A managed Directus Cloud option is also available on usage-based paid plans.