Directus Backend-as-a-Service & No-Code Admin Panel App (CMS)

Directus is open-source BaaS that layers on top of existing SQL database but better builds tables there. Like Hasura (I’ve written about the Hasura API engine here) but less mature in this term — the thing that it does best and that Hasura doesn’t have is the no-code powerful, beautiful, customisable, responsive admin panel. Basically, build in most cases without writing a line of code powerful back-office apps and admin panels for your startup or customers — on all your business data.

It used to be buggier like I said in this YouTube video comparing it with Hasura and Strapi since their both also headless CMS. But since Directus 9 is out, it looks much more beautiful and we’re been using Directus without Hasura in many projects since version 9. Here’s a newer video comparing Directus to WordPress and Google Spreadsheet (the easiest CMS ever😄)>>

The further you can take your startup in the beginning with a minimum amount of code(low-code and no-code solutions) the more proud you should be. They say that the code is not an asset, it’s a liability.

Directus is most modern open-source admin panel builder for developers. It’s modular codebase is 100% NodeJS & VueJs 3. It has already more than 19m downloads.

OK, so why we still use Hasura, too then?

• Directus doesn’t have 1-to-1 relationships
• Not as powerful as Hasura with its remote schemas and actions.
• Hasura has more operators in GraphQL + they are better named.
• Some projects (eg. real time chat) also need subscriptions that are missing in the Directus and not so many aggregation options.
• Then there’s an issue with setting default values on a field. On Hasura it’s doing it directly via the table column in SQL but on Directus this is made via the API — and that’s bad for codegen.
• Doesn’t have DB schemas but that’s again a plugin called Voyager and the same with the GraphQL explorer called GraphiQL that can be installed separately

But for really many smaller and also many mid-sized projects it is a great tool. We often use Directus also for the admin panel and Hasura for the API engine so we don’t use Directus’ API. In that case, we create tables/relations in Directus so it looks perfect in the admin panel and then tracks the tables/relations with Hasura.

It takes just few mins to set it up in local or in VPS or just one-click install it at DigitalOcean marketplace. Click here to get $100 free credit for it>> And if you need free up to 20min consultation with Directus then sign-up here and leave some details about your Directus development project>>