Supabase vs Directus

Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs

S

Supabase

The open source Firebase alternative

4.5
Editorial Rating
D

Directus

Open-source headless CMS and data platform

4.5
Editorial Rating

Quick Comparison

Rating

4.5
vs
4.5

Starting Price

Free
vs
Free

Pricing Model

freemium
vs
freemium
Feature
Supabase
Directus
PostgreSQL database
Authentication
Storage
Edge functions
Realtime
REST & GraphQL APIs
REST & GraphQL API
Role-based access
File management
Webhooks
Custom dashboards

Supabase Pros

  • Open source — no vendor lock-in
  • Full PostgreSQL power (not a NoSQL compromise)
  • Best free tier in the backend-as-a-service space
  • Excellent developer experience and documentation
  • Row Level Security for fine-grained access control

Supabase Cons

  • Free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity
  • Self-hosting is complex to maintain
  • Smaller ecosystem than Firebase for mobile

Directus Pros

  • Database-agnostic
  • Beautiful admin UI
  • Strong API
  • Active community

Directus Cons

  • Cloud plans expensive
  • Learning curve for complex setups
  • Self-hosting requires maintenance

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