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Directus vs Supabase

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan
Supabase — $25/mo vs $499/mo for Directus
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Best fit
Directus: Teams that already have a database and want an API and admin UI without building both by hand · Supabase: Developers and vibe-coders who need a ready backend with auth for a web or mobile app
Trust score
About even — Directus 92, Supabase 93

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

DirectusAn open-source backend that turns an existing SQL database into REST and GraphQL APIs with a no-code admin UI.SupabaseOpen-source Postgres backend with auth, storage, realtime, edge functions and a pgvector toolkit for AI apps.

Side by side

FactDirectusSupabase
CategoryNo-code & Low-code BuildersDatabases & Warehouses
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$499/mo$25/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score92 / 10093 / 100
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, API
CompanyMonospace Inc.Supabase
Launched—2020
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Oct 2, 2026

What our research says

Directus

Directus generates a working REST/GraphQL API and no-code admin panel from an existing database, which makes it a fast way to turn a plain schema into something both a content team and an AI agent can use. It's genuinely open source and self-hostable, not just free-to-start, which matters if a team wants to avoid platform lock-in. The jump from free self-hosting to $499/month for the hosted Team tier is steep if a team isn't ready to run it themselves.

Pros

  • Open source and self-hostable, not a locked SaaS-only product
  • Generates both REST and GraphQL APIs automatically from the schema
  • MCP server lets AI coding tools read and write content directly

Cons

  • Hosted Team tier jumps straight to $499/month with no mid-tier paid plan shown
  • Self-hosting requires the operational work of running and updating it yourself

Supabase

Supabase is a strong default for developers who want a real Postgres database with auth and storage included, and it is especially popular as the backend for AI-generated apps. The free tier is enough to build and demo. Watch the pausing of idle free projects and usage-based add-ons once you go to production.

Pros

  • Standard Postgres with auto-generated APIs and Row Level Security
  • Open source core that can be self-hosted
  • Auth, storage, realtime and functions in one project
  • Spend caps are on by default on the Pro plan

Cons

  • Free projects are paused after a week of inactivity
  • Pro costs are per organization and compute for additional projects is billed on top
  • Vector search at large scale is less specialised than a dedicated vector database

Which one fits

Choose Directus if you need

  • Teams that already have a database and want an API and admin UI without building both by hand
  • Developers who want AI agents (via MCP) to read and write structured content safely

Choose Supabase if you need

  • Developers and vibe-coders who need a ready backend with auth for a web or mobile app
  • AI apps that want embeddings stored beside application data in Postgres

Directus vs Supabase: the questions people ask

Is Directus cheaper than Supabase?

On published entry prices, Supabase starts lower — $25/mo against $499/mo for Directus. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Directus or Supabase have a free tier?

Both: Directus has a free tier, and Supabase has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Directus or Supabase?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

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