Directus
Instant App & API for your SQL Database. Directus wraps your new or existing SQL database with a realtime GraphQL+REST API for developers, and an intuitive admin app for non-technical users.
Directus vs drawDB
Two self-hosted Database Management apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Directus | drawDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Instant App & API for your SQL Database. Directus wraps your new or existing SQL database with a realtime GraphQL+REST API for developers, and an intuitive admin app for non-technical users. | Browser-based visual and DBML database diagram editor and SQL generator for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, MSSQL and Oracle. |
| GitHub stars | 38,723 | 40,327 |
| Forks | 5k | 3.4k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 355 | 248 |
| Commits (12 months) | 732 | 56 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-09 | 2026-11-09 |
| Latest release | v12.6.1 (2026-11-04) | v1.9.0 (2026-11-01) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | BUSL-1.1 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Nodejs, Docker | Nodejs, Docker |
| Docker Hub image | directus/directus | – |
| Docker pulls | 50959.5k | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Categories | Database Management | Database Management |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Directus and drawDB have a similar number of GitHub stars (38.7k vs 40.3k).
- Directus had more commits in the last 12 months (732 vs 56).
- Directus published a release more recently (v12.6.1 on 2026-11-04; drawDB's latest is v1.9.0 on 2026-11-01).
- Directus is licensed under BUSL-1.1, drawDB under AGPL-3.0.
- Both are written in Nodejs.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Directus: Docker; drawDB: Docker.
- Only Directus has a Docker Hub image that we detected (directus/directus).
Summary: Directus leads on commit activity and Docker Hub availability. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-15. It does not rate features or quality.
Get the Docker images
Directus
docker pull directus/directusImage on Docker Hub. Ports, volumes and environment variables differ per app; follow the official docs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Directus or drawDB more popular?
They are close: Directus has 38,723 GitHub stars and drawDB has 40,327 (as of 2026-11-15).
Which is more actively maintained, Directus or drawDB?
Directus had more commits over the last 12 months (732 vs 56). Both had repository activity on 2026-11-09. Releases in the past year: Directus 10+, drawDB 6. Our health labels: Directus is “Active”, drawDB is “Active”.
What licenses do Directus and drawDB use?
Directus: BUSL-1.1. drawDB: AGPL-3.0. Note: Directus includes a non-free license component.
Can I run Directus and drawDB with Docker?
Directus has a Docker Hub image (directus/directus). We did not find one for drawDB, though the upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option.
Read more
drawDB
Browser-based visual and DBML database diagram editor and SQL generator for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, MSSQL and Oracle.
Browse all self-hosted Database Management apps.