Supabase vs Directus: Which Backend Platform Should You Choose?

Supabase and Directus simplify backend development, but they focus on different workflows and use cases. Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative with a PostgreSQL backend, auto-generated APIs, authentication, real-time subscriptions, and storage. 

Directus is a headless CMS and data platform, sitting on top of existing SQL databases with a customizable API layer and admin interface.

Let’s explore how these platforms compare across features, pricing, support, and typical use cases so you can determine which aligns with your project needs.

What Are Supabase and Directus?

Directus is an open-source data platform that sits on top of your SQL database. Rather than replacing your database, it connects to existing PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, or other SQL databases and provides a REST and GraphQL API layer plus an admin interface for content management.

It is built with Node.js and Vue.js. It generates APIs based on your database schema while giving you an intuitive admin panel where non-technical users can manage content. This makes it popular for projects that need both developer flexibility and content editor access.

Directus started in 2004 as a project to manage MySQL databases and has evolved into a full data platform. The open-source version is free and self-hostable, with Directus Cloud available for managed hosting.

Overview of Supabase

Supabase markets itself as an open-source alternative to Firebase. At its core is a PostgreSQL database with automatically generated REST and GraphQL APIs. The platform bundles several services: authentication, real-time subscriptions, edge functions, and file storage.

Unlike Directus, Supabase provides the database itself rather than connecting to an existing one. When you create a Supabase project, you get a dedicated PostgreSQL instance with extensions like PostGIS for geospatial data and pg_vector for embeddings.

Supabase launched in 2020 and has grown quickly, attracting developers who want Firebase-like convenience with PostgreSQL's power and flexibility. The platform is open-source and can be self-hosted, though most users access it through the managed cloud service.

Core Features Comparison

API Access and Management

Supabase automatically generates REST APIs based on your PostgreSQL schema using PostgREST. Every table becomes an API endpoint with filtering, pagination, and ordering built in. GraphQL support comes through pg_graphql, a PostgreSQL extension that exposes your schema as a GraphQL endpoint.

The API layer is tightly coupled to your database schema. Add a table, and you immediately have API access. This speeds up development but means your API structure mirrors your database structure directly.

Directus generates APIs differently. It reads your existing database schema and creates REST and GraphQL endpoints with its own abstraction layer. This gives you more control over how data is exposed. You can customize field names, create virtual fields, and define relationships that don't exist at the database level.

Directus also provides granular permissions at the API level, controlling which roles can access which fields and operations. This is useful when you need fine-tuned access control for different user types.

Database and DBaaS Capabilities

Supabase provides a managed PostgreSQL database with each project. You get direct database access, can run raw SQL, use PostgreSQL extensions, and connect with any PostgreSQL client. The database is the foundation, and other features build on top of it.

This approach works well if you want PostgreSQL specifically. You get full database capabilities: triggers, functions, row-level security, and the ecosystem of PostgreSQL extensions.

Directus takes a different approach. It doesn't provide a database; it connects to one you already have or create separately. This means you can use Directus with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, MS SQL Server, or OracleDB.

This flexibility is valuable if you have an existing database you want to expose through an API, or if you need to use a specific database technology for compliance or infrastructure reasons. The tradeoff is that you manage the database separately.

Content and Digital Asset Management

Directus performs strongly here. The admin interface functions as a headless CMS where content editors can create, edit, and publish content without touching code. You can define content types, create relationships, and build editorial workflows.

The platform includes digital asset management with image transformations, metadata handling, and folder organization. For projects involving marketing content, documentation, or any scenario where non-developers need to manage structured content, Directus provides a polished experience.

Supabase offers file storage through Supabase Storage, which handles uploads, downloads, and access control. However, there's no built-in CMS interface. You can store files and metadata, but managing content requires building your own admin interface or using a third-party tool.

If your project is primarily an application with user-generated content rather than editorial content, this may not matter. But if you need content management, Directus has a significant advantage.

Integrations and Ecosystem

Supabase bundles several services that integrate tightly:

• Authentication: Email/password, magic links, OAuth providers, phone auth

• Real-time: Subscribe to database changes via websockets

• Edge Functions: Serverless functions running on Deno

• Storage: File storage with CDN and transformations

• Vector: AI embeddings and vector similarity search

These services work together out of the box. Authentication integrates with row-level security. Real-time subscriptions respect access policies. This cohesion simplifies development when you need these capabilities.

Directus takes a more modular approach. It focuses on the data layer and API, with integrations handled through flows (automation workflows) and extensions. You can build custom endpoints, hooks, and interfaces.

For authentication, Directus has its own system but also supports SSO through OAuth and SAML. Real-time capabilities exist through websockets, though they're less central to the platform than in Supabase.

The Directus marketplace offers extensions for additional functionality, and the extension SDK lets you build custom modules when needed.

Pricing and Deployment Options

Directus Pricing and Hosting

Self-hosted Directus is free and open-source. You run it on your own infrastructure with no licensing costs. This gives you full control and predictable costs based on your hosting expenses.

Directus Cloud offers managed hosting with several tiers:

• Free tier: Limited to 100 users and basic features.

• Professional: Starting around $99/month with more capacity and features.

• Enterprise: Custom pricing with SLAs, dedicated infrastructure, and support.

The pricing model is relatively simple once you choose a tier. There are no usage-based charges for API calls or database operations on the managed plans.

Supabase Pricing and Hosting

Supabase Cloud uses a freemium model:

• Free tier: 500MB database, 1GB storage, 50,000 monthly active users for auth.

• Pro: $25/month base with usage-based pricing for overages.

• Team: $599/month with additional features and support.

• Enterprise: Custom pricing.

The usage-based component means costs can vary month to month. Database size, storage, bandwidth, and edge function invocations all affect your bill. This is flexible but requires monitoring to avoid surprises.

Self-hosted Supabase is possible and free, though it requires more operational expertise. You need to run PostgreSQL, the API layer, authentication service, and other components. The self-hosted option works but lacks some managed features.

Support, Training, and Community

Both Directus and Supabase provide thorough documentation and active GitHub communities. Directus covers installation, configuration, API reference, and extension development with practical examples, while Supabase offers guides, tutorials, starter projects, and video content for learning.

Paid support is available for both platforms. Directus Cloud professional and enterprise tiers include priority support and SLAs, and Supabase offers email support for paid tiers and dedicated support for enterprise customers. Both maintain regular releases and responsive issue handling through their GitHub repositories.

Vendor and Company Background

Directus has been around since 2004, originally as a database management tool. The company behind it, Monospace Inc., has steadily developed the platform into its current form. This longevity provides some confidence in stability, though the company is smaller than some competitors.

Supabase was founded in 2020 and has raised significant venture capital funding. The company has grown quickly, expanding features and team size. The funding provides resources for development and support, though it also means the company needs to eventually achieve profitability or additional funding.

Both platforms are open-source, which provides some protection against vendor issues. You can self-host either platform if needed.

Which One Should You Use?

Directus fits well when you need:

• Content management alongside application data: Marketing sites, documentation platforms, or applications where non-developers manage content.

• Connection to existing databases: Wrapping legacy databases with modern APIs without migration.

• Database flexibility: Projects requiring MySQL, SQL Server, or other non-PostgreSQL databases.

• Custom admin interfaces: Building tailored data management experiences for specific workflows.

• Gradual adoption: Adding API capabilities to existing databases incrementally.

Directus works particularly well for agencies building client projects where content editors need friendly interfaces, or for enterprises exposing internal databases through standardized APIs.

Use-Case Scenarios for Supabase

Supabase fits well when you need:

• Rapid application development: MVPs, prototypes, or startups wanting to move fast

• Real-time features: Chat applications, collaborative tools, live dashboards.

• Integrated authentication: Applications requiring user auth without managing identity infrastructure.

• PostgreSQL specifically: Projects that benefit from PostgreSQL features and extensions.

• Firebase migration: Moving from Firebase while keeping similar development patterns.

Supabase works particularly well for developers building consumer applications, SaaS products, or any project where the bundled services (auth, real-time, storage) align with requirements.

Getting Started

Neither platform is universally better. The choice depends on your specific needs.

Choose Directus if content management is important, you need to work with existing databases, or you want maximum flexibility in how your API layer operates.

Choose Supabase if you want an integrated development platform with auth, real-time, and storage bundled together, or if you're building an application that benefits from PostgreSQL's capabilities and don't need CMS features.

For many projects, the deciding factor is whether you need content management (Directus advantage) or integrated application services like auth and real-time (Supabase advantage).

You can also connect with our experts to get guidance on platform selection, implementation, and optimizing your backend setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Supabase better than Directus?

It depends on your use case. Supabase offers a more integrated development experience with authentication, real-time, and storage bundled together. Directus provides superior content management and flexibility in connecting to various databases. Neither is objectively better; they serve different primary needs.

Can Supabase replace Firebase and Directus?

Supabase can replace Firebase for many use cases, offering similar real-time database, authentication, and storage capabilities with PostgreSQL instead of Firestore. It cannot fully replace Directus if you need headless CMS functionality or need to connect to non-PostgreSQL databases.

Is Directus good for developers?

Yes. Directus offers REST and GraphQL APIs, an extension SDK for custom development, and the ability to work with raw database access. The platform is developer-friendly while also providing interfaces for non-technical users. The flexibility to customize the API layer and build extensions makes it suitable for complex development projects.

Do Supabase or Directus support GraphQL?

Both support GraphQL. Supabase provides GraphQL through the pg_graphql PostgreSQL extension. Directus includes GraphQL support as part of its core API layer. Implementation details differ, but both platforms offer functional GraphQL endpoints.

Which is more scalable: Supabase or Directus?

Both scale to production workloads. Supabase scales through PostgreSQL's capabilities and their managed infrastructure, with options for read replicas and connection pooling. Directus scales based on your underlying database choice and hosting infrastructure. For self-hosted deployments, scaling depends on your database and application server configuration. For managed offerings, both provide enterprise tiers designed for larger workloads.