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Alex Spinov
Alex Spinov

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Directus Has a Free API — Instant REST and GraphQL for Any SQL Database

#database #api #tutorial #webdev

Turn Any Database Into an API in 5 Minutes

Directus wraps any SQL database (Postgres, MySQL, SQLite) with instant REST and GraphQL APIs. Open-source, self-hosted, free.

Setup (Docker) 

docker compose up -d
# docker-compose.yml:
# directus: image: directus/directus
#   ports: ["8055:8055"]
#   environment:
#     DB_CLIENT: sqlite3
#     DB_FILENAME: /directus/database/data.db
#     ADMIN_EMAIL: admin@example.com
#     ADMIN_PASSWORD: password
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REST API (Auto-Generated) 

import requests

BASE = "http://localhost:8055"

# Login
def login(email, password):
    r = requests.post(f"{BASE}/auth/login",
                      json={"email": email, "password": password})
    return r.json()["data"]["access_token"]

token = login("admin@example.com", "password")
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}

# List items from any collection
def get_items(collection, limit=10):
    r = requests.get(f"{BASE}/items/{collection}",
                     headers=headers, params={"limit": limit})
    return r.json()["data"]

# Create item
def create_item(collection, data):
    r = requests.post(f"{BASE}/items/{collection}",
                      headers=headers, json=data)
    return r.json()["data"]

posts = get_items("posts")
create_item("posts", {"title": "New Post", "content": "Hello"})
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GraphQL (Also Auto-Generated) 

query {
  posts(limit: 10, sort: ["-date_created"]) {
    id
    title
    content
    author { first_name last_name }
  }
}
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Why Directus

  • Works with existing databases (no migration needed)
  • Admin dashboard included
  • File management built-in
  • Roles and permissions
  • Webhooks and flows
  • Open-source (GPLv3)

Directus vs Alternatives

Feature Directus Strapi Hasura
Database Any SQL Postgres/MySQL Postgres
API type REST + GraphQL REST + GraphQL GraphQL
Existing DB Yes No Yes
Admin UI Yes Yes Yes
Self-hosted Free Free Free

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More from me: 10 Dev Tools I Use Daily | 77 Scrapers on a Schedule | 150+ Free APIs

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