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Alex Spinov
Alex Spinov

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Directus Has a Free Headless CMS — Turn Any SQL Database into a REST/GraphQL API

#cms #api #database #backend

Directus is an open-source headless CMS that wraps any SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API.

What You Get for Free

  • Instant API — REST + GraphQL for any SQL database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, etc.)
  • Admin dashboard — beautiful UI for content management
  • Authentication — built-in user management, SSO, 2FA
  • Roles & permissions — granular field-level access control
  • File management — image transformations, S3/R2/local storage
  • Flows — visual automation builder (webhooks, scheduled tasks)
  • Real-time — WebSocket subscriptions on any collection
  • Translations — built-in i18n for multilingual content

Quick Start 

# Docker
docker run -d -p 8055:8055 directus/directus

# Or npm
npx create-directus-project my-project

# Access dashboard at http://localhost:8055
# Your existing database tables appear as collections automatically
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Why Developers Choose It

Strapi generates code you must maintain. WordPress is PHP-heavy. Directus:

  • Database-first — mirrors your existing schema, doesn't create its own
  • No vendor lock-in — your data stays in YOUR database
  • Swap frontends freely — Next.js today, Nuxt tomorrow, mobile next week
  • Self-hosted — free forever, no seat limits

A media company had 50,000 articles in PostgreSQL. Instead of migrating to WordPress, they pointed Directus at their existing database — instant admin panel, REST API, and GraphQL endpoint in under 10 minutes.

Need Custom Data Solutions?

I build production-grade scrapers and data pipelines for startups, agencies, and research teams.

Browse 88+ ready-made scrapers on Apify → — Reddit, HN, LinkedIn, Google, Amazon, and more.

Custom project? Email me: spinov001@gmail.com — fast turnaround, fair pricing.

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