Directus Has a Free Headless CMS — Turn Any SQL Database into an API and Admin Panel

Directus is an open-source headless CMS that wraps any SQL database with an instant API and a no-code admin panel.

What You Get for Free

• Any SQL database — PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL, Oracle
• REST + GraphQL — auto-generated APIs from your schema
• Admin app — beautiful no-code UI for content management
• Roles & permissions — granular access control
• File storage — local, S3, Google Cloud, Azure
• Flows — visual automation builder (like Zapier, built-in)
• Real-time — WebSocket subscriptions for live data
• Translations — built-in i18n for content
• Extensions — custom modules, endpoints, hooks

Quick Start

npx create-directus-project my-cms
cd my-cms && npx directus start

Open http://localhost:8055 — your admin panel is ready. Any table in your database is instantly available via API.

Why Developers Switch from Strapi

Strapi requires defining models in its own system:

• Any existing database — point Directus at your tables, instant API
• No code generation — no models to define, no migrations to run
• No-code flows — automation without writing code
• Better permissions — field-level access control

A company had 50 tables in PostgreSQL and needed an admin panel. Strapi would require recreating all models. Directus connected to the existing database in 5 minutes — instant API, instant admin panel, zero data migration.

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