Baasix vs Directus
Flat-price MIT backend vs the BSL data platform
Directus and Baasix are philosophical cousins: both wrap your SQL database with instant APIs, granular permissions, and a polished admin app. The differences are licensing and scope. Directus uses a BSL license that requires a paid plan beyond a revenue threshold, and its Data Studio is built for managing data. Baasix keeps the backend MIT-licensed with a flat $9.99/year UI license, and its App Builder composes actual internal tools — kanban boards, dashboards, wizard forms — on top of your collections.
The short version
Choose Directus if you need multi-database support or its mature Data Studio. Choose Baasix for a permissive MIT license, flat pricing at any company size, PostgreSQL-native power, and end-user app building baked in.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Baasix | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT backend — free for any company size | BSL 1.1 — paid beyond revenue threshold |
| Pricing | $9.99/yr or $49 lifetime per domain for the UI | Free tier limits; cloud & enterprise plans |
| Database support | PostgreSQL-native (+ PostGIS, partitioning) | Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL & more |
| Auto REST API | 50+ operators, aggregation, deep relations | REST + GraphQL |
| Admin app | Admin UI: schema, data, users, settings | Data Studio |
| End-user app building | App Builder: 27 blocks, public pages, RBAC-governed | Insights dashboards; Studio is data-centric |
| Automation | Visual workflows, 17+ node types | Flows automation |
| Realtime | Socket.IO + Redis horizontal scaling | WebSockets |
| Response caching | Hybrid L1 memory + L2 Redis, table-aware | Basic response cache |
| Multi-tenancy | Built-in tenant isolation & switching | One project per instance |
| Authentication | 35+ OAuth providers, passkeys, 2FA, session limits | Local, SSO, OAuth providers |
| AI integration | 69 MCP tools — data, schemas, even page building | MCP available; narrower surface |
| Geospatial | PostGIS query operators in the filter DSL | Map interface; fewer query operators |
Based on publicly available information at the time of writing. Found something outdated? Let us know.
Choose Baasix if…
- You want a truly permissive MIT license with no revenue clauses
- Flat $9.99/year beats per-seat or usage pricing for your team
- You need multi-tenant SaaS isolation out of the box
- You want to build internal tools, not just browse data
Choose Directus if…
- Your data lives in MySQL, MSSQL, or another non-Postgres database
- You want the mature Data Studio UX and extension marketplace
- Insights-style BI dashboards are your primary need
Common questions
How is Baasix licensed compared to Directus?
The Baasix backend is MIT-licensed — free for any use at any company size — with a $9.99/year (or $49 lifetime) per-domain license for the Admin UI. Directus uses the Business Source License, which is free below a revenue threshold and requires a commercial plan above it.
Does Baasix have an equivalent to Directus Data Studio?
Yes — the Baasix Admin UI covers schema management, data browsing, users, permissions, and settings. On top of that, the App Builder lets admins compose dashboards and internal tools from 27 data-bound blocks, which non-admin roles then use as their daily workspace.
Why is Baasix PostgreSQL-only?
Focusing on PostgreSQL lets Baasix ship deeper features: PostGIS geospatial operators, full-text search with automatic GIN indexes, table partitioning, and hybrid caching tuned for Postgres. If you need multi-database support, Directus is the better fit.
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