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Payload vs Directus: catalog facts
Payload	Directus
Free Free and open source under the MIT license; enterprise features are sold separately.	Freemium Free to get started and self-host, with a paid hosted Directus Cloud option.
Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Installs inside an existing Next.js app folder Full TypeScript backend with an extensible admin panel	Works on top of an existing SQL database without changing the schema Automatic REST and GraphQL APIs
Configured in code, so it needs a developer Tied to the Next.js and React ecosystem	Source-available license rather than OSI open source Needs developer setup and a database
Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Hosted service
Open source	Closed source
License: MIT	License: BSL-1.1
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.