Directus
Saleor
| Feature | Directus | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $99/mo | Free / from $300/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, agencies, content-teams, data-driven-teams | developer-teams, enterprise-ecommerce, multi-channel-retailers, graphql-enthusiasts |
| Founded | 2016 | 2018 |
| Data Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rest Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Graphql Api | ✓ | ✓ |
| Flows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Permissions | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Channel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Apps System | ✗ | ✓ |
| Warehouse Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Promotions Engine | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Directus Pros
- Open source
- Database-first
- Beautiful admin UI
- REST + GraphQL
✗ Directus Cons
- Self-hosting required for free
- Smaller community
- Documentation gaps
✓ Saleor Pros
- GraphQL API-first architecture for modern frontends
- Enterprise features in free open-source edition
- Strong multi-channel commerce capabilities
- Built-in dashboard with excellent UX
✗ Saleor Cons
- Cloud hosting is expensive for startups
- Smaller community than Shopify/WooCommerce
- Self-hosting requires Python/Django expertise
The Verdict
Directus is built for developers and agencies, with a focus on data-studio and rest-api. Saleor targets developer teams and enterprise ecommerce and leads with graphql-api and multi-channel.
On pricing, Directus is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $99/mo compared to $300/mo for Saleor. That $201/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Saleor offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Directus takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.