Directus
SuperTokens
| Feature | Directus | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $99/mo | Free / from $0.02/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, agencies, content-teams, data-driven-teams | saas-developers, startups, privacy-focused-apps, self-hosters |
| Founded | 2016 | 2019 |
| Data Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rest Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Graphql Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Flows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Permissions | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Password | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Login | ✗ | ✓ |
| Passwordless | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mfa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Session Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pre Built Ui | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hostable | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Directus Pros
- Open source
- Database-first
- Beautiful admin UI
- REST + GraphQL
✗ Directus Cons
- Self-hosting required for free
- Smaller community
- Documentation gaps
✓ SuperTokens Pros
- Open-source with free self-hosting
- Pre-built UI components for quick integration
- Session management with anti-CSRF protection
- Multiple auth methods (email, social, passwordless, MFA)
✗ SuperTokens Cons
- Smaller ecosystem than Auth0 or Firebase Auth
- Documentation has gaps for complex setups
- Limited admin dashboard features
The Verdict
Directus is built for developers and agencies, with a focus on data-studio and rest-api. SuperTokens targets saas developers and startups and leads with email-password and social-login.
On pricing, SuperTokens is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0.02/mo compared to $99/mo for Directus. That $98.98/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, SuperTokens 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.