Directus
Huly
| Feature | Directus | Huly |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $99/mo | Free / from $15/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, agencies, content-teams, enterprise-backends | startups, open-source-teams, small-companies, engineering-teams |
| Founded | 2016 | 2023 |
| Auto Generated Apis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Admin Panel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Roles And Permissions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Flows Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Translations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Issue Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Planner | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Office | ✗ | ✓ |
| Documents | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hr Module | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chat Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Directus Pros
- Works with existing databases
- Beautiful admin interface
- REST + GraphQL APIs auto-generated
- Fully self-hostable
✗ Directus Cons
- Cloud pricing jumps to $99/mo
- Complex features require developer knowledge
- Documentation could be better organized
✓ Huly Pros
- Open-source with self-hosting option
- All-in-one platform reducing tool sprawl
- Fast and modern interface
- Built-in HR and recruitment features
✗ Huly Cons
- Smaller ecosystem than established tools
- Documentation still growing
- Fewer third-party integrations
The Verdict
Directus is built for developers and agencies, with a focus on auto-generated-apis and admin-panel. Huly targets startups and open source teams and leads with issue-tracking and team-planner.
On pricing, Huly is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $15/mo compared to $99/mo for Directus. That $84/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.
Directus edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Directus has a slight overall edge — but if open-source with self-hosting option matters most to you, Huly may still be the right call.