Softwr

No-Code · head to head

Directual vs Kintone

Directual logo

Directual

No-Code

No-code backend with a visual workflow engine, used behind other tools rather than instead of them

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kintone logo

Kintone

No-Code

Customizable workplace platform by Cybozu for no-code data, task and team management

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Directual has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Directual the front-end builder is basic, so any project needing a designed interface means learning and paying for a second tool, and time to launch is closer to a two-system build than a one-tool build.; Kintone minimum order of 5 users required ($120/month floor)
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Directual and Kintone actually diverge.

Attributes where Directual and Kintone differ
AttributeDirectualKintone
Starting priceFree$24/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (No-Code).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Directual

  • Visual database designer
  • Scenario builder
  • Generated API endpoints
  • Event-driven triggers
  • Role and permission model
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Basic web page builder
  • Self-hosted deployment

Only in Kintone

Nothing recorded that Directual does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Directual

  • Providing the backend for a Webflow or FlutterFlow front end that needs real data, authentication and logicnot Kintone
  • Replacing an Airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developernot Kintone
  • Event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering themnot Kintone
  • Organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tiernot Kintone

Kintone

  • Low-code business application developmentnot Directual
  • Workflow automationnot Directual
  • Team collaboration and project managementnot Directual

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Directual

  • The front-end builder is basic, so any project needing a designed interface means learning and paying for a second tool, and time to launch is closer to a two-system build than a one-tool build.
  • Visual scenarios become unreadable once the logic is non-trivial; a workflow that would be forty lines of code sprawls across a canvas, and reviewing what a colleague built is slow.
  • Debugging asynchronous, event-triggered scenarios is harder than debugging code, because failures surface as records left in an unexpected state rather than as a stack trace at the point of failure.
  • Self-hosting is confined to the top commercial tier, so the ownership advantage is available only to buyers already spending at the high end.
  • The pool of agencies and freelancers who know Directual is small next to Bubble or Airtable, so handing a finished system to someone else to maintain is harder and more expensive.

Kintone

  • Minimum order of 5 users required ($120/month floor)
  • API calls limited to 10,000 per day

Pricing, plan by plan

Directual

Free
  • Directual$undefined/month
    • Free tier with capped records and API calls
    • Paid tiers priced by database rows, API calls and scenario runs
    • Self-hosted deployment on the top tier only

Kintone

$24/month
  • Standard$24/month
    • Minimum 5 users ($120/month minimum)
    • 900 apps
    • 300 spaces

Which should you pick?

Choose Directual if

  • You need visual database designer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want scenario builder.
Directual review

Choose Kintone if

Nothing in the data separates Kintone from Directual on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Kintone review

Questions people ask

Is Directual or Kintone better?
Neither clearly leads. Directual starts at Free and Kintone at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Directual or Kintone?
Directual has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Directual and $24/month for Kintone.
Does Directual or Kintone run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Directual for free?
Yes. Directual has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kintone starts at $24/month.
What is Directual best used for?
Directual is most often used for providing the backend for a webflow or flutterflow front end that needs real data, authentication and logic, replacing an airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developer, event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering them, organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tier. Of those, providing the backend for a webflow or flutterflow front end that needs real data, authentication and logic and replacing an airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developer are not what Kintone is typically brought in for.
What can Directual do that Kintone cannot?
Directual covers Visual database designer, Scenario builder, Generated API endpoints, Event-driven triggers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Directual: Is Directual a replacement for Bubble?

Not directly. Bubble builds the whole application; Directual builds the backend and expects you to bring a front end such as Webflow or FlutterFlow.

Kintone: How much does Kintone cost per user?

Kintone costs $24/user/month with a minimum of 5 users required, totaling $120/month minimum. All features are included in the single tier.

Source
Directual: Can I host it myself?

Yes, on the top commercial tier. That is unusual in no-code and it is the main reason regulated buyers look at it at all.

Kintone: Are there different pricing tiers for Kintone?

No, Kintone offers one unified pricing model at $24/user/month with all features included. No tiered plans at different price points.

Source
Directual: How does it cope with large data volumes?

It is built on a real database with indexing rather than a spreadsheet abstraction, so record counts that break Airtable-class tools are within its normal range.

Kintone: Does Kintone offer pricing for nonprofits?

Yes, special pricing is available for 501(c)3 nonprofits, educational institutions, and government organizations. Contact Kintone for details.

Source
Directual: What happens to my logic if I leave?

The data exports and the API is documented, but scenarios are platform-specific and have to be reimplemented, unless you are already on the self-hosted tier.

Kintone: What are Kintone's storage and API limits?

Each user gets 5GB storage. Accounts include 10,000 API calls per day, 900 apps, 300 spaces, and up to 50,000 records per app.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Directual

More on Kintone

Keep looking

Other head to heads