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No-Code · head to head

Directual vs Redis

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
Redis logo

Redis

Technology

The real-time data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Redis licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage
  • They diverge on capability: Directual covers Visual database designer, Redis covers In-memory data store.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Directual and Redis actually diverge.

Attributes where Directual and Redis differ
AttributeDirectualRedis
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryNo-CodeTechnology
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Redis

  • In-memory data store
  • Data structures
  • Pub/Sub messaging
  • Lua scripting
  • Transactions
  • Persistence options
  • Replication
  • Clustering

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 Redis
  • Replacing an Airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developernot Redis
  • Event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering themnot Redis
  • Organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tiernot Redis

Redis

  • Cachingnot Directual
  • Session managementnot Directual
  • Real-time analyticsnot Directual
  • Message queuingnot Directual
  • Leaderboardsnot 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.

Redis

  • Licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage
  • All data must fit in memory, limiting scalability to available RAM
  • No built-in support for multi-tenancy
  • Limited transaction support compared to traditional databases

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

Redis

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Redis review.

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 Redis if

  • You need in-memory data store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want data structures.
Redis review

Questions people ask

Is Directual or Redis better?
Neither clearly leads. Directual starts at Free and Redis at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Directual or Redis?
Directual starts at Free and Redis at Free.
Does Directual or Redis run on more platforms?
Directual runs on Web. Redis runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Directual for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Redis is typically brought in for.
What can Directual do that Redis cannot?
Directual covers Visual database designer, Scenario builder, Generated API endpoints, Event-driven triggers. Redis covers In-memory data store, Data structures, Pub/Sub messaging, Lua scripting.

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.

Redis: Is Redis open source?

Redis was open source under the BSD license since its inception in 2009 and has remained open source. However, in 2024-2025, Redis Labs changed licensing to source-available and AGPL, prompting the creation of Valkey, a BSD-licensed open-source fork.

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.

Redis: What is Redis used for?

Redis is an in-memory data structure store used primarily as a cache, database, and message broker. It provides high-speed data access for real-time applications, sessions, leaderboards, real-time analytics, and other use cases requiring fast data retrieval.

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.

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.

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