No-Code · head to head
Directual vs Stacker
Directual
No-Code
No-code backend with a visual workflow engine, used behind other tools rather than instead of them
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Stacker
No-Code
Permissioned portals over data that stays in Airtable, Salesforce or Postgres
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; Stacker there is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
- They diverge on capability: Directual covers Visual database designer, Stacker covers Per-record permissions.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Directual and Stacker actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Stacker
- Per-record permissions
- External user portals
- Live connection to the source
- Page and layout builder
- Workflow actions
- Custom domains and branding
- User onboarding
- Role based navigation
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 Stacker
- Replacing an Airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developernot Stacker
- Event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering themnot Stacker
- Organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tiernot Stacker
Stacker
- Giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal Airtable basenot Directual
- Contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared datasetnot Directual
- Replacing a spreadsheet emailed to partners with a permissioned live view of the same datanot Directual
- Putting a usable interface on a Salesforce or Postgres dataset for users who should never see the underlying systemnot 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.
Stacker
- There is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
- Performance is bounded by the data source, so an Airtable base near its row limit or an API under rate limiting produces a slow portal that no amount of Stacker configuration will fix.
- Pricing distinguishes internal editors from external portal users, so a portal that succeeds by adding hundreds of light-touch external users can end up costing more than the internal system it fronts.
- Custom logic is limited to the actions and conditions the builder exposes, so anything resembling a calculation engine or a branching multi-step approval hits a wall and needs an external automation tool bolted on.
- It is a portal and CRUD tool by design, with no offline mode, no native mobile application and no real reporting layer, so it will not be the only system a growing operation runs.
Pricing, plan by plan
Directual
Free- Directual$undefined/month
- Free tier with capped records and API calls
- Paid tiers priced by database rows, API calls and scenario runs
- Self-hosted deployment on the top tier only
Stacker
On request- Stacker$undefined/month
- Priced by workspace tier with caps on apps and users
- External portal users charged differently from internal editors
- Higher tiers add permission depth and support
Which should you pick?
Choose Directual if
- You need visual database designer.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want scenario builder.
Questions people ask
- Is Directual or Stacker better?
- Neither clearly leads. Directual starts at Free and Stacker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Directual or Stacker?
- Directual has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Directual and On request for Stacker.
- Does Directual or Stacker 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. Stacker starts at On request.
- 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 Stacker is typically brought in for.
- What can Directual do that Stacker cannot?
- Directual covers Visual database designer, Scenario builder, Generated API endpoints, Event-driven triggers. Stacker covers Per-record permissions, External user portals, Live connection to the source, Page and layout builder.
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.
Stacker: Where does my data live?
In the source you connect: Airtable, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets or your own Postgres. Stacker reads and writes to it rather than becoming the system of record.
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.
Stacker: Can I export the app if I cancel?
No. The data stays in your source system, but the interface, permissions and workflows are Stacker configuration and do not come with you.
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.
Stacker: Is it suitable for hundreds of external users?
Technically yes; check the pricing arithmetic first, because external portal users are charged separately and that is where the bill grows.
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.
Stacker: Will it replace Airtable?
No, it sits in front of Airtable. If the base itself is at its limits, the fix is moving the data to Postgres rather than changing the portal.
Related pages
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