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APIs · head to head

Directus vs Testsigma

Directus logo

Directus

APIs

Open-source data platform providing REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Testsigma logo

Testsigma

Testing

Natural language test automation for web, mobile and API with a self hosted open source edition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Directus free permissive use of the self hosted product is limited to organisations under $5M annual revenue with fewer than 50 employees, so crossing either threshold turns a free dependency into a paid licence; Testsigma the natural language layer is a fixed vocabulary rather than real English, so testers spend the first weeks learning which phrasings the parser accepts, which is learning a language after all.
  • They diverge on capability: Directus covers REST API, Testsigma covers Natural language authoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Directus and Testsigma actually diverge.

Attributes where Directus and Testsigma differ
AttributeDirectusTestsigma
Pricing modelopen-sourcePer user per month
PlatformsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, DockerWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryAPIsTesting
Founded2014Unknown

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 Directus

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Database management
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • SQLite
  • Webhooks
  • Node.js support

Only in Testsigma

  • Natural language authoring
  • Unified web, mobile and API tests
  • Self hosted community edition
  • Cloud device and browser grid
  • Data driven runs
  • Custom functions

What people use each for

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

Directus

  • Wrapping an existing SQL database in a REST and GraphQL API with an admin interfacenot Testsigma
  • Running a self hosted headless CMS over a schema you already ownnot Testsigma

Testsigma

  • A team maintaining separate Selenium and Appium suites that wants one place for web and native mobile coveragenot Directus
  • Organisations that must keep test data and execution on premises for regulatory reasonsnot Directus
  • QA groups with manual testers being asked to automate without first learning Javanot Directus
  • Evaluating low code test automation properly before committing budget, by running the free edition against the real applicationnot Directus

Where each one falls short

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

Directus

  • Free permissive use of the self hosted product is limited to organisations under $5M annual revenue with fewer than 50 employees, so crossing either threshold turns a free dependency into a paid licence
  • The free Core tier is a hard limit of 3 seats, 25 collections and 5 flows
  • The Team plan is $499 a month billed annually, or $599 monthly, with extra seats at $50 each
  • Team caps collections at 50, expandable to 100, and flows at 20

Testsigma

  • The natural language layer is a fixed vocabulary rather than real English, so testers spend the first weeks learning which phrasings the parser accepts, which is learning a language after all.
  • Anything conditional or arithmetic falls through to custom Java or JavaScript, and that code lives in the platform editor rather than your repository, where it gets no code review and no version history you control.
  • The community edition lags the cloud product and is not the version the vendor demonstrates, so a self hosted evaluation can understate or overstate what you would actually buy.
  • Cloud execution is billed separately from authoring seats, so a suite that grows from two hundred to two thousand tests changes the bill without anyone changing the plan.
  • Support and engineering are concentrated in Indian time zones, which slows incident turnaround for teams working in the Americas.

Pricing, plan by plan

Directus

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted Directus
    • Community support
  • Cloud$25/monthly
    • Managed cloud
    • Automatic updates
    • Backups

Testsigma

Free
  • Community Edition$undefined/month
    • Self hosted, open source, no licence fee
    • You supply the infrastructure and the browser or device grid
  • Cloud$undefined/month
    • Priced per authoring user with additional charges for parallel cloud executions and device minutes
    • Published tiers exist but the figures that matter at team scale come from sales

Which should you pick?

Choose Directus if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
Directus review

Choose Testsigma if

  • You need natural language authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want unified web, mobile and api tests.
Testsigma review

Questions people ask

Is Directus or Testsigma better?
Neither clearly leads. Directus starts at Free and Testsigma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Directus or Testsigma?
Directus starts at Free and Testsigma at Free.
Does Directus or Testsigma run on more platforms?
Directus runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. Testsigma runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Directus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Directus best used for?
Directus is most often used for wrapping an existing sql database in a rest and graphql api with an admin interface, running a self hosted headless cms over a schema you already own. Of those, wrapping an existing sql database in a rest and graphql api with an admin interface and running a self hosted headless cms over a schema you already own are not what Testsigma is typically brought in for.
What can Directus do that Testsigma cannot?
Directus covers REST API, GraphQL API, Database management, PostgreSQL. Testsigma covers Natural language authoring, Unified web, mobile and API tests, Self hosted community edition, Cloud device and browser grid.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Directus: What is Directus's pricing?

Directus Core is free and self-hosted. The Team tier costs $499/month (annual) or $599/month (rolling), including 10 user seats and cloud hosting at $99/month additional. Enterprise plans have custom pricing. Additional seats cost $50/month each.

Source
Testsigma: Is the open source edition genuinely usable in production?

Yes for self hosted execution, though it trails the cloud version on newer features and you maintain the grid yourself.

Directus: Can I use Directus for free?

Yes, Directus Core is completely free with 3 user seats, 25 Collections, 5 Flows, AI Assistant, and Advanced RBAC. Self-hosting is available at no cost.

Source
Testsigma: Do testers need to know Selenium?

Not to write ordinary steps. They will need someone who does as soon as the suite needs custom functions or awkward waits.

Directus: How many user seats does each Directus tier include?

Core includes 3 user seats, Team includes 10 SSO seats, and Enterprise includes custom SSO seat counts. Additional Team seats cost $50/seat per month.

Source
Testsigma: Can it test native iOS and Android applications?

Yes, through Appium underneath, on the hosted device grid or your own devices.

Directus: What happens to my monthly Directus plan if I switch?

Monthly plans are grandfathered for six months after switching, and annual plans are honored until renewal. Self-hosted licenses are handled case-by-case at renewal.

Source
Directus: Is there a free trial for Directus?

No trial period is mentioned. Users can start with the free Core tier immediately without a credit card.

Source
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