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APIs · head to head

Directus vs Treblle

Directus logo

Directus

APIs

Open-source data platform providing REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Treblle logo

Treblle

APIs

API observability, security, and governance platform

From
$233/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Directus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Treblle no free tier is offered; the entry-level Core plan starts at $233/month billed yearly.
  • They diverge on capability: Directus covers REST API, Treblle covers API discovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Directus and Treblle actually diverge.

Attributes where Directus and Treblle differ
AttributeDirectusTreblle
Starting priceFree$233/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Dockerweb, api
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 Treblle

  • API discovery
  • Runtime security
  • API governance
  • Compliance monitoring
  • API documentation and analytics
  • Agentic AI support

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 Treblle
  • Running a self hosted headless CMS over a schema you already ownnot Treblle

Treblle

  • Gaining full visibility into API traffic across multi-cloud environmentsnot Directus
  • Detecting shadow APIs and runtime security risksnot Directus
  • Meeting compliance audit requirements such as HIPAA or GDPRnot Directus
  • Governing API design standards through CI/CDnot 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

Treblle

  • No free tier is offered; the entry-level Core plan starts at $233/month billed yearly.
  • Growth and Enterprise pricing is custom and not published, requiring a sales conversation to budget.
  • Core plan is limited to 1 workspace and only 30 days of data retention.
  • SSO and on-prem/BYO cloud deployment are reserved for the top Enterprise tier.

Pricing, plan by plan

Directus

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

Treblle

$233/month
  • Core$233/month
    • Billed yearly
    • 5 APIs
    • 500 requests/min
  • Growth$undefined/month
    • Custom APIs and request limits
    • 50M requests/month baseline
    • API security
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited workspaces, APIs, and requests/min
    • API governance and compliance
    • SSO

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 Treblle if

  • You need api discovery.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want runtime security.
Treblle review

Questions people ask

Is Directus or Treblle better?
Neither clearly leads. Directus starts at Free and Treblle at $233/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Directus or Treblle?
Directus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Directus and $233/month for Treblle.
Does Directus or Treblle run on more platforms?
Directus runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. Treblle runs on web, api.
Can I use Directus for free?
Yes. Directus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Treblle starts at $233/month.
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 Treblle is typically brought in for.
What can Directus do that Treblle cannot?
Directus covers REST API, GraphQL API, Database management, PostgreSQL. Treblle covers API discovery, Runtime security, API governance, Compliance monitoring.

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
Treblle: What does Treblle cost?

Treblle's Core plan costs $233/month billed yearly and covers 5 APIs and 5M requests/month; Growth and Enterprise plans use custom pricing for larger request volumes and advanced features.

Source
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
Treblle: Is there a free plan?

Treblle does not offer a free tier; it instead offers a no-credit-card demo rather than free ongoing access.

Source
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
Treblle: How is usage metered?

Plans are metered by number of APIs monitored and requests per minute/month, with the Core plan capped at 500 requests/min and 5M requests/month.

Source
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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