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Software · head to head

Gravitee vs Directus

Gravitee logo

Gravitee

Software

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Directus logo

Directus

Software

Open-source data platform providing REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Gravitee covers API Gateway, Directus covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gravitee and Directus actually diverge.

Attributes where Gravitee and Directus differ
AttributeGraviteeDirectus
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, KubernetesNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20152014

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

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 Gravitee

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • Analytics Dashboard
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Kafka
  • LDAP
  • On-premise support

Only in Directus

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

Both cover

  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Gravitee

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Directus
  • Exposing Kafka event streams as managed APIsnot Directus
  • Protocol mediation between event brokers and clientsnot Directus
  • Self-hosting an open source API gatewaynot Directus
  • Access control and authentication in front of internal APIsnot Directus

Directus

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

Where each one falls short

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

Gravitee

  • The entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • Event management is priced separately, starting at $1,250 a month for the Comet tier
  • Tiers are gated on gateway and broker counts, so scaling horizontally means moving tier rather than paying incrementally
  • Data logging masking and other enterprise features are withheld from the lowest paid tier
  • 24/7 support requires the top Universe tier

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Gravitee

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • API Gateway
    • Basic analytics
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$1500/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • SLA support
    • SSO integration
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

Directus

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Gravitee if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
  • You also want developer portal.
Gravitee review

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

Questions people ask

Is Gravitee or Directus better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravitee starts at Free and Directus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gravitee or Directus?
Gravitee starts at Free and Directus at Free.
Does Gravitee or Directus run on more platforms?
Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes. Directus runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Gravitee for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Gravitee best used for?
Gravitee is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, exposing kafka event streams as managed apis, protocol mediation between event brokers and clients, self-hosting an open source api gateway. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and exposing kafka event streams as managed apis are not what Directus is typically brought in for.
What can Gravitee do that Directus cannot?
Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes. Directus covers REST API, GraphQL API, Database management, PostgreSQL. Both handle Cloud support.
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