Directus Demo: Try Free in 60 Seconds
No signup. No credit card. No limits. Spin up a fully functional CMS with instant REST and GraphQL APIs. Run a single command and Directus launches in your browser.
Your first demo in 4 steps
From zero to fully functional CMS in under a minute. No installation complexity. No permission requests.
Choose Your App
Select an app to get started.
Install the demo locally
Run `npx directus-template-cli@latest init`. Directus boots with SQLite, generates a secure URL, and opens your browser. No configuration needed.
Explore the Studio
Create collections, design fields, set permissions, upload assets. Build a schema in minutes—no code required. Invite teammates using local network.
Test the APIs
Directus auto-generates REST and GraphQL APIs from your schema instantly. Query data, create entries, manage relationships. Test everything without writing backend code.
Plan your deployment
Keep it local for development. Move to Directus Cloud ($99/mo). Self-host on Docker. Or use a managed hosting provider. Your choice.
Why teams love the Directus demo
Before committing to a headless CMS, experience what sets Directus apart.
Zero barrier to entry
Your local demo runs offline and isolated. No signup form, no credit card, no persistent account to manage later. Download, run, explore, delete. You own your experience from the start.
Database-first by design
Directus wraps any SQL database—Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Oracle, CockroachDB. No migration, no data duplication, no abstraction layer. Your database stays your source of truth.
Scales without bottlenecks
Stateless architecture means Directus never becomes the limiting factor. Add servers, add users, add API calls. Performance depends only on your database and cache—proven at scale by 500K+ deployments.
Local CLI vs Directus Cloud: Which is right for you?
Local CLI Demo (60 seconds)
Run npx directus-template-cli@latest init and Directus opens in your browser. Your database lives on your machine—no servers, no account, no internet required. Perfect for solo evaluation or testing offline.
Explore the Studio, test the APIs, understand the data model. When you're done, delete the folder. Nothing persists, nothing follows you.
Directus Cloud Free Trial
Sign up (no credit card required) for a managed cloud instance. Persistent across sessions. Invite your team. Connect your own database. Test webhooks, API limits, and role-based permissions in production-like conditions.
When your trial ends, upgrade to a paid plan, use the free Core tier for self-hosted, or add cloud hosting ($99/mo) to any plan.
Same product, different context
Both demos show the full Studio UI and auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs. Choose local for fastest hands-on evaluation. Choose cloud for team collaboration and persistent testing.
Directus Open Innovation Grant
Teams under $5M revenue and 50 employees get free Directus hosting and full platform access. No time limit.
Check eligibilityBuilt for production, audited for trust
Deploy with confidence. Directus meets enterprise security and compliance standards from day one.
SOC 2 Type II Certified
Security audited by independent firm. Meets enterprise data protection and access control standards.
GDPR Compliant
Full GDPR compliance. Self-host in the EU for data residency control. No vendor lock-in.
Open source (36.9K stars)
Public GitHub repository with 328+ contributors. 4.9K forks. Code transparency. No hidden logic.
Deploy anywhere
Self-host on VPS, Docker, Kubernetes. Use managed cloud. Run on-premise behind your firewall.
Demo Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before trying Directus.
The command `npx directus-template-cli@latest init` completes in under 60 seconds on most machines. Once installed, Directus opens in your browser ready to use. No additional configuration is required. The entire setup—from terminal to first Studio screen—takes about a minute.
Ready to explore Directus?
Start your demo now. No signup, no credit card, no commitment. See why 500K+ projects trust Directus.