Q: Is one platform better for building mobile apps?

Hasura is built for mobile from day one. GraphQL queries are smaller payloads than REST, row-level security keeps users' data isolated, and the ecosystem (Apollo Client, Relay, Urql) has battle-tested mobile libraries. Directus REST works fine for mobile too, and you can use GraphQL if you prefer. But Hasura's GraphQL tooling has a maturity advantage for mobile. If your mobile app is complex or real-time, Hasura is the stronger choice. If it's a simple mobile CRUD app, both work.

Q: How do I choose between Directus and Hasura if I'm unsure?

Ask: Who uses the platform? If you have non-technical team members (marketers, content editors, product managers) managing data or content, pick Directus. The admin dashboard is the interface they'll spend all day in. If it's all engineers building a backend and your frontend is a SPA or mobile app, pick Hasura. GraphQL is cleaner for complex queries and real-time is a built-in feature. If you're still unsure, Opsily hosts Directus; we'll set it up, tune it for your schema, and support you as you scale.

Question 1

What's the difference between Directus RBAC and Hasura RLS?

Accepted Answer

Directus applies role-based access control (RBAC) at the API layer. You define roles (Editor, Viewer, Admin) and assign field-level permissions to each role. Every API call checks the user's role. Hasura's row-level security (RLS) is embedded directly into GraphQL query execution—before results are returned, Hasura filters rows based on the user's attributes. For multi-tenant apps where you need to isolate data by user ID in every query, Hasura's RLS is purpose-built and efficient. For dashboards where you want to hide entire fields or columns by role, Directus RBAC is simpler to manage and reason about.

Question 2

Can I migrate from Hasura to Directus, or vice versa?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Both platforms wrap your existing SQL database without modifying it. Your schema and data stay in the database; the platform is a layer on top. To switch, export your database schema and data, point the new platform at your database, and reconfigure permissions and workflows. The hardest part is rewriting client code (GraphQL queries to REST calls, or vice versa) and rebuilding custom dashboards. Opsily can guide you through a Directus migration—most projects take a few hours to a few days depending on schema complexity and custom code.

Question 3

Do I need GraphQL? Can I use REST for everything?

Accepted Answer

Directus gives you both REST and GraphQL equally. Your frontend can use whichever fits best. Hasura is GraphQL-first, though v3 adds optional REST endpoints. If your frontend team hasn't learned GraphQL yet (or you have legacy REST clients), Directus REST is a smoother onboarding path. GraphQL shines for complex, nested queries and real-time subscriptions, but REST is perfectly fine for CRUD operations and simple APIs. Choose based on your team's comfort and your app's needs, not on hype.

Question 4

Which is cheaper to self-host: Directus or Hasura?

Accepted Answer

Both are free to self-host (open-source). Your cost is the server (~€5–15/mo for a small VPS) and your time to manage backups, patches, security, and scaling. Opsily manages Directus for you starting at €30/mo, eliminating the time cost and the risk of data loss or downtime. For Hasura, you'd use a similar approach: find a hosting provider (Heroku, Railway, AWS) and manage it yourself or hire help. Most teams find that paying for managed hosting saves more than the hosting cost in ops time.

Question 5

Which scales better for a high-traffic application?

Accepted Answer

Both scale horizontally (add more servers). Directus scales based on database connections and query load; you tune indexes and connection pools. Hasura scales based on GraphQL query complexity and the number of models (tables) your queries touch; the engine optimizes the execution plan. For a content-heavy CMS with many small queries, Directus is well-optimized. For a real-time app with complex nested queries across many tables, Hasura's query optimizer is tighter. Benchmark both with your actual schema and query patterns before deciding.

Question 6

Can Directus do real-time subscriptions like Hasura?

Accepted Answer

Directus uses webhooks and 'data hooks' (triggers that fire when data changes). You can publish events to a queue (Redis, Kafka) or send HTTP webhooks to serverless functions. Hasura uses native GraphQL subscriptions (WebSocket connections that stream updates). For live collaborative editing or dashboards that need updates in <100ms, Hasura subscriptions are lower-latency and more efficient. Directus webhooks are better for async workflows (publish-to-CDN, send-email, trigger-a-function) where a few seconds of delay is acceptable.

Question 7

Is one platform better for building mobile apps?

Accepted Answer

Hasura is built for mobile from day one. GraphQL queries are smaller payloads than REST, row-level security keeps users' data isolated, and the ecosystem (Apollo Client, Relay, Urql) has battle-tested mobile libraries. Directus REST works fine for mobile too, and you can use GraphQL if you prefer. But Hasura's GraphQL tooling has a maturity advantage for mobile. If your mobile app is complex or real-time, Hasura is the stronger choice. If it's a simple mobile CRUD app, both work.

Question 8

How do I choose between Directus and Hasura if I'm unsure?

Accepted Answer

Ask: Who uses the platform? If you have non-technical team members (marketers, content editors, product managers) managing data or content, pick Directus. The admin dashboard is the interface they'll spend all day in. If it's all engineers building a backend and your frontend is a SPA or mobile app, pick Hasura. GraphQL is cleaner for complex queries and real-time is a built-in feature. If you're still unsure, Opsily hosts Directus; we'll set it up, tune it for your schema, and support you as you scale.

Directus vs Hasura: Choose the Right Data Platform

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