Directus Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Deploy Directus hosting and turn a PostgreSQL database into an API and admin studio your team can use, as a self-hosted headless CMS on a server you control. xCloud runs the pinned Directus 12.2.0 image with private PostgreSQL 17.6 and Redis 8.2.1, generates the database, secret, Redis and administrator credentials, mounts five persistent volumes and publishes the studio over HTTPS in minutes.

Deploy your Directus

No terminal
No technical skills needed
No lock-in, cancel anytime

What is Directus?

Self-hosted Directus is a database-first backend and administration studio. Upstream says it wraps any SQL database with a REST and GraphQL API layer and a visual Studio, with policy-based access control down to field level, custom endpoints, hooks and extensions. It is a self-hosted alternative to services such as Firebase and Contentful, and its licence is source-available rather than open source: the Monospace Sustainable Core License, with GPL terms.

On xCloud the template runs the official Directus 12.2.0 image, pinned by digest, with private PostgreSQL 17.6 and Redis 8.2.1. Five named volumes hold the database, uploads, extensions, templates and cache. The initial administrator comes from the install form, email is not configured, and no licence key is set or bypassed, so you must review the licence terms for your use.

From Sign-Up to a Live Data Platform In Just 3 Easy Steps

A Directus stack normally means three containers, a database, a secret, an admin account, five volumes, a domain and a certificate before the first collection. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

Step 01
Sign Up
Create your xCloud account and pick Directus from the OneClick catalog. Choose your domain and target server, then set the Initial Admin Email.
Step 02
We Deploy It For You
One click. We bring up the official Directus 12.2.0 image, pinned by immutable digest with pinned PostgreSQL 17.6 and Redis 8.2.1 kept private on the Compose network, mount the directus_db, directus_uploads, directus_extensions, directus_templates and directus_cache volumes, and publish it over HTTPS on your domain.
Step 03
Sign In To The Studio
Open your domain and sign in with the initial administrator email you entered and the generated password from the credentials panel. Build collections in the studio, then use the REST and GraphQL APIs from your apps. Manage further administrators inside Directus.

Everything Directus Does, On Your Own Server

Directus runs in full here: the studio, REST and GraphQL, auth, files, flows and extensions, over a PostgreSQL database you own.

Studio Over Your Database
A no-code admin interface for collections, items, users and permissions, mirrored straight onto PostgreSQL tables.
REST And GraphQL
Every collection is available through both APIs with authentication and role-based access.
Files, Flows And Extensions
Local uploads and installed extensions persist on their own volumes, and workflow automations live in the database.
PostgreSQL And Redis Included
Both pinned by digest and reachable only inside the Compose network; the only public port is Directus on 8055 behind xCloud nginx.
Realtime When You Want It
WebSockets are off by default, matching Directus; uncomment WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED in the environment and redeploy to turn them on.
Email When You Add SMTP
Password resets and invitations need an SMTP transport; fill in the commented EMAIL_* block in the environment.

Everything You Need To Run Your Data Platform 24/7

Managed hosting for Directus, so the parts that keep it online are not your problem.

Directus 12.2.0 deployed instantly
Official pinned image digest
Admin, database, secret and Redis credentials generated
Kept behind xCloud nginx on port 8055
Free SSL certificate
Server backups and snapshots
Server security updates included
30+ server locations
Unused balance refunded

What You Can Do With Directus

REST and GraphQL API for SQL database projects
A developer wraps a PostgreSQL database with generated REST and GraphQL endpoints, so a front end or mobile app can read and write data without a hand-built API layer.
Give non-technical teammates a data studio
An engineering lead controls schema and access while editors and operators manage content through the visual Studio, with field-level permissions deciding who sees what.
Run a headless CMS you host yourself
A web team manages content and files in Directus and serves them to its sites over the API, with uploads on a persistent volume rather than a vendor's media storage.
Extend the backend with your own code
A developer adds custom endpoints, hooks, interfaces or modules by placing extensions in the extensions volume, so the platform fits their workflow instead of the other way round.

Directus vs Alternatives

Firebase: Choose Directus as a Firebase alternative when you want your data in a SQL database you control, with generated REST and GraphQL APIs and a visual Studio, on a Cloud VPS you can back up.
Contentful: Directus is a Contentful alternative that you host yourself: a headless content backend over your own SQL database, with a Studio for editors. Check the licence terms, because Directus is source-available.
Strapi: In a Directus vs Strapi comparison, Directus describes itself as database-first: it wraps an existing SQL database such as Postgres, MySQL or SQLite with APIs and a Studio. Review each project's docs for fit.
PocketBase: PocketBase is a self-hosted peer with its own OneClick page. Directus puts a REST and GraphQL layer over a SQL database, here PostgreSQL, with Redis alongside and policy-based access control.

Simple Pricing. Everything Included.

Dedicated Cloud VPS sizes, pre-configured for Directus hosting. Pick the one that fits, and resize any time.

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More headroom for larger datasets, more uploads and heavier API traffic.

$59.99per month

16 GB RAM
6 vCPU cores
200 GB NVMe SSD
30 TB
Unlimited

Get started

Cloud VPS 24 GB

Directus alongside the front ends and services it feeds.

$84.99per month

24 GB RAM
8 vCPU cores
300 GB NVMe SSD
30 TB
Unlimited

Get started

Every size is a dedicated Cloud VPS we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Billed monthly with no lock-in — delete the server and the unused balance comes back to your account. Directus itself is licensed by Directus under the Monospace Sustainable Core License 1.0 with GPL terms; review the current licence and obtain any key your use requires.

Docker hosting

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect any VPS — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Hetzner or bare metal — and deploy Directus on it through the same panel, for a per-server management fee instead of a Cloud VPS rental.

Free

Start your journey without cost.

$0forever

1 server
10 sites

Start free

Starter

Professional

The same platform, discounted at 6–10 servers.

$4per server / month

6–10 servers
Unlimited sites
All features included
Bring any VPS provider

Get started

Agency

The same platform, discounted at 11+ servers.

$3per server / month

11+ servers
Unlimited sites
All features included
Bring any VPS provider

Get started

Priced per connected server, so your rate adjusts automatically as you add or remove servers. You pay your own provider for the server itself.

Self-managed hosting

Ready To Run Your Own Data Platform?

Directus on xCloud runs on a dedicated Cloud VPS that we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Deploy faster. Own the server. Stay in control.

Fast Provisioning
Deploy faster using an xCloud Managed Server built with optimized stacks and high-speed SSDs.
Enterprise-grade security
Protect your infrastructure with a free SSL certificate and more advanced security features at no additional cost.
Intuitive Control Panel
From Server creation to application deployment, everything can be managed from our intuitive control panel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

How do I self-host Directus with Docker?

This template does it for you: the official Directus 12.2.0 image pinned by digest, private PostgreSQL 17.6 and Redis 8.2.1 containers, and five named volumes, behind HTTPS on your domain. It is Directus Docker hosting without writing the compose file.

Docker hosting on xCloud

Is Directus open source?

Not in the OSI sense. Directus is licensed under the Monospace Sustainable Core License with GPL terms, which is source-available, and some functionality may need an Open Innovation Grant or commercial licence. This template sets no licence key, so review the current terms before you rely on it.

Is Directus free to self-host?

Upstream says Directus is free for most organizations, with an Open Innovation Grant licence available, but the free use depends on revenue and headcount thresholds in the licence. The template uses only baseline functionality without a key. xCloud charges for the Cloud VPS, not for Directus.

What is the difference between Directus and Strapi?

Upstream describes Directus as database-first: it wraps any SQL database with REST and GraphQL APIs and a visual Studio, with field-level access policies. This page makes no feature-by-feature claim about Strapi, so compare the two on the schema and licence points that matter to you.

Which databases does Directus support?

Upstream lists Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, MS SQL, SQLite, OracleDB and CockroachDB among supported databases. This template runs a private PostgreSQL 17.6 container, so that is the database you get here, with the data on the directus_db volume.

How much RAM does a Directus cloud server need?

The manifest asks for 2048 MB of RAM, 2 CPU cores and 10 GB of disk. This page sells the 6 GB Cloud VPS. On a Directus cloud setup the app, PostgreSQL and Redis share the server, so larger datasets and uploads need more headroom.

Does Directus have both REST and GraphQL?

Yes. Upstream says Directus generates REST and GraphQL APIs automatically from your database schema with no configuration. Realtime WebSockets are disabled in this template by default, matching the Directus default, and you can enable them by uncommenting WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED and redeploying.

How do I send email from Directus?

Outbound email is not configured by the template, so password resets and user invitations will not send at first. Uncomment the EMAIL block in the site's environment, enter the settings of your SMTP provider, then Save and Redeploy, and test an invitation.

Can Directus connect to an existing database?

Upstream says you can connect any SQL database and get instant APIs. This template, however, starts with its own private PostgreSQL container for a fresh install. Pointing it at another database is a configuration change you make yourself and test, not something the template sets up.

How do I upgrade Directus?

Upgrades are deliberate. A catalogue re-sync affects new installs only, and the image is pinned by digest. Back up all volumes, read the release notes and migration requirements, keep the volume names and mount targets, and never remove volumes. Then verify the Studio, REST, GraphQL and file storage.

How do I back up Directus?

Take one backup of directus_db, directus_uploads, directus_extensions, directus_templates and directus_cache together. Use PostgreSQL-native backups for transactional consistency, treat uploads as sensitive data, and test a restore on a separate install before relying on it. Keep the generated database and Redis credentials with the backup.

Backups in xCloud

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. There is no lock-in — cancel any time. Hosting is billed monthly and charged for what you actually use, so when you delete the server the unused balance is refunded to your account, less up to 10% in payment-processing fees.