Raytha vs Directus: an MIT-licensed .NET alternative
Directus is a database-first data platform: it wraps a new or existing SQL database with a no-code Data Studio and REST, GraphQL and real-time APIs. Since version 12 it is source-available under the Monospace Sustainable Core License, free for organizations under $5M in revenue and 50 employees, with paid tiers above that. Raytha is a .NET 10 CMS on PostgreSQL under the MIT license, with content types, Liquid templates, a page builder, a REST API, and members and SAML/JWT single sign-on free for everyone.
Last reviewed October 2026 against Raytha 2.0.1 and Directus 12.4.
Raytha vs Directus at a glance
| Raytha | Directus 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT (OSI open source) | Monospace Sustainable Core License (source-available); each version becomes GPLv3 after four years |
| Free use | Free for everyone | Free with the Open Innovation Grant (under $5M revenue and under 50 employees), or within Core tier limits |
| Paid tiers | None | Team $499/month (annual), Enterprise by quote |
| Stack | .NET 10 (C#) | Node.js |
| Database | PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Oracle, CockroachDB |
| Approach | CMS: content types, templates, pages | Data platform over any SQL schema |
| APIs | REST API v1, API keys | REST, GraphQL, WebSockets |
| Rendering | Liquid templates and a page builder, or headless | Headless; you build the front end |
| SSO | SAML and JWT included | Team, Enterprise or the grant; not available on Core |
| Hosting | Docker or Railway | Self-hosted, or Directus Cloud |
What Directus does well
Directus is excellent at putting an instant API and admin on top of a SQL database, including one that already exists. It supports six database engines, mirrors your schema without proprietary tables for your data, and gives you REST, GraphQL and WebSocket APIs, granular access policies, Flows for automation, extensions, and an AI assistant. It is a data platform as much as a CMS, which makes it useful for internal tools and app back ends as well as websites.
Licensing and pricing in 2026
In April 2026 Directus announced a move from the Business Source License to the Monospace Sustainable Core License (MSCL) with version 12, released in June 2026. MSCL is source-available, prohibits building a directly competing product, and converts each version to GPLv3 after four years. Organizations under $5M in annual revenue and under 50 employees can apply for the free Open Innovation Grant, which unlocks the full platform with a registration key. Everyone else can use the free Core tier (3 Studio seats, 25 collections, 5 Flows, no SSO) or pay for Team ($499/month on an annual commitment, $599 month to month) or Enterprise. Directus Cloud hosting is $99/month for Core and Team.
Where Raytha fits
- MIT, no thresholds. Raytha is OSI-approved open source with no revenue limits, seat caps, collection caps or license keys.
- SSO for free. SAML and JWT single sign-on for administrators and public users is part of the core product.
- A website CMS. Liquid templates, themes, site pages and widgets mean Raytha can render your site, not only serve an API.
- Members. Public users, user groups and emailed one-time codes for member areas.
- .NET stack. One .NET 10 container with PostgreSQL, deployable with Docker or Railway, plus a CLI for scripting.
When to choose Directus
- You need an API and admin over an existing database, or on MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle or another engine.
- You want GraphQL, real-time WebSockets or no-code automation Flows.
- You qualify for the Open Innovation Grant, or the paid tiers fit your budget.
- Your team works in JavaScript and wants extensions in Node.js.
When to choose Raytha
- You need a permissive open source license with no revenue or seat thresholds.
- You need SSO without a paid tier.
- You are building a website or member portal and want server-rendered templates.
- Your team runs .NET and PostgreSQL.
Before you switch
Raytha does not wrap an existing database; it manages its own PostgreSQL schema. It has no GraphQL, WebSockets, visual automation builder or built-in localization. Moving content means exporting from Directus's API and loading it with Raytha's REST API, CLI or CSV import.
FAQ
Is Directus open source?
Directus 12 is source-available under the Monospace Sustainable Core License. Each version converts to GPLv3 four years after release. Its SDKs remain MIT-licensed.
Is Directus free?
Directus is free for organizations under $5M in annual revenue and under 50 employees through the Open Innovation Grant, and free for anyone within the Core tier's limits (3 Studio seats, 25 collections). Larger use needs a paid tier.
Is Raytha free for commercial use?
Yes. Raytha is MIT-licensed. There are no revenue thresholds, seat limits or license keys.
Does Directus include SSO?
Not on the Core tier. SSO comes with Team, Enterprise or the Open Innovation Grant. Raytha includes SAML and JWT SSO for everyone.
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Try Raytha
Raytha is free and MIT-licensed. Deploy it in a few minutes with the Railway template or Docker, following the quickstart. The platform overview lists what is in the box, and the source and release notes are on GitHub.
