Directus with PostgreSQL
Directus headless CMS — wired to PostgreSQL out of the box.
Directus (the open-source headless CMS and data platform) paired with a dedicated PostgreSQL backend in one Pier stack. Pre-wired env vars, persistent volumes, ready for production multi-user content teams or any use case where SQLite is no longer enough.
Deploy with Pier
- 1 Open the Pier dashboard and click Add service.
- 2 Pick Directus with PostgreSQL from the template list.
- 3 Choose the version, set a service name, and Pier provisions the container, storage, and ports automatically.
- 4 Attach a domain if you want HTTPS. Traefik auto-provisions the Let's Encrypt certificate.
What is Directus with PostgreSQL?
Directus is an open-source headless CMS and data platform that wraps any SQL database in a beautiful admin UI plus auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs. This template ships Directus with a dedicated PostgreSQL backend — the production-recommended database — pre-wired in one Pier stack.
You log into Directus and define collections (which become Postgres tables), add fields (columns), wire relations, set roles and permissions. Everything is reflected in plain SQL, queryable from any PostgreSQL client. The REST/GraphQL endpoints update automatically as your schema evolves.
Use cases — headless backend for a website/app, multi-user editorial CMS, admin UI on top of an existing Postgres application database, or the backend layer of a SaaS MVP.
How Pier deploys it
Pier uses the official directus/directus image plus postgres:17-alpine.
Default ports — Directus on 8055 internally (behind Traefik), Postgres
on the internal Docker network.
Persistent volumes — Directus uploads at /directus/uploads, extensions
at /directus/extensions, plus /var/lib/postgresql/data for Postgres.
First-launch admin user is created via env vars (Pier generates a strong password). Log in at the public URL and start defining collections.
For HTTPS, attach a custom domain in Pier — Traefik handles TLS.
When NOT to use this template
For a one-editor blog or development, the standalone Directus (SQLite) template is simpler. For a non-CMS internal tools platform with workflows and plugins, NocoBase (this catalog) is a better fit. For a “PostgreSQL + auth + storage + edge functions” full-stack backend, look at Supabase. Directus is the right answer for “headless CMS / data platform on SQL with a great admin UI.”
Key features
Production-ready Directus
Full Directus — visual data modeling, REST + GraphQL APIs, RBAC, flows (automations), webhooks, file upload — backed by PostgreSQL for concurrent multi-user workloads.
Pre-wired DB config
Pier sets DB_CLIENT=pg, DB_HOST/DATABASE/USER/PASSWORD env vars. Directus boots straight into Postgres on first launch.
SQL-first data modeling
Directus wraps your existing SQL schema (or one it provisions) in a beautiful UI. The DB stays a normal PostgreSQL DB — query it from anywhere.
REST + GraphQL out of the box
Every collection automatically exposes REST and GraphQL endpoints. Auth via JWT, OAuth2/OIDC, or static tokens.
Flows (automations)
Visual workflow builder for webhook handling, scheduled jobs, data transformations. Like n8n inside your CMS.
Beautiful admin UI
Dashboards, table views, edit forms, file library, version history. Among the best-looking CMS admin UIs available.
Use cases
Multi-user content team
Editors, reviewers, translators on dashboards concurrently — Postgres handles concurrent writes that SQLite can't.
Headless backend for web + mobile
Single Directus instance feeding your Next.js/Astro/Vue site plus iOS/Android apps via REST or GraphQL.
Internal admin on existing Postgres
Point Directus at an existing application Postgres DB — instant admin UI for tables you already have.
Backend for SaaS MVPs
REST/GraphQL/auth/RBAC/file-upload/automations — Directus replaces 80% of a hand-built backend for early-stage SaaS.
i18n CMS
Translation interfaces, locale-aware fields, content versioning for multi-language sites.
Code examples
Data Model → Create Collection → "posts"
Add fields:
- title (text)
- body (rich text)
- status (dropdown: draft/published)
- cover (file)
- author (m2o → directus_users)
- tags (m2m → tags)
Save — REST/GraphQL endpoints auto-generated.curl https://cms.example.com/items/posts?filter[status][_eq]=published&fields=*.* \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"query {
posts(filter: { status: { _eq: "published" } }) {
id
title
body
cover { id filename_download }
author { first_name last_name }
}
}Flow trigger: "Action — items.update on posts"
→ Operation: "Send Webhook"
URL: https://my-site.example.com/revalidate
Method: POST
Body: { "slug": "{{ $trigger.payload.slug }}" }How it compares
| vs Directus with SQLite (default standalone) | SQLite Directus is fine for one editor or development. Postgres is required for multi-user content teams and any production load. |
| vs Strapi | Strapi is JavaScript-first, plugin-rich, but heavier and SQLite-default. Directus is database-agnostic, wraps your existing schema, and the admin UI is more polished. |
| vs Supabase (this catalog) | Supabase is "PostgreSQL + auth + storage + edge functions for app backends." Directus is "PostgreSQL + admin UI + content workflows for CMS use cases." Different sweet spots; both build on Postgres. |
| vs Sanity / Contentful | SaaS-only, pay-per-use. Directus is self-hosted, free, you own the data and the database. |
| vs NocoBase | NocoBase is no-code-first with plugin extensibility. Directus is admin-UI-on-SQL-first. Pick by primary use — content management (Directus) vs internal tools (NocoBase). |
Frequently asked questions
Why PostgreSQL over SQLite?
Can I migrate from SQLite Directus?
Can it wrap an existing Postgres?
Auth / SSO?
File uploads — where do they go?
Performance with many collections?
Backup strategy?
Related services
Deploy on your VPS
Directus (the open-source headless CMS and data platform) paired with a dedicated PostgreSQL backend in one Pier stack. Pre-wired env vars, persistent volumes, ready for production multi-user content teams or any use case where SQLite is no longer enough.
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