d9 is a free, GPLv3 open-source fork of Directus 9 maintained by La Webcapsule, adding instant REST/GraphQL APIs to any SQL database.
Category
Databases
Pricing
Free / Open Source (self-hosted), from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2022
Headquarters
Paris, France
Web AppNo-CodeAPIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted
Overview
d9 is an open-source, GPLv3-licensed fork of Directus 9, maintained independently by the French company La Webcapsule after Directus moved later versions to a more commercial licensing model.
It instantly generates REST and GraphQL APIs, a JavaScript SDK, a CLI, and a no-code admin app on top of any existing SQL database, without requiring a data migration.
Key Features
d9 supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, OracleDB, CockroachDB, MariaDB, and MS-SQL, introspecting each database's schema to build an abstraction layer that keeps the underlying data unaltered.
It provides CRUD operations, configurable user permissions, complex querying, and webhook/flow-based automation, serving developers, analysts, and non-technical business users from the same underlying API.
Pricing
d9 is free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no paid tiers or feature gates for the core software; it is self-hosted only.
La Webcapsule separately sells custom, contact-sales engineering-platform and ISO 27001-compliant hosting services that can incorporate d9 for organizations wanting a managed, compliance-oriented deployment.
Key Features
Instant API generation — Layers a Node.js REST and GraphQL API on top of any SQL database without requiring data migration.
Broad database support — Works with PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, OracleDB, CockroachDB, MariaDB, and Microsoft SQL Server.
No-code admin app — Gives non-technical team members a visual interface to browse records, manage files, and run queries.
JavaScript SDK and CLI — Provides developer tooling for programmatic access and scripted automation of the data platform.
Configurable permissions — Role-based access control lets teams govern who can read, write, or administer specific data.
Webhooks and flow automation — Automates tasks and integrations triggered by data changes or scheduled events.
Self-hosted only — Deployable via Docker, bare metal, or any cloud provider, keeping data fully under the operator's control.
GPLv3 open-source license — Preserves the Directus 9 codebase and feature set as a permanently free, community-maintained fork.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Fully free and open source with no seat limits or feature gates.
Works with an existing SQL database with no forced migration.
Serves developers, analysts, and non-technical users from one unified API.
Backed by a company (La Webcapsule) with an established focus on compliance and self-hosting.
Cons
Self-hosted only, so there is no official managed cloud version of d9 itself.
Not affiliated with or supported by the official Directus core team.
Smaller community and documentation footprint than mainstream headless-CMS alternatives.
Requires infrastructure and database administration expertise to deploy and maintain.
Pricing
Open Source Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
What is d9?
d9 is an open-source, GPLv3-licensed fork of Directus 9, maintained by La Webcapsule, that generates instant REST/GraphQL APIs and a no-code admin app over any SQL database.
Is d9 affiliated with Directus?
No. d9 is an independent, community-maintained fork and is explicitly not affiliated with the official Directus core team or company.
Is d9 free?
Yes, d9 is entirely free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no paid tiers for the core software.
Can d9 be used with a cloud-hosted database?
Yes, d9 works with any SQL database it supports, whether self-hosted or run on a managed cloud database service, since it introspects the schema rather than requiring migration.
Which databases does d9 support?
PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, OracleDB, CockroachDB, MariaDB, and Microsoft SQL Server.
Who maintains d9?
d9 is maintained by La Webcapsule, a Paris-based engineering company (SAS, registered January 2022) that also builds compliance-focused engineering platforms and the open-source OrbiTS orchestration tool.