Bolt vs Directus Pricing (2026)

Which one is cheaper?

Bolt starts lower at $25/mo, compared to $599/mo for Directus.

Can I use either one for free?

Both offer free plans, so you can try each without paying. Start with whichever fits your workflow better and upgrade when you hit the limits.

How do they charge?

Both use a hybrid model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.

Which one is a better deal?

Depends on what you need. Bolt: At $25-30/mo, Bolt sits in the mid-tier of AI dev tools — not a bargain-bin option, but nowhere near the premium end either. They're clearly chasing indie devs and small teams who want more than a free tier's throttle without committing to enterprise-level spend. Directus: A flat $599/mo (or $499 annual) puts them in an odd spot — way pricier than typical per-seat headless CMS tools for small teams, but potentially cheaper than competitors once you have more than a handful of users since there's no seat tax. They're clearly courting mid-size and larger teams who'd otherwise blow past per-seat pricing elsewhere, while still keeping hobbyists and OSS purists happy with a genuinely free self-hosted tier.

Still deciding? See the best Bolt alternatives or the best Directus alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.