Run Directus in your browser

Tab Desktop starts Directus inside the tab: the Data Studio, collections, roles and the REST and GraphQL APIs on SQLite. A complete instance to explore or prototype with, gone when you want it gone. Everything runs inside your browser tab on WebAssembly. There is no server executing your code, no container to wait for, and nothing to install.

Open Tab Desktop →Free · nothing to install

How it works

Node.js-compatible runtime with the Directus server on SQLite, served from the tab on a virtual localhost port.

npm init directus-project@latest app
cd app
npx directus start

What you can do

  • The Directus Data Studio with collections, fields and relations
  • REST and GraphQL endpoints on the virtual localhost
  • SQLite as the database, as in the Directus quickstart
  • Extensions from npm without native add-ons
  • A public URL to call the API from elsewhere

What it does not do

  • The first start installs a large dependency tree — a few minutes, once
  • MySQL, Postgres servers and Redis are not available; SQLite is the database
  • A sandbox: data lives in your browser's storage, not on a server

Start with a preset

One click gives it an isolated desktop: scaffolded, committed to git, open in Tab Code beside Harbor with the dev server running.

Questions

Is the whole Data Studio available?

Yes. The admin app is served by the Directus instance running in the tab, as it would be from a server.

What happens to my data when I close the tab?

It stays in your browser's storage on this device and is there when you come back. Export it to keep it elsewhere.

Also runs in the tab