# Installation
Directus can be installed in many different ways and on several different stacks. You can choose between local, self-hosted on-premises, or our managed Cloud solution.
While our CLI is the recommended method for self-hosting, you can use whichever of these self-hosted options best suits your needs. These methods offer a high level of customization and are ideal for intermediate developers.
Development Environment
To work on the Directus Core source code, please follow our Contributing Guide.
# Deployment Guides
The following guides will walk you through the self-hosted installation process for specific third-party platforms. These options are only recommended for developers familiar with these services and comfortable with more advanced setup. While Directus is always completely free, you will likely need to pay for these services.
# One-Click Installs
If you would like to completely avoid the manual installation process, the following self-hosted one-click apps will handle the heavy-lifting for you. While Directus is always completely free, you will likely need to pay for these services.
- Directus DigitalOcean App (opens new window)
- Directus Platform.sh App (opens new window)
- Heroku App (opens new window)
# Directus Cloud
In addition to the self-hosted options above, you can also choose to create Directus projects using our official Managed Cloud Service. This is the easiest way to get up-and-running with Directus — even for non-technical users. Unique features include dedicated hardware, automatic updates, automatic backups, usage-based pricing, and more.