# Backing Directus

> Directus is both _premium_ and _free_ — two things that don't often go together. It takes significant resources to
> maintain the platform. If you'd like to help keep development active, please consider supporting Directus through one
> of the methods below.

## Brand Advocacy

**You can create perfect software, but if no one knows about it, it's all for naught. Marketing and advertising are
expensive. You can help us cut these costs with the following quick options.**

<!-- @TODO Uncomment when Merch Store is launched.
**Merchandise**\
Buy some of our _totally sweet_ merchandise! This is a great way to support Directus. You get some swag, and we get some
financial support plus advertising. Simply make an appropriate financial donation through [GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/directus)
or contact us for bulk merch pricing. We'll get it shipped as soon as sizing and shipping details are coordinated!
-->

**GitHub Stars**\
As an open-source project, stars are a primary metric by which we measure our success. It only takes a few seconds to head
to the [Directus GitHub Repo](https://github.com/directus/directus) and click the star. With enough activity in a short period
of time, we get _even more exposure_ on GitHub's trending page!

**Social Posts**\
Engage with us on social media. Follow us! A quick post mentioning [@directus](https://twitter.com/directus) goes a long
way! _Plus, we re-tweet the team's favorite shout-outs to our 45K+ followers._

**Testimonials**\
_One sentence._ Even that was a sentence and it was only two words! If you're a fan of Directus, we'd love to hear why with
a short endorsement... More importantly, potential new users _need to hear your testimonial_ to see if the product is right
for them! Shoot us an [email](mailto:info@directus.io), [Tweet](https://twitter.com/directus), or [Discord](https://directus.chat)
message with your name, title, and company.

**Reviews**\
The following popular rating platforms allow you to post your rating and testimonial publicly, which automatically gives
it more exposure.

- [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/directus/reviews)
- [Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/156619/Directus/)
- [TrustRadius](https://www.trustradius.com/products/directus/reviews)
- [Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/posts/directus-9)

## Community Engagement

**While the Directus Core Team spearheads development, community engagement is an essential part of the Directus
mission. We need your help in order to make Directus all it can be.**

**GitHub Sponsors**\
The core team is funded. All monthly donations via [GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/directus) form a budget
to compensate the top community contributors. Donate to sponsor more [community developers](https://github.com/orgs/directus/people)

**Code Pull Requests**\
Squashing bugs, optimizing the codebase, increasing test coverage, and adding new features, are all extremely valuable. Obviously,
you're making the platform better for yourself as well. _That's a double whammy!_ [Go make your PR on GitHub!](https://github.com/directus)

Not quite a software engineer yet? We have plenty of documentation that can always use some extra attention. Learn more
in our [Contributors Guide](/contributing/introduction).

<!-- @TODO contributing > docs-guidelines -->

**Bug Reporting**\
If you find an issue in Directus, no matter how small, we'd love to hear about it. Proper bug reporting helps our team improve
platform stability. [Report a bug on GitHub](https://github.com/directus/directus/issues/new)

**App Translations**\
Every button, element, or other line of text in the app is [fully translatable](/contributing/translations/). These translations
make our app an international platform. Our [Crowdin integration](https://locales.directus.io) makes polishing existing translations
or creating new ones a breeze.

## Financial Support

**Talented full-time and part-time staff, infrastructure, and third-party services are just some of our organization's
many expenses. Here are a few support avenues that help us keep the lights on.**

**Premium Support**\
_Software engineering is hard!_ Let our Core Team help you better manage your Directus project with a dedicated Premium Support
agreement so your devs can focus on your app's core business logic. [Contact the Team](https://directus.io/contact/) for
more info.

**Sponsored Work**\
[Commissioned Features](/getting-started/support/#commissioned-features) and [Expedited Fixes](/getting-started/support/#expedited-fixes)
are great ways to financially support the development of Directus and improve the codebase for the community _and for your
project!_

**Directus Cloud**\
Cloud architecture, software updates, and configuration optimizations require fully dedicated effort. Cut through all that
digital red-tape and run your projects on [Directus Cloud](/cloud/overview). You get production-ready projects with zero
vendor lock-in, 90 second average build times, incredibly fair pricing, scaling at the click of a button, automatic updates
with no downtime and a constant stream of new [Cloud Exclusive Extensions](/cloud/glossary/#extensions).

We do everything we can to make hosting on [Directus Cloud](/cloud/overview) a no-brainer.

:::tip Ready to try out Cloud?

Test out Directus Cloud now for free with the [Quickstart Guide](/getting-started/quickstart/).

:::

:::tip Enterprise Cloud

Need total customization, unlimited scalability, and dedicated support? [Contact us](https://directus.io/contact/)

:::
