Alternatives to Appwrite
Open-source backend platform for web, mobile and Flutter
Appwrite ranks #2 of 10 in Backend-as-a-service, with an Alt Score of 96. It is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, open source with paid hosting from $25/mo and available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Web. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Appwrite is an open-source backend-as-a-service that bundles a database, authentication, file storage, realtime, serverless functions, and messaging behind REST/GraphQL APIs and client SDKs, available as Appwrite Cloud or fully self-hosted.
Developers and teams who want an open-source backend they can either self-host with Docker or run on Appwrite Cloud, as a Firebase/Supabase-style alternative for web, mobile, and server apps.
A managed database, built-in authentication, file/object storage, serverless functions, realtime subscriptions, and messaging, all exposed through REST, GraphQL, and Realtime WebSocket APIs with official client and server SDKs.
Appwrite runs as a BSD-3-Clause licensed backend server that you deploy via Docker (self-hosted) or use through Appwrite Cloud's Free/Pro/Enterprise plans; access is controlled with permission-based roles at the table and row level, and apps integrate through Appwrite's SDKs or directly over its REST/GraphQL/Realtime protocols.
Why people leave Appwrite
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service built on PostgreSQL, providing a managed database, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, edge functions, auto-generated APIs, and vector.
AWS Amplify is Amazon's backend-as-a-service toolkit for web and mobile apps, providing managed authentication (Cognito), auto-generated GraphQL/REST APIs (AppSync), a database (DynamoDB), file storag.
Convex is a reactive backend-as-a-service where the database, server functions, and realtime subscriptions are written in TypeScript, giving apps live-updating queries, transactional writes, file stor.
InstantDB is an open-source backend-as-a-service focused on realtime, relational client-side queries: every query is multiplayer by default, with built-in authentication (magic codes, OAuth, guest aut.
Back4app is a backend-as-a-service platform built on top of the open-source Parse Server framework, offering a managed MongoDB (and NoSQL) database, auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs, built-in authenti.
Firebase is Google's app-development platform offering a backend-as-a-service: the Firestore and Realtime Database, Authentication, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, hosting, and client SDKs for web, iO.
Parse Platform (Parse Server) is a fully open-source Node.js backend-as-a-service framework, originally built by Parse Inc.
Xano is a no-code/visual backend-as-a-service platform that gives teams a managed Postgres database, auto-generated and customizable REST/Swagger APIs, built-in authentication, file storage, and a vis.
PocketBase is an open-source backend-as-a-service packaged as a single Go executable, bundling an embedded SQLite database, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, and an admin dashboard.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Backend-as-a-service checklist (16 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Backend-as-a-service checklist | Appwrite | Supabase | AWS Amplify | Convex | InstantDB | Back4app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Managed database | ||||||
| Auth built in | ||||||
| File / object storage | ||||||
| Realtime subscriptions | ||||||
| Serverless / edge functions | ||||||
| Auto-generated APIs | ||||||
| Self-hostable | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Client SDKs | ||||||
| Row-level security | ||||||
| Vector / AI support | ||||||
| Free tier |
Every fact and feature listed for Appwrite is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License BSD-3-Clause verified 2026-07-13
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met
https://github.com/appwrite/appwrite/blob/main/LICENSE -
Pricing model OSS + paid hosting verified 2026-07-13
Appwrite is 100% open source (self-hostable via Docker) and also offers Appwrite Cloud with Free/Pro/Enterprise paid tiers.
Self-host or go Cloud Build the way you want. Pick between self hosting or cloud.
https://appwrite.io/products/storage -
Starts at $25/mo verified 2026-07-13
Pro Most popular From $25 /month For production applications that need powerful
https://appwrite.io/pricing -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, Web verified 2026-07-13
Self-hosting runs via Docker on any Docker-supported OS (Windows/macOS/Linux); Web covers the Appwrite Console and Appwrite Cloud (hosted, browser-based).
This guide will walk you through installing Appwrite on your server using Docker. Appwrite is designed to run on any operating system that supports Docker.
https://appwrite.io/docs/advanced/self-hosting/installation -
Managed database Yes verified 2026-07-13
Appwrite Databases let you store and query structured data. Databases provide high-performance and scalable data storage for your key application, business, and user data.
https://appwrite.io/docs/products/databases -
Auth built in Yes verified 2026-07-13
Authenticate users securely with multiple login methods like Email/Password, SMS, OAuth, Anonymous, Magic URLs, and more.
https://appwrite.io/products/auth -
File / object storage Yes verified 2026-07-13
Store documents, media, and user uploads with encryption, compression, and on-the-fly image transformations.
https://appwrite.io/products/storage -
Realtime subscriptions Yes verified 2026-07-13
The Appwrite Realtime allows you to listen to any Appwrite events in realtime using the Realtime service.
https://appwrite.io/docs/apis/realtime -
Serverless / edge functions Yes verified 2026-07-13
Deploy and scale serverless functions with seamless integration, multi-language support, and zero server management.
https://appwrite.io/products/functions -
Auto-generated APIs Yes verified 2026-07-13
REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs are automatically exposed for every resource without writing server code.
Appwrite supports multiple protocols for accessing the platform, including REST, GraphQL, and Realtime. Every endpoint available through REST is available through GraphQL, except for OAuth.
https://appwrite.io/docs/apis/graphql -
Self-hostable Yes verified 2026-07-13
This guide will walk you through installing Appwrite on your server using Docker.
https://appwrite.io/docs/advanced/self-hosting/installation -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-13
Appwrite is a 100% open source project, giving you the flexibility and support you need to get your project started.
https://appwrite.io/products/auth -
Client SDKs Yes verified 2026-07-13
Client libraries for integrating with Appwrite to build client-based applications and websites.
https://appwrite.io/docs/sdks -
Row-level security Yes verified 2026-07-13
Permission-based row security (Appwrite's own 'Row Security' feature with read/create/update/delete roles per row), not SQL RLS policy syntax.
Row level permissions are only applied if Row Security is enabled in the settings of your table. Enable row level permissions by navigating to Your table > Settings > Row security.
https://appwrite.io/docs/products/databases/permissions -
Vector / AI support Partial verified 2026-07-13
No native vector database/search; achieved by calling third-party vector DBs (Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus, Qdrant, Chroma, Upstash) from Appwrite Functions.
Appwrite integrates with vector databases through Functions, allowing you to index your data and perform similarity searches.
https://appwrite.io/docs/tooling/ai/vector-db-and-embeddings -
Free tier Yes verified 2026-07-13
Appwrite Cloud provides a Free plan to all developers to start building with Appwrite.
https://appwrite.io/docs/advanced/billing/free
FAQ
Yes. Convex, InstantDB and Back4app have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Supabase, AWS Amplify and Convex — every license claim links its source.