Appwrite vs Supabase (2026)
By Noahlast updated
Appwrite
AppwriteOpen-source backend platform (BSD-3-Clause) with auth, databases, storage, and functions, free to self-host or from $25/month on Appwrite Cloud.
- Pricing
- Free tier · paid from $25/mo
- License
- Open source
- Best for
- developer teams building web, mobile, or Flutter apps that want a Firebase-style backend (auth, database, storage, functions) they can self-host for free instead of relying solely on a vendor's cloud
Supabase
SupabaseAn open-source backend platform built on Postgres, bundling a database, authentication, storage, realtime sync, and edge functions with auto-generated APIs.
- Pricing
- Free tier · paid from $25/mo
- License
- Open core
- Best for
- developers who want a Postgres-based backend (auth, storage, realtime, auto-generated APIs) they can self-host later, rather than committing to a proprietary NoSQL platform like Firebase
Choose Appwrite if…
- You want a single unified API covering auth, database, storage, functions, and messaging without stitching together separate services
- You want your Cloud paid tier billed as a flat account-wide fee ($25/mo Pro) instead of per project
- You need Flutter and React Native SDKs alongside broad web framework coverage
- You don't need SQL and prefer Appwrite's own database abstraction
- You want compute and usage limits pooled at $25/mo rather than stacking per project
Choose Supabase if…
- You want a real Postgres database instead of a proprietary abstraction, so existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector carry over
- You need auto-generated REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs derived directly from your schema
- You want Row Level Security enforcing authorization at the database layer
- You want a larger, more established open-source project (108K+ GitHub stars vs Appwrite's 57.1K)
- You need SOC2/ISO 27001 compliance, available on Supabase's $599/mo Team tier
Appwrite vs Supabase: feature comparison
| Feature | Appwrite | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (paid tier) | Yesfrom $25/mo (Pro) | Yesfrom $25/mo (Pro) |
| Free tier | Yes2GB storage, 750K monthly executions, community support | Yes500MB database, 50,000 MAU, community support |
| Platforms | Yesweb, Linux (self-hosted); broad SDK coverage for iOS, Android, Flutter | Yesweb, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| License | Yesopen source, BSD-3-Clause | Partialopen-core, Apache-2.0 on core components |
| Self-hosting | Yesfree to self-host via Docker | Yescore stack self-hostable, Apache-2.0 |
| Database model | Unknownnot specified as SQL or NoSQL in the data | Yesfull Postgres database, not a proprietary abstraction |
| Auto-generated APIs | No | YesREST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs auto-generated from schema |
| Row-level authorization | Unknown | YesRow Level Security enforced at the database layer |
| Mid/Team tier price | UnknownAppwrite's tiers are Free, Pro $25/mo, and custom Enterprise | YesTeam $599/mo (SOC2/ISO 27001, priority support, SLAs) |
| Billing structure | Yesflat account-wide $25/mo Pro tier | Nocompute billed per project, stacking charges across multiple projects |
| GitHub stars | Yes57.1K stars | Yes108,000+ stars |
| Free-tier inactivity limits | Nofree Cloud projects pause after 1 week of inactivity | Nofree-tier projects also pause after 1 week of inactivity |
| External rating | Unknown | Yes5.0/5 from 861 reviews (Product Hunt) |
Appwrite vs Supabase pricing: which costs less?
Both start at the same $25/month Pro price, but Supabase bills compute per project while Appwrite's $25/month Pro tier applies account-wide.
Appwrite's Free tier includes 2GB storage and 750K monthly executions; Pro is a flat $25/month covering 150GB storage and 3.5M executions. Supabase's Free tier includes a 500MB database and 50,000 monthly active users; Pro is also $25/month with a $10/month compute credit, but compute is billed per project, so accounts running multiple projects stack additional charges beyond the base $25. Supabase's Team tier at $599/month adds SOC2/ISO 27001 compliance that Appwrite's data doesn't list at a fixed price.
Which uses a real SQL database, Appwrite or Supabase?
Supabase, which is built directly on Postgres with auto-generated REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs, while Appwrite's database model isn't specified as SQL in the available data.
Which is more open source, Appwrite or Supabase?
Appwrite is fully open source under BSD-3-Clause, while Supabase is open-core, with its Postgres, PostgREST, GoTrue, Realtime, and Storage components under Apache-2.0 but its hosted dashboard as a separate commercial product.
Can Supabase replace Appwrite?
Yes for teams that want a Postgres-based backend, since Supabase covers auth, storage, realtime, and auto-generated APIs, though its per-project compute billing can cost more than Appwrite's flat Pro tier for teams running several projects.
Supabase's auth (20+ OAuth providers, Row Level Security), S3-compatible storage, realtime sync, and edge functions cover the same ground as Appwrite's unified API. The tradeoff is billing structure: Supabase's compute is metered per project rather than pooled account-wide, so multi-project teams may pay more than Appwrite's flat $25/month Pro tier for equivalent usage.
Strengths and weaknesses
Appwrite
Pros
- Fully open source (BSD-3-Clause) and self-hostable for free, avoiding vendor lock-in on a core backend.
- Single platform covers auth, database, storage, functions, and messaging instead of stitching together separate services.
- Broad SDK coverage across major frontend frameworks and mobile platforms including Flutter.
- Free Appwrite Cloud tier is usable for real projects, not just a sandbox, with 75K monthly active users included.
Cons
- Free Cloud tier projects pause after a week of inactivity and get community-only support.
- Self-hosting requires managing updates, scaling, and backups yourself, shifting operational work onto the team.
- Reviewers note initial setup can be more complex than newcomers expect for a 'quick MVP' backend.
- Enterprise features (SSO, compliance certifications, SLAs) require a custom-quote plan rather than being available at a fixed price.
Supabase
Pros
- Full Postgres database rather than a proprietary NoSQL store, so existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector and PostGIS carry over directly.
- Auto-generates REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs from the schema, with Row Level Security for per-row authorization.
- Apache-2.0-licensed core stack is self-hostable, avoiding hard vendor lock-in.
- Free tier includes unlimited API requests, 50,000 monthly active users, and a 500MB database with no time limit on the account.
Cons
- Compute is billed per project, so accounts running several projects stack recurring charges beyond the flat $25/month Pro fee.
- MAU overage ($0.00325/user past 100,000) and egress overage ($0.09/GB past 250GB) can produce unpredictable invoices at scale.
- Free-tier projects pause automatically after 1 week of inactivity.
- Row Level Security has a steeper learning curve than Firebase's simpler client-side security rules for teams new to SQL.
Which fits your use case?
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Team that wants a real Postgres database with SQL skills carrying over | Supabase | Supabase is built directly on Postgres with pgvector and PostGIS extensions; Appwrite's database model isn't described as SQL-based. |
| Team running several small projects on one account | Appwrite | Appwrite's $25/month Pro tier applies account-wide; Supabase bills compute per project, stacking charges across multiple projects. |
| Team wanting auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs straight from the schema | Supabase | Supabase auto-generates REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs from a project's Postgres schema; Appwrite's data shows no equivalent auto-generation feature. |
| Team building a Flutter mobile app with broad SDK needs | Appwrite | Appwrite explicitly lists Flutter SDK support alongside React Native and other mobile platforms in its SDK coverage. |
| Enterprise team needing SOC2/ISO 27001 compliance at a fixed price | Supabase | Supabase's $599/month Team tier explicitly includes SOC2/ISO 27001 compliance; Appwrite requires a custom-quote Enterprise plan for comparable certifications. |
Neither a match?
Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.
Popular comparisons
Appwrite vs Supabase: migration FAQ
Should I use Appwrite or Supabase?
- Use Appwrite if you want a unified backend API with flat account-wide pricing; use Supabase if you want a real Postgres database with auto-generated APIs and Row Level Security.
Is Appwrite cheaper than Supabase?
- Both start at $25/month for their Pro tier, but Supabase bills compute per project while Appwrite's $25/month applies account-wide, so multi-project teams may pay less on Appwrite.
Can Supabase replace Appwrite?
- Yes for teams that want a Postgres-based backend, since Supabase covers auth, storage, realtime sync, and auto-generated APIs, though its per-project billing can cost more at scale.
Which has more GitHub stars, Appwrite or Supabase?
- Supabase, with more than 108,000 GitHub stars versus Appwrite's 57.1K.
Is Supabase fully open source like Appwrite?
- Not entirely — Supabase is open-core, with its Postgres-based core components under Apache-2.0 but its hosted dashboard as a separate commercial product, while Appwrite is fully open source under BSD-3-Clause.