# Appwrite vs Supabase (2026)

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 14, 2026.

> **Verdict:** Choose Appwrite if you want a single unified API covering auth, database, storage, functions, and messaging with flat account-wide pricing. Choose Supabase if you want a real Postgres database with auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs and Row Level Security, where existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector carry over directly. Database model is the deciding factor: Appwrite abstracts its database behind its own API, while Supabase exposes a real Postgres database and bills compute per project.

**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

## At a glance

|  | Appwrite | Supabase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | Free tier · paid from $25/mo | Free tier · paid from $25/mo |
| License | Open source | Open core |
| 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 | 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 |
| Ratings | — | Product Hunt 5/5 (861 reviews) |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Appwrite | Supabase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting price (paid tier) | Yes (from $25/mo (Pro)) | Yes (from $25/mo (Pro)) |
| Free tier | Yes (2GB storage, 750K monthly executions, community support) | Yes (500MB database, 50,000 MAU, community support) |
| Platforms | Yes (web, Linux (self-hosted); broad SDK coverage for iOS, Android, Flutter) | Yes (web, Windows, macOS, Linux) |
| License | Yes (open source, BSD-3-Clause) | Partial (open-core, Apache-2.0 on core components) |
| Self-hosting | Yes (free to self-host via Docker) | Yes (core stack self-hostable, Apache-2.0) |
| Database model | Unknown (not specified as SQL or NoSQL in the data) | Yes (full Postgres database, not a proprietary abstraction) |
| Auto-generated APIs | No | Yes (REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs auto-generated from schema) |
| Row-level authorization | Unknown | Yes (Row Level Security enforced at the database layer) |
| Mid/Team tier price | Unknown (Appwrite's tiers are Free, Pro $25/mo, and custom Enterprise) | Yes (Team $599/mo (SOC2/ISO 27001, priority support, SLAs)) |
| Billing structure | Yes (flat account-wide $25/mo Pro tier) | No (compute billed per project, stacking charges across multiple projects) |
| GitHub stars | Yes (57.1K stars) | Yes (108,000+ stars) |
| Free-tier inactivity limits | No (free Cloud projects pause after 1 week of inactivity) | No (free-tier projects also pause after 1 week of inactivity) |
| External rating | Unknown | Yes (5.0/5 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

- Pro: Fully open source (BSD-3-Clause) and self-hostable for free, avoiding vendor lock-in on a core backend.
- Pro: Single platform covers auth, database, storage, functions, and messaging instead of stitching together separate services.
- Pro: Broad SDK coverage across major frontend frameworks and mobile platforms including Flutter.
- Pro: Free Appwrite Cloud tier is usable for real projects, not just a sandbox, with 75K monthly active users included.
- Con: Free Cloud tier projects pause after a week of inactivity and get community-only support.
- Con: Self-hosting requires managing updates, scaling, and backups yourself, shifting operational work onto the team.
- Con: Reviewers note initial setup can be more complex than newcomers expect for a 'quick MVP' backend.
- Con: Enterprise features (SSO, compliance certifications, SLAs) require a custom-quote plan rather than being available at a fixed price.

### Supabase

- Pro: Full Postgres database rather than a proprietary NoSQL store, so existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector and PostGIS carry over directly.
- Pro: Auto-generates REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs from the schema, with Row Level Security for per-row authorization.
- Pro: Apache-2.0-licensed core stack is self-hostable, avoiding hard vendor lock-in.
- Pro: Free tier includes unlimited API requests, 50,000 monthly active users, and a 500MB database with no time limit on the account.
- Con: Compute is billed per project, so accounts running several projects stack recurring charges beyond the flat $25/month Pro fee.
- Con: MAU overage ($0.00325/user past 100,000) and egress overage ($0.09/GB past 250GB) can produce unpredictable invoices at scale.
- Con: Free-tier projects pause automatically after 1 week of inactivity.
- Con: 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. |

## 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.

## Neither a match?

- 4 alternatives to Appwrite: https://findalternative.to/appwrite
- 4 alternatives to Supabase: https://findalternative.to/supabase

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