Supabase vs Appwrite
Both are alternatives to Firebase. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Appwrite vs Supabase — same comparison, one verdict.
Supabase and Appwrite are closely matched on ownership (91 vs 92) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
Supabase
TOP PICKPostgres with Firebase's ergonomics — and you can take the database with you.
Supabase wraps a real Postgres database in the things that made Firebase pleasant: instant REST and GraphQL APIs, row-level security, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions and edge functions. The difference that matters is underneath. Your data is in Postgres, so you get SQL, joins, transactions, extensions like PostGIS and pgvector, and the ability to pick up the database and run it on any host on earth. It is Apache-2.0 and self-hostable with Docker Compose, and the hosted tier exists for people who would rather not. Around 107k GitHub stars and pushed to daily.
Appwrite
The self-hosted backend that ships as one Docker command.
Appwrite bundles databases, authentication with 30-plus OAuth providers, storage, serverless functions and realtime into a product designed from the start to be self-hosted — one `docker compose up` and you have the whole backend running on your own machine. Where Supabase leads with Postgres, Appwrite leads with operational simplicity, and the SDK coverage across Flutter, web, Apple and Android is unusually complete. BSD-3-Clause, around 56.7k stars. It is the pick when you want to own the whole stack without becoming a database administrator to do it.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Supabase | Appwrite | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 91 | 92 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Pricing | Free tier for small projects; hosted Pro from about $25/month. Fully self-hostable at no licence cost. | Free and open source to self-host. Appwrite Cloud has a free tier and paid plans from about $15/month. |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 8 GB | 6 GB |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $30–60/mo self-hosted, against $25+/mo on their cloud — the saving is real but smaller than most self-hosting moves | $40–70/mo self-hosted, against Firebase pricing that is generous until suddenly it is not |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | Half a day | 2 hours |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | High for a self-hosted stack. You own Postgres upgrades, JWT secret rotation and the coordination of eight components that release independently. | Moderate to high. A dozen services means a dozen things that can be the problem. |
Supabase is Macrostack's recommended Firebase alternative, so it's our pick here.
Supabase
Strengths
- +Real Postgres — SQL, joins, transactions and the whole extension ecosystem
- +Genuinely portable: the database runs anywhere, hosted or not
- +Apache-2.0 with a complete self-host path, not a crippled community edition
- +pgvector built in, so AI features do not need a second database
Trade-offs
- −You now have a Postgres database to think about — indexes, connections, vacuum
- −Mobile offline sync is weaker than Firebase's SDKs
- −Self-hosting the full stack is more moving parts than the hosted product suggests
- −Younger than Firebase; some edges are still being filed off
Appwrite
Strengths
- +Self-hosts in a single Docker Compose command — the lowest-friction option here
- +Excellent SDK coverage including Flutter, Apple and Android
- +Permissive BSD-3-Clause with no enterprise directory carve-out
- +Auth, storage, functions and realtime all in one binary set
Trade-offs
- −Its own database abstraction rather than raw Postgres — less portable data
- −Smaller ecosystem and fewer third-party integrations than Supabase
- −Query capability is thinner than SQL when the data model gets complex
- −Scaling beyond a single node needs planning
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Supabase
if real Postgres — SQL, joins, transactions and the whole extension ecosystem.
Choose Appwrite
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and self-hosts in a single Docker Compose command — the lowest-friction option here.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — you now have a Postgres database to think about — indexes, connections, vacuum, and its own database abstraction rather than raw Postgres — less portable data. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Supabase vs Appwrite — common questions
Is Supabase a better fit than Appwrite for backend as a service?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Appwrite scores 92 to Supabase's 91 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Supabase earns its place on a different axis — real Postgres — SQL, joins, transactions and the whole extension ecosystem. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Supabase keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. Appwrite is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Supabase or Appwrite?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Supabase and Appwrite both alternatives to Firebase?
Yes — both appear in our Firebase comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Firebase and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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Facts verified 2026-07-31. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.