Supabase vs Appwrite: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare Supabase and Appwrite on database, self-hosting, functions, and developer experience. Discover which open-source BaaS platform is the best fit for your project.
Supabase
An open-source Backend-as-a-Service built on PostgreSQL with real-time subscriptions, Row Level Security, edge functions, and auto-generated APIs. Supabase offers a managed cloud service and is fully self-hostable. It positions itself as the open-source alternative to Firebase with the power of a relational database.
Appwrite
An open-source Backend-as-a-Service with a MariaDB database, multi-runtime cloud functions (Node.js, Python, PHP, Dart, and more), storage, authentication, and realtime. Appwrite is designed as a Docker-first platform for easy self-hosting and provides SDKs for web, mobile, and server platforms.
Comparison table
| Feature | Supabase | Appwrite |
|---|---|---|
| Database | PostgreSQL — full SQL, joins, transactions, and extensions | MariaDB — document-like API on top of a relational database |
| Functions | Edge Functions (Deno) — low-latency on the edge network | Multi-runtime — Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, Dart, Swift, and more |
| Self-hosting | Docker Compose — requires multiple services (PostgreSQL, GoTrue, etc.) | Docker-first — single docker-compose for the full stack |
| API generation | Auto-generated REST and GraphQL API from database schema | REST API with SDK abstraction — no direct database access |
| Real-time | PostgreSQL CDC-based real-time subscriptions | WebSocket-based real-time events and channels |
Verdict
Supabase and Appwrite are both excellent open-source BaaS platforms with different strengths. Supabase offers direct PostgreSQL access with full SQL power, making it ideal for data-intensive applications. Appwrite provides an easier self-hosting experience with multi-runtime functions, offering flexibility in programming languages. The choice depends on your priorities: PostgreSQL power and SQL directness (Supabase) or language flexibility and simple Docker setup (Appwrite).
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we choose Supabase as our primary BaaS platform. Direct PostgreSQL access, Row Level Security, and the extensive extension ecosystem align perfectly with our technical stack. We value Supabase's edge functions and auto-generated APIs that accelerate development speed. We recommend Appwrite for clients who specifically need multi-runtime functions or when a simple Docker-first self-hosting setup is a requirement for their infrastructure.
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