Appwrite vs Supabase: Which Backend to Choose?

Appwrite and Supabase are two open-source backend platforms that provide developers with tools to quickly build web and mobile applications. Both serve as open-source alternatives to Firebase, providing features like authentication, databases, file storage, and serverless functions.

Let’s explore what you get with each platform, how they perform, and where they work best so you can see which one fits your project.

What are Appwrite and Supabase?

Appwrite is a self-hosted backend server packaged as Docker microservices that exposes REST, WebSocket, and GraphQL APIs. Written in PHP with a microservices architecture, it provides authentication, databases (with support for document-oriented collections), file storage, serverless functions, messaging, real-time subscriptions, and web hosting through Appwrite Sites. 

The platform was designed for easy self-hosting with a single Docker command while maintaining focus on security and developer experience.

Official SDKs are available for Web (JavaScript/TypeScript), Flutter, Apple (Swift), Android (Kotlin), and React Native, along with server-side SDKs for Node.js, Python, PHP, Dart, Ruby, Deno, Kotlin, Swift, and .NET. 

Appwrite Cloud became generally available in 2024, providing managed hosting alongside the self-hosted option. Free tier projects never pause, unlike some competitors.

Supabase:

Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL. The platform generates instant RESTful and GraphQL APIs from your database schema, with real-time subscriptions powered by an Elixir server that listens to PostgreSQL's replication stream. 

Core features include authentication (JWT-based GoTrue), row-level security, file storage, and edge functions running on Deno.

The architecture combines established open-source tools: PostgreSQL for the database, PostgREST for auto-generated REST APIs, GoTrue for authentication, and Kong as the API gateway. 

If you know SQL, you can write raw queries, create triggers, use PostgreSQL extensions, and leverage 30+ years of database development. Free tier projects pause after one week of inactivity.

Appwrite vs Supabase: Performance Comparison

Core Features Comparison:

Feature	Appwrite	Supabase
Database Type	MariaDB (document API)	PostgreSQL (SQL)
API Types	REST, WebSocket, GraphQL	REST, GraphQL, WebSocket
Real-time	WebSocket subscriptions	PostgreSQL replication + WebSocket
Authentication	Built-in + OAuth providers	GoTrue (JWT-based) + OAuth
File Storage	Built-in with CDN	Built-in with CDN
Functions	Cloud Functions (multiple runtimes)	Edge Functions (Deno)
Row-Level Security	Collection permissions	Native PostgreSQL RLS
Self-Hosting	Docker, single command	Docker or manual PostgreSQL setup
Web Hosting	Yes (Appwrite Sites)	No (frontend hosting separate)
Messaging	Built-in (email, SMS, push)	Requires third-party integration

Appwrite Performance

Performance with Appwrite depends on your deployment configuration. The platform uses a microservices architecture with containerized services that you can scale independently. Self-hosting gives you control over hardware specs, network configuration, and resource allocation. Appwrite Cloud handles this infrastructure automatically with dedicated resources per project.

The database layer uses MariaDB with a document-oriented API abstraction. You work with collections and documents rather than writing SQL directly. For straightforward queries and read-heavy workloads, performance stays solid. Complex joins or analytical queries will be slower compared to direct SQL access in a relational database.

Real-time capabilities use WebSocket connections through the API layer. The platform includes an in-memory caching layer and delegates heavy tasks to background workers using a message queue system. This architecture lets you control compute capacity and costs while maintaining response times. Connection pooling and message queue performance become important as you scale beyond a few thousand concurrent connections.

Supabase Performance

Supabase performance is PostgreSQL performance. Write efficient queries, create proper indexes, and use connection pooling (pgBouncer is included), and you'll get strong results. 

The cloud offering provides read replicas and automatic scaling for compute resources ranging from 1GB RAM (Micro at $10/month) up to 256GB RAM (16XL at $3,730/month).

Edge functions run on Deno Deploy infrastructure with cold starts typically under 100ms. Real-time subscriptions use an Elixir-based server that listens to PostgreSQL's logical replication stream and broadcasts changes over WebSockets. This architecture delivers database changes to clients with minimal latency.

The platform supports advanced disk configurations with General Purpose SSD (up to 16TB, 3,000 IOPS baseline) or High Performance SSD (up to 60TB, 80,000 IOPS). You can scale IOPS and throughput independently based on workload requirements. Self-hosting requires managing database replication, backups, and load balancing yourself.

When to Use Appwrite

Appwrite is good when you need complete control over where your data lives. If you're building for government agencies, healthcare systems, or European markets with strict GDPR requirements, self-hosting on your own infrastructure removes third-party data processing concerns. You own the entire stack.

Flutter developers find Appwrite's first-class Flutter SDK particularly polished. The authentication flows, file uploads, and real-time updates integrate cleanly with Flutter's widget system. If you're building a mobile-first product with Flutter, Appwrite reduces the friction of connecting frontend to backend.

It also works well in air-gapped or restricted network environments where you can't rely on external cloud services. Deploying everything behind your firewall means no external dependencies for core functionality.

When to Use Supabase

If your team knows SQL, Supabase gets you productive faster. You can design schemas, write complex queries, and use PostgreSQL extensions for full-text search, geospatial data, or time-series analysis.

Supabase is particularly useful for quickly building MVPs. Auto-generated APIs let you query data immediately, and real-time subscriptions support live dashboards or collaborative features. Developers migrating from Firebase get a familiar workflow with PostgreSQL underneath and the option to self-host.

Appwrite vs Supabase for Enterprise Projects

Feature	Appwrite Pro	Appwrite Enterprise	Supabase Pro	Supabase Team	Supabase Enterprise
Starting Price	$25/month	Custom	$25/month	$599/month	Custom
SOC-2	✗	✓	✗	✓	✓
HIPAA	✗	✓ + BAA	✗	✓ (add-on)	✓
SSO	✗	✓	✗	✓ Dashboard only	✓
Backup Retention	7 days	Custom	7 days	14 days	Custom
Log Retention	Standard	90 days	7 days	28 days	Custom
Support	Email	24/7 + Manager	Email	Priority + SLA	24/7 Premium
Uptime SLA	✗	✓	✗	✗	✓
BYOC	✗	✓	✗	✗	✓
Private Slack	✗	Optional	✗	✗	✓

Both platforms offer enterprise tiers with advanced security and compliance features. Supabase Team plan starts at $599/month with SOC2 compliance, HIPAA availability as an add-on, SSO for dashboard access, priority email support with SLAs, 14-day backup retention, and 28-day log retention. The Enterprise tier adds dedicated support managers, 24/7 premium support, private Slack channels, and uptime SLAs.

Appwrite Enterprise provides SOC-2, HIPAA, and BAA compliance, custom organization roles, SSO, activity logs, 90-day log retention, uptime SLAs, and designated success managers. Volume discounts and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) options are available. The Pro plan includes organization roles, email support, and daily backups stored for seven days.

Row-level security in Supabase provides granular access control at the database level, letting you define complex permission rules in PostgreSQL. Appwrite uses collection-level permissions and team-based access control through its API layer. Both approaches work, but Supabase's database-native security model offers more flexibility for multi-tenant applications.

Documentation is stronger on Supabase, with detailed guides, plenty of examples, and lots of community content. Appwrite covers the basics well, but you’ll find fewer examples for more advanced use cases.

Developer Experience & Tooling

Supabase provides a faster initial setup. Run npx supabase init for local development with Docker, or sign up for cloud hosting and start immediately. The CLI handles database migrations, generates TypeScript types from your schema, and manages environment configurations. The JavaScript client includes TypeScript support that automatically infers types from your database structure.

Appwrite requires Docker for local development. The web console manages auth providers, databases, storage, and functions. Both Appwrite Cloud and self-hosted versions use the same console. Appwrite supports GraphQL, REST, and WebSocket APIs. SDK coverage includes Web, Flutter, Apple, Android, React Native, Node.js, Python, PHP, Dart, Deno, Ruby, Kotlin, Swift, and .NET beta.

Next.js App Router integration works for both. Supabase’s @supabase/ssr supports server components and route handlers. Appwrite’s Node SDK works in server components, but session handling is manual. Both offer starter templates and examples for React, Vue, Svelte, and other frameworks.

Your Next Move

Appwrite and Supabase take different approaches. Appwrite gives full control and is useful if you manage your own data. Supabase is simpler to set up and works well if you want to move quickly with SQL and TypeScript.

Try both on a small project. Spin up a local instance, build a simple CRUD app, and see which workflow fits your team. This shows how each platform works in practice.

You can also connect with our experts for consultation and support to set up Appwrite or Supabase, manage databases, authentication, storage, or real-time features.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Appwrite vs Supabase cost for 10K/100K/1M users?

Supabase Cloud starts free with 50,000 monthly active users, 500MB database, 5GB bandwidth, and 1GB file storage. Projects pause after one week of inactivity with a limit of two active free projects. The Pro tier costs $25/month and includes 100,000 MAUs (then $0.00325 per additional MAU), 8GB database, 250GB bandwidth, and $10 in compute credits monthly.

For 100K users, you'd pay $25/month base plus minimal overages. For 1M users, calculate approximately $25 base + $2,925 for the extra 900K MAUs + compute costs based on your chosen instance (starting at $10/month for Micro). Total cost ranges from $300-600/month depending on database size, bandwidth consumption, and compute tier.

Appwrite Cloud pricing works differently. The free tier includes 75K monthly active users, 5GB bandwidth, 2GB storage, and never pauses (limit of two projects). The Pro plan starts at $25/month and includes 200K MAUs, 2TB bandwidth, 150GB storage, and 3.5M function executions. Additional usage beyond plan limits incurs overage charges.

For 100K users, Appwrite's free tier covers you. For 200K users, the Pro plan at $25/month suffices. Scaling to 1M users requires either upgrading to Enterprise (custom pricing) or paying overages on the Pro plan. Self-hosting remains an option where you control infrastructure costs directly.

How do I migrate from Firebase to Supabase/Appwrite?

Migrating from Firebase to Supabase is more straightforward since both use similar paradigms. Export your Firestore data using Firebase CLI, then write a script to transform and insert records into PostgreSQL tables. Supabase provides a Firebase Auth migration tool that imports users with their password hashes intact. File storage migration requires downloading from Firebase Storage and re-uploading to Supabase Storage with proper permissions.

Appwrite migration is less direct due to different data models. You'll need to map Firestore documents to Appwrite's document collections, manually recreating your schema. Authentication migration requires users to reset passwords since hash algorithms differ. Expect to write custom migration scripts and plan for more engineering time.

Both migrations require updating client code to use new SDKs. Budget 2-4 weeks for a Firebase to Supabase migration of a moderate-sized app, and 4-8 weeks for Appwrite depending on complexity.

Can I use Appwrite/Supabase with Next.js 14 App Router?

Both platforms work with Next.js 14 App Router, but Supabase has better integration. The @supabase/ssr package provides utilities for server components, route handlers, and middleware. You can fetch data server-side with proper authentication context and use React Server Components effectively.

Appwrite's Node SDK works in server components, but you'll need to handle cookie-based session management manually. The client SDK version (appwrite@14+) supports App Router patterns, though documentation specifically covering App Router is less comprehensive than Supabase's guides.

Can I use Prisma ORM with Supabase/Appwrite?

Prisma works natively with Supabase since PostgreSQL is the underlying database. Connect using the connection string from your Supabase project settings, run migrations with Prisma CLI, and use the generated client. This gives you type-safe database queries and excellent TypeScript integration.

Appwrite doesn't support Prisma directly since it abstracts the database layer. You'd need to expose MariaDB connection details (not officially supported) and work around Appwrite's API layer, which defeats the purpose of using Appwrite. Stick with Appwrite's SDK for database operations.

How do I handle file uploads over 50MB in each platform?

Supabase Storage has a 50MB file size limit on the free tier and standard upload API. For larger files, implement chunked uploads using the TUS protocol (resumable uploads). Break files into smaller chunks, upload sequentially, and handle resume logic if connections drop. The Supabase client includes TUS support through the storage API.

Appwrite supports files up to 50MB by default but allows you to increase the limit in your self-hosted deployment by modifying the APPSTORAGE_LIMIT environment variable. For very large files, use chunked uploads with Appwrite's chunked upload API. This splits files into 5MB chunks and reassembles them server-side.

Consider offloading very large files (video, datasets) to dedicated object storage like S3 or Backblaze B2, then store references in your database. This approach works with both platforms and reduces bandwidth costs.