Appwrite
Auth, database, storage, realtime, and functions behind one polished console; the Compose file is doing a lot.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- BSD-3-Clause
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Hosted Appwrite Cloud signup, or the official Docker installer/Compose stack
- Operational Setup
- The installer is one command, but it expands into a large multi-container platform; production use still needs a domain, TLS, SMTP, storage, backups, and careful version upgrades.
- Where Your Data Lives
- Self-hosted Appwrite stores application records in MariaDB, queues and cache in Redis, and uploaded files in Docker volumes or a configured object-storage adapter; functions and build artifacts are managed by the Appwrite worker/executor services. Appwrite Cloud stores the equivalent data in Appwrite's infrastructure.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- Appwrite supplies the backend pieces but not Convex's end-to-end reactive TypeScript query model, automatic dependency tracking, transactional functions, or client cache semantics.
Replaces 3 paid apps
Appwrite FAQ
Common questions
Is Appwrite free and open source?+
Appwrite is an open-source tool licensed under BSD-3-Clause that runs on local or hosted. Auth, database, storage, realtime, and functions behind one polished console; the Compose file is doing a lot.
What paid software does Appwrite replace?+
Appwrite serves as a free replacement for 3 paid SaaS applications: Convex, Firebase Blaze, Supabase Pro.
How do you install and set up Appwrite?+
Installation: Hosted Appwrite Cloud signup, or the official Docker installer/Compose stack. Setup notes: The installer is one command, but it expands into a large multi-container platform; production use still needs a domain, TLS, SMTP, storage, backups, and careful version upgrades.
What is the catch or trade-off with Appwrite?+
Appwrite supplies the backend pieces but not Convex's end-to-end reactive TypeScript query model, automatic dependency tracking, transactional functions, or client cache semantics.