Firebase vs Appwrite

Google's all-in-one meets open-source firebase alternative that actually lets you self-host without selling your soul to a cloud provider. Here's our take.

Firebase

Nice Pick

Google's all-in-one. Fast to start, painful to leave.

Pros

• Mature ecosystem
• Great docs
• Fast prototyping
• Google scale

Cons

• Vendor lock-in
• NoSQL limits
• Pricing surprises
• Proprietary

Appwrite

Open-source Firebase alternative that actually lets you self-host without selling your soul to a cloud provider.

Pros

• Fully open-source with self-hosting on Docker for complete control
• Built-in authentication, databases, storage, and real-time features in one package
• RESTful and GraphQL APIs with auto-generated SDKs for multiple languages
• No vendor lock-in—migrate away anytime without rewriting your app

Cons

• Self-hosting requires DevOps skills and ongoing maintenance
• Less polished UI and documentation compared to commercial giants like Firebase
• Community support can be slower than paid enterprise options

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Firebase is a databases while Appwrite is a hosting & deployment. We picked Firebase based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Firebase wins

Based on overall popularity. Firebase is more widely used, but Appwrite excels in its own space.