Intro
I’m mostly an indie iOS developer, but I’ve been eyeing making some cross-platform apps. I tried Firebase, but was skeptical because I read a bad story about users receiving crazy bills using Firebase. Still, up to this day, Google won’t let you set a budget limit. So, I started looking for a Firebase alternative, or should I say an easy cross-platform database service?
I’ve landed on Appwrite and Supabase. After trying both with my beginner backend level experience, here’s my perspective.
TL;DR:
If you’re self-hosting and don’t need to store relational data, use Appwrite. If you don’t mind paying, want hassle-free and long-term robust development using the cloud version Supabase. And I’ll share why.
Major difference between Supabase VS Appwrite
Database Technology
Appwrite uses NoSQL and Supabase uses PostgresSQL.
If you are familiar with Firebase, Appwrite will feel at home. But if you want a relational DB, Supabase.
Cloud Pricing
As of Mar 2025, both services provide a free tier with limits. For example, 1-2 projects, limited bandwidth, and the amount of concurrent users, etc. You can check the latest pricing from the above links. Currently, beyond the free tier, Supabase starts at $25 /month, and Appwrite starts at $15 / month.
User Interface
Appwrite
- Lesser panel items, more clean overview.
Supabase
- More options, but looks a bit complicated.
Self Hosting
Both are easy to deploy. However, the self-host version of Supabase is fairly limited, and it is a skimmed-down version of their cloud version. Unlike Appwrite, where you can get everything from the self-host version. Here are some issues I encountered for self-hosting Supabase:
- Supabase self-host version only allows one project per instance; it is different from the cloud version you use via their platform, where you can create lots of projects.
- I was trying to find and modify the URL redirect for authentication, but the button is not there in the menu like it is on the cloud version. So I visited the cloud server, headed to the page, copied the link, and changed it to go to my instance. Then, I could see the options, but I was not able to modify it. I guess it is one of the limits of the skimmed-down version.
- Documentation is mostly for the cloud version, and it can’t apply to the self-host version smoothly. It is because certain settings and options are missing.
Appwrite, on the other hand, I got it running very quickly. And I found the documentation is easy to follow.
Offline Sync
If your app is not only limited to a website, chances are you’ll need to manage offline sync at some point. In this regard, Supabase is easier to manage as there are libraries and third-party services you can use with. Options like Powersync and Brick are common. For Appwrite, you’ll need to write your own sync logic, as I couldn’t find any easy-to-use library to manage offline syncing.
Final Note
I’m using self-hosted Appwrite at the moment because:
- One instance, multiple projects – I can toy with lots of projects without worrying about limits and bills
- Fully featured – No difference to cloud version (I think? At least I haven’t encounter anything I need that wasn’t there)
- Easy to follow documentation
- Supabase seems to push you to use their cloud plan by skimming down lots of features, and I don’t like that
- Trying out NoSQL – I have projects using Supabase cloud version and it’s good. But eventually I’ll need a self host alternative, right now Appwrite seems to provide a better offer.
If you don’t mind paying, Supabase is great. If you want to get your hands dirty or more familiar with NoSQL, self-hosting Appwrite is fun enough.
Reference:
This reddit post while I was researching.
