Indie Alternatives

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Indie alternatives to Firebase

5 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Firebase does, 5 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

ProductPriceOpen sourceSelf-hostPlatforms
PocketBaseFreeYesYesSelf-hosted
AppwriteFree planYesYesWeb, API, Self-hosted
ConvexFree plan–YesWeb, API, Self-hosted
NhostFree planYesYesWeb, API, Self-hosted
SupabaseFree planYesYesWeb, API, Self-hosted

The alternatives

1. PocketBase

Open-source backend in a single file

Open-source backend in one executable: database, auth, file storage and realtime API.

Free · Self-hosted · Website ↗

2. Appwrite

Open-source backend for web, mobile and Flutter apps

Appwrite provides auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging and hosting through one API, available as a cloud service or self-hosted.

Free plan · Web, API, Self-hosted · Website ↗

3. Convex

Reactive backend with a database, functions and sync in TypeScript

Convex is a backend platform where you write database queries and server functions in TypeScript and clients stay in sync automatically.

Free plan · Web, API, Self-hosted · Website ↗

4. Nhost

Postgres and GraphQL backend with auth and storage

Nhost is an open-source backend that combines Postgres, a Hasura GraphQL API, authentication, storage and serverless functions.

Free plan · Web, API, Self-hosted · Website ↗

5. Supabase

Open-source Postgres backend with auth, storage and realtime

Supabase gives developers a hosted Postgres database with authentication, file storage, edge functions and realtime APIs. It can also be self-hosted.

Free plan · Web, API, Self-hosted · Website ↗

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Firebase?

Yes. 5 of the 5 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: PocketBase, Appwrite, Convex, Nhost and 1 more.

Is there an open-source alternative to Firebase?

PocketBase, Appwrite, Nhost and Supabase are open source.

Can I self-host an alternative to Firebase?

Yes: PocketBase, Appwrite, Convex, Nhost and 1 more can run on your own server.

What makes these alternatives to Firebase “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Firebase.

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Related

Browse: Developer Tools · Databases · Self-Hosted

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