Alternatives / Fauna
Looking for an open source Fauna alternative? We compared 5 open source databases and backend platforms by license, scaling, real-time features, and maintenance. Supabase and TiDB are SQL options, while Convex and Instant are reactive databases for real-time apps.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Postgres backend with auth and realtime | Apache-2.0 |
| TiDB | MySQL-compatible distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 |
| Convex | Reactive TypeScript backend | FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 (source available) |
| Instant | Offline-capable real-time database | Apache-2.0 |
| OceanBase | Distributed MySQL/Oracle-compatible database | Apache-2.0 |
We looked for open-source databases and backends that can replace a serverless, globally distributed database like Fauna. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Convex is a reactive database where backend code is written in TypeScript, with real-time sync, built-in auth, and cron jobs. Instant is a database for real-time, offline-capable apps with optimistic updates and multiplayer features.
Supabase is a Postgres-based backend with auth, auto-generated APIs, realtime, storage, and edge functions. TiDB is a distributed MySQL-compatible database with horizontal scaling, and OceanBase is a distributed relational database with MySQL and Oracle compatibility.
Convex uses the Functional Source License (FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0), which is source available and converts to Apache-2.0 later, so it is not OSI open source today.
Supabase, TiDB, Instant, and OceanBase are Apache-2.0. Convex is FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0.
All five had commits within days or weeks of this update.
Fauna announced the shutdown of its service in 2025, so teams had to move their data and queries elsewhere. The alternatives here use standard SQL or documented reactive APIs and can be self-hosted, which lowers the risk of losing a vendor-specific service.
Supabase is an open-source backend platform built on Postgres, with authentication, auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, realtime subscriptions, file storage, edge functions, and vector search, and a dashboard for managing it all. It is Apache-2.0 and can be self-hosted with Docker, with the hosted Supabase platform offered as a paid service.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; hosted plans have a free tier and paid plans.
TiDB is a distributed SQL database combining OLTP and OLAP with horizontal scalability, high availability, strong consistency, MySQL compatibility, and a cloud-native architecture, for large-scale e-commerce, financial services, and IoT data.
Pricing: Free open source; managed TiDB Cloud is paid.
Convex is a reactive database and backend where queries and server functions are written in TypeScript and clients stay in sync automatically, with built-in authentication integrations, scheduled functions, file storage, and vector search. The backend is source available under the Functional Source License (FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0), which converts to Apache-2.0 after two years, and it can be self-hosted with a dashboard and CLI.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; Convex Cloud has a free tier and paid plans.
Instant is an Apache-2.0 realtime backend with a reactive database, authentication, permissions, file storage, presence, streams, offline caching, optimistic updates, and relational queries.
Pricing: Free and self-hostable under Apache-2.0; hosted services may be paid.
OceanBase is a distributed relational database supporting OLTP, OLAP, and hybrid workloads with Multi-Paxos consensus, petabyte scalability, MySQL and Oracle protocol compatibility, real-time analytics, and multi-tenancy.
Pricing: Free open source; commercial editions and cloud are paid.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Backend platform | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Full backends |
| TiDB | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Horizontal scaling |
| Convex | Reactive database | FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 | Yes | Real-time apps |
| Instant | Backend platform | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Collaborative apps |
| OceanBase | Distributed SQL | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Large OLTP and OLAP |
Want reactive queries in TypeScript
Convex gives real-time sync and TypeScript backend functions, under a source-available license.
Want a standard SQL backend
Supabase adds auth, APIs, realtime, and storage to Postgres.
Want collaborative offline-first apps
Instant has optimistic updates, offline mode, and multiplayer features.
Want horizontal scaling with MySQL
TiDB scales out and stays MySQL compatible.