Alternatives / Firebase
Looking for an open source Firebase alternative? We compared 14 open source backends, databases, authentication systems, and realtime tools by license, self-hosting, features, and pricing. Only a few are full backend-as-a-service platforms like Firebase, and the rest cover one part of it, such as the database, authentication, or realtime messaging.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Closest full backend, built on Postgres | Apache-2.0 |
| PocketBase | Single-binary backend with SQLite | MIT |
| Appwrite | Full backend with hosting and functions | BSD-3-Clause |
| Turso | Embedded and per-tenant SQLite databases | MIT |
| ZITADEL | Identity and multi-tenant login | AGPL-3.0 with limited directory exceptions |
| Convex | Reactive TypeScript backend (source available) | FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 (source available) |
| Ory | Modular identity and access | Apache-2.0 core |
| Encore | Backends with infrastructure from code | MPL-2.0 |
| Instant | Realtime and offline-first apps | Apache-2.0 |
| Nhost | Postgres and GraphQL backend | MIT |
| Bknd | Lightweight embedded backend | Apache-2.0 |
| Soketi | Pusher-compatible WebSockets | AGPL-3.0 |
| undb | No-code database with APIs | AGPL-3.0 |
| Nitric | Multi-cloud infrastructure from code | Apache-2.0 |
We looked for open-source projects that replace part or all of what Firebase offers: a database, authentication, file storage, serverless functions, and realtime sync. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. Firebase is one bundled product, so we separate full backend platforms from tools that cover a single piece, and we flag source-available licenses and projects with slow maintenance. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Supabase, Appwrite, PocketBase, Nhost, and Convex are full backend platforms with a database and authentication, and most add storage and functions. Turso and undb are databases, Zitadel and Ory handle identity, Soketi handles realtime messaging, and Encore and Nitric are frameworks that provision cloud infrastructure from code. Instant and Bknd are lighter backends aimed at JavaScript applications.
Supabase is the closest: a Postgres database with authentication, auto-generated APIs, realtime subscriptions, storage, edge functions, and vector search. Appwrite is the nearest to Firebase's all-in-one console, adding hosting and messaging, and PocketBase is the simplest option, shipping as one executable with embedded SQLite.
Convex is licensed under the Functional Source License (FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0), which restricts competing commercial use and converts to Apache-2.0 after two years. It can be self-hosted, but it is not an OSI open-source license, so check the terms before building a product on it.
Supabase, Instant, Bknd, Ory (core), and Nitric are Apache-2.0. PocketBase, Nhost, and Turso are MIT, and Appwrite is BSD-3-Clause. Encore is MPL-2.0, and Zitadel, Soketi, and undb are AGPL-3.0, so modified network deployments must share their source. Ory has some enterprise features under commercial terms.
Firebase uses a document database, while Supabase, Nhost, and Turso use SQL, so moving data means redesigning your schema and queries. PocketBase and Appwrite offer document-style collections that map more easily, and Convex and Instant keep a reactive, client-synced model similar to Firestore listeners.
Most projects were updated within weeks of this update. Ory and Nitric are slower, with last commits in July 2026 and February 2026, and Soketi has had no release since March 2024 and no commit since March 2025, so check it before relying on it in production.
Firebase is a proprietary Google service with usage-based pricing that can grow quickly, a NoSQL data model that is hard to move away from, and no way to self-host it. Open-source alternatives let you run the backend on your own servers or any cloud, use SQL databases, avoid lock-in, and control costs, at the cost of operating the stack yourself or paying for a managed version.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Full BaaS (Postgres) | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Full-stack apps |
| PocketBase | Single-binary BaaS | MIT | Yes | Small projects |
| Appwrite | Full BaaS | BSD-3-Clause | Yes | Web and mobile apps |
| Turso | Database | MIT | Yes | Embedded databases |
| ZITADEL | Identity | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | B2B login and SSO |
| Convex | Reactive BaaS | FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 | Yes | TypeScript apps |
| Ory | Identity | Apache-2.0 core | Yes | Modular auth |
| Encore | Backend framework | MPL-2.0 | Yes | Go and TypeScript backends |
| Instant | Realtime BaaS | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Offline-first apps |
| Nhost | BaaS (Postgres, GraphQL) | MIT | Yes | GraphQL apps |
| Bknd | Embedded BaaS | Apache-2.0 | Yes | JavaScript frameworks |
| Soketi | WebSockets server | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Realtime messaging |
| undb | No-code database | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Airtable-style backends |
| Nitric | Infrastructure framework | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Multi-cloud apps |
Want the closest open-source Firebase replacement
Supabase offers Postgres, authentication, auto-generated APIs, realtime, storage, edge functions, and vector search, self-hosted or in its cloud.
Want the simplest self-hosted backend
PocketBase is one MIT-licensed executable with embedded SQLite, authentication, file storage, and realtime subscriptions.
Want an all-in-one console with hosting
Appwrite covers databases, authentication, storage, functions, messaging, and hosting under BSD-3-Clause.
Want real-time sync with TypeScript
Convex keeps clients in sync with reactive queries, but it is source available under the FSL rather than standard open source.
Want realtime and offline-first apps
Instant is an Apache-2.0 realtime backend with a reactive database, permissions, presence, and offline support.
Want a Postgres and GraphQL backend
Nhost combines PostgreSQL, Hasura GraphQL, authentication, storage, and serverless functions under MIT.
Need identity only, with enterprise features
Zitadel offers OIDC, SAML, SCIM, MFA, passkeys, and multi-tenancy, but it is AGPL-3.0.
Want modular authentication components
Ory provides Kratos for identity, Hydra for OAuth2, and Keto for permissions, with an Apache-2.0 core.
Want per-tenant or on-device databases
Turso is a SQLite-compatible database in Rust, but it does not include authentication or storage.
Want infrastructure provisioned from code
Encore provisions databases, queues, and cron jobs on AWS, GCP, or Azure from Go or TypeScript code.