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Appwrite: Open Source alternative to Firebase in 2026

Appwrite is a backend-as-a-service platform with SDKs for every popular framework, covering auth, databases, storage, functions and messaging, with a strong focus on developer experience.

Alternative to Firebase
License BSD-3-Clause57.7k starsWebsite GitHub Repository

Audit Snapshot

View notes →

  • License — Matches GitHub

  • GitHub — Active

  • Latest release — 2.5.0 · today

  • Docker Compose — Verified

  • Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack

Appwrite vs. Firebase

Pros

  • Carefully crafted cross-platform developer experience

Things to consider

  • Stack with several internal containers, heavier to audit

Quick Docker installation guide

Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →

💡 Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?

  • On the official cloud: a recurring monthly fee and usage limits on Firebase.
  • On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
docker-compose.yml
version: "3.9"
services:
  appwrite:
    image: appwrite/appwrite:1.9.5
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    environment:
      - _APP_ENV=production
      - _APP_OPENSSL_KEY_V1=change-me-super-secret
      - _APP_DB_HOST=mariadb
      - _APP_REDIS_HOST=redis
    depends_on:
      - mariadb
      - redis
  mariadb:
    image: mariadb:11
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=change-me-mysql-root-password # REQUIRED: generate a random secret before first run
    volumes:
      - appwrite_mariadb_data:/var/lib/mysql
  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
  appwrite_mariadb_data:

🚀 Deploy in 1 command

Recommended for beginners

Copy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything — no nano, no pasting code blocks.

curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=appwrite" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.sh
See what this script does →

This docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project — last commit today.

This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub →

Technical profile

License
BSD-3-Clause
Category
Dev Tools
Replaces
Firebase
Tech stack
PHPMariaDBRedis

Under the hood

Database

MariaDB

Language

PHP

Platforms

Web

Key features

  • SDKs for Flutter, Swift, Android, Web and more
  • Serverless functions in multiple runtimes
  • Very complete control panel

Frequently asked questions

What is Appwrite?

A backend-as-a-service platform (BSD-3-Clause license) with SDKs for all popular frameworks, covering auth, databases, storage, serverless functions, and messaging — a Firebase alternative focused on developer experience.

Appwrite vs PocketBase: which should you pick?

Appwrite is a full BaaS with messaging, multiple function runtimes, and a very complete dashboard, at the cost of a multi-container stack (MariaDB + Redis) that's heavier to audit. PocketBase is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite — much simpler to deploy, built for small projects or MVPs.

Is Appwrite's Docker image reliable?

Yes — it's marked `VERIFIED_PINNED` in our deployment audit: a version-pinned, verified image, not a floating tag.

Preview

Appwrite interface preview

Public image provided by Appwrite on its own website.

💾 Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)

As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update — that's the only thing you need to back up.

1. Create a compressed backup on the server

tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data

2. Download it to your computer

From your computer's terminal (not your server's):

scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./

3. Restore in case of emergency

tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz
🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL

Step 1 — Set up the DNS

In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:

Type
A
Name/Host
@ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
Content/Value
Your server's public IP

Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.

Step 2 — Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy

One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates — Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.

Create a file called Caddyfile:

yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:80
}

Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy