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Dev Toolsdocker-ready1-click-deploypermissive-licenseOpen-Core🟡 Standard · ~1GB

Hasura: Open-Core alternative to Firebase in 2026

Hasura instantly generates a realtime GraphQL and REST API from your PostgreSQL database, with granular permissions, as an alternative to Firebase or AWS AppSync.

Core is open source, but advanced features or enterprise support may be behind a paid tier — check the license.

Alternative to FirebaseAlternative to AWS AppSync
License Apache-2.032.1k starsWebsite GitHub Repository

Audit Snapshot

View notes →

  • License — Matches GitHub

  • GitHub — Active

  • Latest release — v2.50.3 · 1 month ago

  • Docker Compose — Partial

  • Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack

Hasura vs. Firebase

Pros

  • No need to write resolvers by hand

Things to consider

  • Mainly built for PostgreSQL/a few other databases, not NoSQL

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: the core is free to self-host on your own server — no more monthly SaaS fee, though some advanced features stay behind a paid plan.
docker-compose.yml
version: "3.9"
services:
  hasura:
    image: hasura/graphql-engine:v2.51.0.cli-migrations-v2.ubuntu
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      - HASURA_GRAPHQL_DATABASE_URL=postgres://hasura:change-me-postgres-password@hasura-db:5432/hasura # password must match the canonical db password below
      - HASURA_GRAPHQL_ADMIN_SECRET=change-me-super-secret
    depends_on:
      - hasura-db
  hasura-db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=hasura
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=change-me-postgres-password # REQUIRED: generate a random secret before first run
      - POSTGRES_DB=hasura
    volumes:
      - hasura_pg_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  hasura_pg_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=hasura" -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 1 day ago.

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

Technical profile

License
Apache-2.0
Category
Dev Tools
Replaces
Firebase, AWS AppSync
Tech stack
HaskellPostgreSQL

Under the hood

Database

PostgreSQL

Language

Haskell

Platforms

Web

Key features

  • Instant GraphQL and REST over PostgreSQL
  • Realtime subscriptions
  • Row-level permissions

Frequently asked questions

What is Hasura?

An engine (Apache-2.0 license) that instantly generates a real-time GraphQL and REST API from your PostgreSQL database, with granular row-level permissions — an alternative to Firebase or AWS AppSync.

Is Hasura actually free?

The engine (Community Edition) is Apache-2.0 and self-hosts for free. It's Open-Core: Hasura Cloud is the paid managed plan, optional and not required to run it yourself.

Does Hasura work with NoSQL databases?

It's built primarily for PostgreSQL and a few other relational databases, not NoSQL — already noted honestly on its page.

Preview

Hasura interface preview

Public image provided by Hasura 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:8080
}

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