Best Firebase Alternatives in 2026: Open-Source Backends and Hosted Options by Job

The closest Firebase alternatives are open-source backends that bundle a database, auth, file storage and functions in one product. Supabase is built on Postgres, Appwrite is an all-in-one platform you can run on your own server, and PocketBase is a single-file backend for small projects. If you only need to replace one Firebase service, such as sign-in or push notifications, a focused tool is often a better fit than a full backend.

Firebase is Google's backend platform for mobile and web apps, and it is closed source and hosted only. This guide sorts eleven alternatives by the part of Firebase they replace: the whole backend, authentication, serverless functions or messaging. For a head-to-head between the two best-known options, read Firebase vs Supabase.

Why people look for Firebase alternatives

Firebase bundles authentication, databases, hosting, messaging, analytics and crash reporting as a managed backend, and the same bundle explains most of the reasons teams look elsewhere:

• There is no self-hosted version. Enlisted lists Firebase as closed source and hosted only, so your data and backend logic stay on Google's infrastructure.
• Billing is usage-based once you grow. The Spark plan costs nothing within set limits, and the Blaze plan is pay as you go, billed per product beyond those limits. Firebase's Cloud Functions documentation says deploying functions requires Blaze, so a project with server-side code is on usage billing. See Firebase's own pricing page for the current terms.
• The default database is a document store. Cloud Firestore stores data in documents organised into collections, which is a different model from SQL tables and joins. Firebase now lists SQL Connect, a managed PostgreSQL service, as a separate product, but Firestore is still the usual starting point.
• Moving away takes real work. Firestore data, Security Rules and the client SDKs are specific to Firebase, so a backend switch changes more than a connection string.
• You may only need one piece. Many teams want just authentication, push notifications or crash reporting, and a focused tool can be simpler than a whole platform.

How we picked

A tool made this list if it replaces at least one job Firebase covers: the database and API layer, authentication, functions, hosting, or messaging. Open-source projects needed a clear licence, recent GitHub activity and a self-hosting route, and Enlisted notes the licence exactly as listed. A published pricing model is the reason hosted products are included. These products were not run for this guide; the descriptions rest on catalogue data and vendor documentation. See how Enlisted ranks tools.

Which part of Firebase are you replacing?

Firebase is several products behind one console, so the right alternative depends on which part you actually use:

If you use most of that list, pick a full backend from the first group of picks. If you use one or two rows, pair a smaller tool with your existing stack.

1. Supabase: best Postgres-based Firebase alternative

Supabase is an open-source backend platform built around a dedicated Postgres database, with authentication, file storage, serverless functions and realtime on top. Its stated aim is a developer experience similar to Firebase, assembled from open-source components, and the main difference is the data model: you work with SQL tables instead of Firestore documents.

APIs are generated from your schema as REST and GraphQL, realtime subscriptions run over websockets, and logic can live in database functions or in Edge Functions that run on Deno. Access control uses Postgres Row Level Security, where policies attached to a table decide which rows a user can read or change. Supabase's documentation recommends Docker for self-hosting, and it lists managed features that a self-hosted setup does not include, such as managed backups and point-in-time recovery.

• Best for: teams that want relational data and SQL, with the option to self-host later.
• Watch out for: if you self-host, you take on server upkeep, security and backups, and some managed-platform features are not part of the self-hosted stack.

2. Appwrite: best all-in-one platform you can self-host

Appwrite is an open-source backend platform that covers auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging, realtime and hosting, available as a managed cloud or self-hosted with Docker. Its service list, which also includes messaging and site hosting, is the closest match here to Firebase's all-in-one scope.

Auth supports email, SMS, OAuth, anonymous sessions and magic URLs. Databases can be modelled and queried through Appwrite or backed by managed PostgreSQL and MySQL, Functions run serverless code in isolated runtimes, and Messaging sends email, SMS and push notifications. Appwrite Sites deploys static, SSR and CSR front ends from Git, which covers the hosting job too. It is licensed under BSD-3-Clause.

• Best for: teams that want one self-hostable platform covering most of what Firebase does, including messaging and hosting.
• Watch out for: the number of services makes the self-hosted stack larger than a single-binary tool, so plan for upgrades and monitoring.

3. PocketBase: best lightweight backend for small projects

PocketBase is an open-source backend written in Go that ships as one executable with an embedded SQLite database, realtime subscriptions, user and file management and an admin dashboard. Where Firebase is a hosted platform, PocketBase is one file you download and run on a server of your choice.

You can use it as a standalone app or extend it as a Go library, and the prebuilt binaries include a JavaScript VM for scripting. Official SDKs exist for JavaScript and Dart, and it is MIT licensed. Enlisted lists no official hosted cloud, though PocketHost is a separate service that hosts PocketBase instances.

• Best for: prototypes, side projects and small internal apps that need auth, realtime data and files with almost no setup.
• Watch out for: PocketBase's own documentation says full backward compatibility is not guaranteed before v1.0.0 and that it is not recommended for production-critical applications unless you accept manual migration steps.

4. Nhost: best for GraphQL on Postgres

Nhost is an open-source backend platform positioned as a Firebase alternative with GraphQL, combining PostgreSQL, an instant GraphQL API through Hasura, an authentication service, storage and serverless functions. The GraphQL layer is the difference from Supabase, which generates REST and GraphQL.

Functions are written in Node.js, and a CLI creates a local development environment that follows database migrations and Hasura metadata. Nhost is frontend agnostic, with React, Next.js, Vue and Flutter named in its topics. It is MIT licensed and available hosted or self-hosted with Docker Compose.

• Best for: frontend teams that already like GraphQL and want a SQL database underneath.
• Watch out for: the stack is shaped around Hasura, so a team that prefers a REST-first workflow may find Supabase or Appwrite more natural.

5. Convex: best for live-updating TypeScript apps

Convex is an open-source reactive database and backend for web developers, with server functions written in TypeScript and queries that update live when data changes. It replaces both Firestore's realtime listeners and Cloud Functions with one model, instead of the SQL tables Supabase uses.

Business logic runs with strong consistency, and the product includes a dashboard and CLI. It runs as a cloud service with a free tier for small apps, and a self-hosted version is available through Docker or a binary. Enlisted lists the licence as Other, so read the repository's licence file before you commit.

• Best for: TypeScript teams building collaborative or real-time web apps.
• Watch out for: you query and write logic through Convex's own TypeScript API rather than SQL, so its code does not carry over to other backends unchanged.

6. Parse Server: best for existing Parse apps and MongoDB

Parse Server is an open-source backend for Node.js and Express, the maintained successor to the original hosted Parse platform. It provides REST and GraphQL APIs, Cloud Code for server logic and file storage, on MongoDB or PostgreSQL.

You can mount it inside an existing Express app or run it as a container, and client SDKs cover mobile and web. It is Apache-2.0 licensed. Enlisted lists no hosted version from the project itself, but Back4App is a commercial service that runs Parse Server on managed infrastructure.

• Best for: teams with an existing Parse codebase, or developers who want a Node.js backend on MongoDB.
• Watch out for: it is a framework you deploy and operate yourself, along with the MongoDB or PostgreSQL database it runs on.

7. Xano: best hosted no-code backend

Xano is a commercial no-code backend builder where you define data tables, design API endpoints in a visual editor and chain business logic from function steps. Firebase expects you to write functions in code. Xano is aimed at people who would rather build the API visually and have the vendor host and scale it.

It works with any web or mobile front end, which is why it is often paired with no-code interface builders. It is closed source, and its higher-tier custom plan includes self-hosting options according to the catalogue. There is a free development plan.

• Best for: founders and agencies who want a production API without writing server code.
• Watch out for: it is proprietary, so you trade one vendor for another and the visual logic is not portable as code.

8. Backendless: best for a visual backend with a self-managed option

Backendless is a commercial backend-as-a-service that combines a managed database, user and role management, file storage and ready-made APIs in one console. Its visual tools for backend logic and app screens are the main difference from Firebase, and custom code is available when the visual tools are not enough.

The hosted cloud has a free plan with all features, and a self-managed edition is available for teams that need to run it on their own infrastructure. SDKs cover common mobile and web platforms.

• Best for: startups and citizen developers who want to build the server side largely through a visual interface.
• Watch out for: it is closed source, so the self-managed edition is a vendor product rather than an open-source project you can inspect.

9. SuperTokens: best open-source replacement for Firebase Authentication

SuperTokens is an open-source authentication provider, positioned as an alternative to Auth0, Firebase Auth and AWS Cognito, that adds login and session management to an app you already have. It handles only auth, so it replaces one Firebase service rather than the whole platform.

It has a frontend SDK, a backend SDK and the SuperTokens Core, a Java HTTP service that holds the authentication logic. The feature list includes passwordless and social sign-in, email and phone with password, multi-factor authentication, multi-tenancy with enterprise SSO and a user dashboard. Self-hosting is free, and the managed cloud has a free tier. Enlisted lists the licence as Other, so check the terms. Ory Kratos is an Apache-2.0 alternative, and the Auth0 alternatives guide covers more.

• Best for: teams that keep their own database and backend but want to replace Firebase Authentication.
• Watch out for: you run a separate Core service, and it covers sign-in and sessions only, so you still need a database and backend for app data.

10. Novu: best open-source tool for product notifications

Novu is open-source communication infrastructure that connects your product to email, SMS, push, an in-app inbox and chat apps through one API. It works through provider integrations for each channel, so it acts as a workflow layer over the messaging jobs that Firebase Cloud Messaging and in-app messaging cover.

It supports notification workflows, digest batching and an embeddable inbox component. It is written in TypeScript, and GitHub lists the licence as Other. A free cloud plan exists, and its pricing page lists self-hosted deployment options under the Enterprise plan.

• Best for: product teams that want one place to define email, push and in-app notifications.
• Watch out for: self-hosting appears under the Enterprise plan, so check the repository and pricing page for what the open-source version includes.

11. OneSignal: best hosted service for push and in-app messages

OneSignal is a hosted messaging platform for mobile and web push, in-app messages, email and SMS, with SDKs that register devices and track engagement. It handles delivery for you, and marketing teams can segment audiences and schedule campaigns from a dashboard while developers trigger messages through an API.

It has a free plan across all channels, and paid plans add usage-based messaging fees. It is a commercial cloud service that you cannot self-host.

• Best for: teams that want campaign tools and analytics for push, not just delivery.
• Watch out for: it is closed source and hosted only, and paid usage fees scale with how many messages you send.

Other options worth a look

• Backend platforms: TrailBase is a single-executable backend on SQLite with auth and an admin UI, listed under the OSL-3.0 licence.
• Hosted databases: MongoDB Atlas runs MongoDB on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, and Amazon DynamoDB is a serverless key-value and document database. Both replace only the database part and need backend code around them.
• Auth: Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management server with single sign-on.
• Crash reporting: Measure is an open-source crash, ANR and performance monitor for Android, iOS, Flutter and React Native, positioned against Firebase Crashlytics.
• GraphQL and REST over a database: Hasura and Directus wrap an existing SQL database with APIs, and PostgREST turns PostgreSQL into a REST API.

Which Firebase alternative should you choose?

More Firebase alternatives are listed on Enlisted, and the backend-as-a-service category has the rest.

What to check before you migrate from Firebase

Moving a live app is mostly about three things. First, the data model: Firestore documents map awkwardly to SQL tables, so plan the schema before you export anything, or pick a document-style tool such as Parse Server on MongoDB if you want to keep the shape. Second, access rules: Firebase Security Rules do not translate directly, and the replacement might be Postgres Row Level Security in Supabase, permissions in Appwrite or logic in your own functions. Third, background logic: Cloud Functions are written in JavaScript, TypeScript or Python and can be triggered by Firestore, Auth and Storage events, so list which triggers your app relies on and confirm the new tool has an equivalent.

Move one feature first, such as authentication or file storage, and run the old and new systems side by side before you cut over. Teams that want to stay on a hosted product should compare how each vendor bills, because Firebase's per-product billing differs from the plan-based pricing of several alternatives.