Free Back4app alternatives

Top Backend as a Service like Back4app

Updated Oct 12, 2026

The most popular alternative to Back4app is Firebase, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Back4app are Supabase, Appwrite, AWS Amplify, and Nhost.

Most alternatives to Back4app are in the Backend as a Service category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Back4app alternatives

All Free Open source

8 apps

Firebase
Firebase is Google's platform for building web and mobile apps without running your own servers. It provides Cloud Firestore and the Realtime Database, authentication, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, hosting, analytics, crash reporting and push messaging, with SDKs for iOS, Android, web, Flutter and Unity, plus Gemini-based AI features. A free Spark plan suits prototypes, with usage-based billing beyond it.
8 Firebase alternatives
Pros
Complete toolkit from auth and databases to hosting and crash reports
Mature SDKs for iOS, Android, web, Flutter and Unity
The free Spark plan is enough for prototypes
Cons
Usage-based billing can spike unexpectedly with traffic or inefficient queries
Firestore’s NoSQL model makes complex queries and reporting awkward
Strong lock-in to Google Cloud services
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Backend as a Service Hosting & Deployment
Platforms
Web
Features
Analytics File storage Realtime database Serverless functions User authentication
Visit website More about Firebase
Supabase
111.4Kstars
Supabase is an open source backend platform built on Postgres. Each project gets a full Postgres database with auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, edge functions and vector support for AI applications. It can be used as a hosted service with a free tier or self-hosted with Docker, and appeals to developers who want SQL rather than a NoSQL backend.
8 Supabase alternatives
Pros
Full Postgres database with SQL, extensions and row-level security
Auto-generated APIs, auth, storage and realtime in one platform
Open source and self-hostable with Docker
Cons
Free-tier projects are paused after a period of inactivity
Self-hosting is more involved to set up than the managed service
Row-level security policies take time to get right
Cost / License
FreemiumOpen source
Categories
Backend as a Service
Platforms
Web Self-hosted
Features
API access Built-in database File storage Realtime database Serverless functions User authentication
Visit website More about Supabase
Appwrite
57.6Kstars
Appwrite is an open source backend server that bundles authentication, databases, file storage, serverless functions, messaging and realtime events behind one consistent API, with SDKs for web, mobile and Flutter. Since 2025 it also hosts websites and web apps through Appwrite Sites. It can be self-hosted with Docker or used through Appwrite Cloud, which has a free plan.
8 Appwrite alternatives
Pros
Auth, database, storage, functions and messaging behind one API
Open source and straightforward to self-host with Docker
SDKs for web, mobile and Flutter apps
Cons
Database queries are more limited than raw SQL
Self-hosted upgrades between versions can require careful migrations
Cost / License
FreemiumOpen source
Categories
Backend as a Service Hosting & Deployment
Platforms
Web Self-hosted
Features
Built-in database File storage Realtime database Serverless functions User authentication
Visit website More about Appwrite
AWS Amplify
AWS Amplify is a set of tools and services from Amazon Web Services for building full-stack web and mobile apps. Amplify Hosting deploys frontends from Git with pull request previews and custom domains, while the backend side sets up authentication, data, storage and functions on AWS services, defined in TypeScript code. Its open source client libraries cover JavaScript, React Native, Swift, Android and Flutter.
12 AWS Amplify alternatives
Pros
Git-based hosting with pull request previews and custom domains
Sets up auth, data, storage and functions on AWS from TypeScript code
Client libraries for JavaScript, React Native, Swift, Android and Flutter
Cons
Ties your backend closely to AWS services
Debugging often means digging into the underlying AWS consoles
Usage-based AWS billing can be hard to predict
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Hosting & Deployment Backend as a Service
Platforms
Web
Features
Built-in database Custom domains File storage Git integration Preview deployments Serverless functions
Visit website More about AWS Amplify
Nhost
9.4Kstars
Nhost is an open source backend platform that combines a dedicated Postgres database, an instant GraphQL API powered by Hasura with realtime subscriptions, authentication, file storage and serverless functions. It also offers AI tooling such as vector embeddings. Projects run on Nhost Cloud, which has a free starter plan, or can be self-hosted, and a CLI supports local development.
8 Nhost alternatives
Pros
Dedicated Postgres database for each project
Instant GraphQL API with realtime subscriptions through Hasura
Open source, with a CLI for local development and self-hosting
Cons
GraphQL-first approach adds a learning curve for REST-oriented teams
Smaller community and ecosystem than Supabase or Firebase
Cost / License
FreemiumOpen source
Categories
Backend as a Service
Platforms
Web Self-hosted
Features
API access Built-in database File storage Realtime database Serverless functions User authentication
Visit website More about Nhost
PocketBase
61.4Kstars
PocketBase is an open source backend that ships as a single Go executable with an embedded SQLite database. It provides realtime subscriptions, user authentication including OAuth2, file storage and an admin dashboard, and can be extended in Go or JavaScript. It suits small projects and prototypes that need a backend running in minutes. It has not reached version 1.0, so breaking changes can still happen.
7 PocketBase alternatives
Pros
The whole backend ships as one executable that runs in minutes
Embedded SQLite with realtime, auth and an admin dashboard
Can be extended in Go or JavaScript
Cons
Not yet at version 1.0, so breaking changes can still happen
Single-server SQLite design limits horizontal scaling
No official managed hosting, so you run and back up the server yourself
Cost / License
FreeOpen source
Categories
Backend as a Service
Platforms
Self-hosted
Features
API access Built-in database File storage Realtime database User authentication
Visit website More about PocketBase
Convex
12.7Kstars
Convex is a backend platform for app developers in which the database schema, queries, mutations and server functions are all written in TypeScript. Queries are reactive, so connected clients update automatically when data changes, with no manual caching. It also includes file storage, scheduled jobs, search and authentication. Convex Cloud has a free tier, and the backend can be self-hosted under the FSL license.
8 Convex alternatives
Pros
Schema, queries and functions are all written in TypeScript
Reactive queries update clients automatically, with no caching code
Scheduled jobs, search, file storage and auth included
Cons
Its own data model differs from SQL, which makes migrating away harder
The FSL license is source available, not open source
TypeScript-centric, less suited to teams using other backend languages
Cost / License
FreemiumSource available
Categories
Backend as a Service
Platforms
Web Self-hosted
Features
Built-in database File storage Realtime database Serverless functions User authentication
Visit website More about Convex
Xata
1.1Kstars
Xata is a Postgres platform built around copy-on-write branching, which lets teams create full copies of large databases in seconds for previews, testing and development. It adds scale-to-zero compute, data anonymization and zero-downtime schema migrations. The platform is open source under Apache-2.0 for self-hosting on Kubernetes, and is also available as the managed Xata Cloud with a free trial.
8 Xata alternatives
Pros
Copy-on-write branches clone large databases in seconds
Built-in data anonymization for safer test environments
Zero-downtime schema migrations and scale-to-zero compute
Cons
Self-hosting requires Kubernetes, which is heavy for small teams
Focused on Postgres, without the auth or file storage of a full backend
The cloud offers a free trial rather than a permanent free tier
Cost / License
FreemiumOpen source
Categories
Backend as a Service
Platforms
Web Self-hosted
Features
API access Built-in database Preview deployments
Visit website More about Xata

Back4app vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Back4app, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Back4app vs its alternatives at a glance
App	Pricing	Platforms
Back4app	Freemium	Web
Firebase	Freemium	Web
Supabase	FreemiumOpen source	Web, Self-hosted
Appwrite	FreemiumOpen source	Web, Self-hosted
AWS Amplify	Freemium	Web
Nhost	FreemiumOpen source	Web, Self-hosted

Back4app alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Back4app?

The most popular alternative to Back4app is Firebase: Google's app platform with databases, authentication and hosting. Other great alternatives are Supabase, Appwrite, AWS Amplify, and Nhost.