Overview
Appwrite is an open-source backend-as-a-service. One project gives you a database, user authentication (email, OAuth, magic links, OTP, teams), file storage with image transformations, serverless functions, messaging (email, SMS, push) and site hosting, all reached through Appwrite's SDKs or REST API. Appwrite Cloud hosts it for you in six regions, including Frankfurt; the same code can be self-hosted with Docker.
The default database, TablesDB, is serverless and billed on reads and writes against a plan quota. Since the dedicated database option arrived, Pro projects can also run a dedicated PostgreSQL, MySQL, document or vector database with reserved CPU and memory, from $10/mo for a Micro tier, with optional HA replicas and point-in-time recovery.
The Free plan covers two projects with modest quotas and no backups, and since February 2026 free projects pause after seven days without development activity, so it suits prototypes rather than live apps. Pro costs $25/mo per project (the price rose from $15 when Appwrite moved to per-project pricing in September 2025) and includes 2 TB of bandwidth, 150 GB of storage, 200,000 monthly active users and daily backups kept for seven days, with budget caps to limit overage.
Pricing and plans
checked 28 Sept 2026Free tier
Free plan: 2 projects with shared resources, 1 database per project, 500K reads and 250K writes a month, 2 GB storage, 5 GB bandwidth, 75,000 monthly active users, 750K function executions; no backups; projects pause after 7 days without development activity.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 projects (shared resources), 500K reads / 250K writes, 2 GB storage, 5 GB bandwidth, 75K MAU, 1 hour of logs |
| Pro | $25/mo | Per project: 1.75M reads / 750K writes, 150 GB storage, 2 TB bandwidth, 200K MAU, 3.5M executions, daily backups kept 7 days, budget caps; extra projects $15 |
| Dedicated database Micro | $10/mo | Pro add-on per database: 2 shared cores, 1 GB RAM; PostgreSQL, MySQL, DocumentsDB, VectorsDB or TablesDB |
| Dedicated database Large | $110/mo | 2 dedicated cores, 8 GB RAM; tiers run up to 4XL (16 cores, 64 GB) at $960/mo; HA replicas +50%, PITR +20% |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom limits, WAF, dedicated success manager |
What it does
- All-in-one backend
- Database, auth, storage, functions, messaging, realtime and site hosting under one project and SDK.
- Serverless TablesDB
- The default database is billed on reads and writes, with a free quota and overage on Pro.
- Dedicated databases
- Pro projects can add PostgreSQL, MySQL, DocumentsDB or VectorsDB on reserved compute from $10/mo, with HA replicas and PITR as options.
- Built-in authentication
- Email/password, OAuth providers, magic links, OTP and teams; 75,000 MAU free and 200,000 on Pro.
- Regions with data residency
- Projects are created in Frankfurt, New York, Sydney, San Francisco, Singapore or Toronto, and data stays in that region.
- Open source and self-hosting
- The Appwrite server is open source and can run on your own infrastructure; migrations move projects between self-hosted and Cloud.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Database, auth, storage, functions and hosting in one product
- Open source, so you can self-host or leave Cloud
- Generous free auth allowance (75,000 MAU)
- Budget caps on Pro to prevent surprise bills
- EU region in Frankfurt
Limitations
- Free projects pause after 7 days without development activity and have no backups
- Free plan limited to 2 projects and 1 database per project
- Pro is priced per project ($25 plus $15 per extra project), which adds up for many small apps
- A project's region cannot be switched in place; moving requires a migration to a new project
- Dedicated PostgreSQL or MySQL costs extra on top of the Pro plan
Who it suits
Good for
- Mobile and web apps that want auth, database and storage from one vendor
- Flutter, React Native and web developers who prefer SDKs over writing a backend
- Teams that want an open-source backend they could self-host later
Look elsewhere if
- Always-on hobby apps on the free plan, because of inactivity pausing
- Teams that only need a plain managed PostgreSQL database
Pricing history
-
Free projects pause after 7 idle days
Announced 2026-02-20: free projects with no development activity for 7 days in a row are paused automatically; data is kept and projects can be reactivated. Source ↗
-
Appwrite Pro rises from $15 to $25, priced per project
Effective 2025-09-01 (announced 2025-08-08): Pro went from $15 to $25/mo, per-seat pricing became per-project ($15 per extra project), and included bandwidth rose from 300 GB to 2 TB. Source ↗
Alternatives to Appwrite Cloud
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firebase Backend platform with document and realtime databases | Usage-based | Free tier | |
| Nhost Postgres + GraphQL backend platform | $25/mo | Free tier | |
| Nile Serverless PostgreSQL for multi-tenant SaaS | $15/mo | Free tier | |
| Supabase Managed Postgres backend platform | $25/mo | Free tier | |
| Aiven Managed open-source data platform (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Valkey, OpenSearch, ClickHouse) | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| Cloudflare D1 Serverless SQLite database | $5/mo | Free tier |
Questions
Is Appwrite Cloud free?
There is a Free plan with 2 projects, 2 GB storage, 5 GB bandwidth and 75,000 monthly active users, but projects pause after 7 days without development activity.
How much does Appwrite Pro cost?
$25 per month per project, plus $15 for each additional project and usage beyond the included quotas.
Can Appwrite run PostgreSQL?
Yes. Pro projects can add a dedicated PostgreSQL or MySQL database from $10/mo per database, alongside the default serverless TablesDB.
Does Appwrite back up my data?
Pro includes daily backups kept for 7 days; the Free plan has no backups. Dedicated databases can add point-in-time recovery for 20% of the tier price.
Can I self-host Appwrite?
Yes. Appwrite is open source and can be self-hosted; its migration tool moves projects between instances.
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