Neon vs Appwrite
Updated . Stats refresh daily.
Short answer: Choose based on cloud database vs self-hosted platform needs.
At a glance
| Attribute | Neon | Appwrite |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Main job | Serverless Postgres | Open Source BaaS |
| GitHub stars | 23,133 | 57,482 |
| npm downloads a week | 4.4M | 50.5k |
| Latest release | release-proxy-8853, 1 year ago | 2.3.0, 3 days ago |
| Founded | 2021 | 2019 |
| Hosting | Cloud (managed) | Self-hosted (Docker) |
| Database Engine | PostgreSQL | MariaDB (MySQL-compatible) |
| Open Source | No (proprietary) | Yes (BSD license) |
| Built-in Auth | No | Yes (Appwrite Auth) |
| File Storage | No | Yes (Appwrite Storage) |
| Functions | No | Yes (Cloud Functions) |
| Realtime | No (use extension) | Yes (WebSocket subscriptions) |
| Admin Dashboard | Neon Console | Appwrite Console |
| Branching | Yes (database branches) | No |
| Pricing | $19/mo (Launch) | $10-50/mo (VPS + resources) |
Key differences
Product Scope
Neon is pure serverless database (PostgreSQL only, no backend features). Appwrite is complete Backend-as-a-Service (database + auth + storage + functions + more). Neon is database-focused; Appwrite is full platform.
Hosting Model
Neon is cloud-managed (Google Cloud/AWS hosting). Appwrite is self-hosted open source (you run Docker containers on your server). Neon is SaaS; Appwrite is self-managed.
Database Engine
Neon uses PostgreSQL (advanced relational SQL database). Appwrite uses MariaDB (MySQL-compatible relational database). Both SQL; different engines.
Pricing
Neon
Free: 0.5GB storage. Launch: $19/mo for 10GB. Database-only cost—add auth/backend separately. Fully managed, predictable pricing.
Appwrite
Free software (open source). Hosting: $10-50/mo for VPS with Docker. Complete backend included. One-time infrastructure cost.
Prices change often. Check each vendor's pricing page before you commit.
Strengths and weaknesses
Neon
Strengths
- Fully managed (zero maintenance)
- PostgreSQL (most advanced SQL features)
- Database branching (git-like workflow)
- Scale-to-zero (cost-effective)
Weaknesses
- Database only (no auth, storage, functions)
- Proprietary (vendor lock-in)
- Requires building backend separately
- Higher total cost with backend services
Appwrite
Strengths
- Complete BaaS (database + auth + storage + functions)
- Open source (full control, no lock-in)
- Self-hosted (own your infrastructure)
- All backend services included
Weaknesses
- Self-hosted (you manage Docker containers)
- MariaDB (less advanced than PostgreSQL)
- No database branching
- More complex setup and maintenance
Which should you choose?
Choose Neon if
- You want a managed cloud database (zero maintenance).
- PostgreSQL's advanced features are critical.
- Database branching workflow is valuable.
- You're building backend with preferred framework.
Choose Appwrite if
- You want a complete self-hosted backend platform.
- Open source with full control matters.
- You need auth + storage + functions + database together.
- You're comfortable managing Docker infrastructure.
Questions
Is Appwrite's MariaDB as good as Neon's Postgres?
MariaDB is MySQL-compatible and good, but PostgreSQL is generally more advanced (better JSON, extensions, features). For most apps, both work fine.
How hard is it to self-host Appwrite?
Moderate difficulty. Requires Docker, Docker Compose, and managing multiple containers. More complex than Pocketbase (single binary) but well-documented. Takes 15-30 minutes to set up.
Which gives me a complete backend faster?
Appwrite—it includes database, auth, storage, and functions out of the box. With Neon, you'd need to add auth (Clerk, Auth0), storage (S3), etc. separately.
Can I use Neon with Appwrite?
Not easily—Appwrite uses its own MariaDB. You'd need to heavily customize. Better to choose one: Neon for database-only, Appwrite for full backend.
Which is more affordable?
Depends. Appwrite self-hosted can be $10-30/mo total. Neon is $19/mo + auth/storage costs. If you need full backend, Appwrite is often cheaper if you can self-host.