appwrite vs graphql-engine
Two of the top projects in Backends and databases, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
appwrite
Self-hostable backend with auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging and hosting
graphql-engine
GraphQL API layer over Postgres, MongoDB, ClickHouse and SQL Server
Verdict
appwrite ranks higher, 93 to 65. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, appwrite leads on 4, graphql-engine on none and 1 is even.
- Adoptionappwrite leads by 19 points, 86 to 67: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenanceappwrite leads by 9 points, 91 to 82.
- Easy to runappwrite leads by 67 points, 100 to 33: a wide gap.
- Agent-readyappwrite leads by 40 points, 70 to 30: a wide gap.
Pick appwrite if you are
Developers who want a self-hosted or managed backend for web and mobile apps
- One Docker-based installer sets up the full stack, with Compose and env files also published
- SDKs for 6 client and 10 server platforms, plus REST, GraphQL and Realtime APIs
Pick graphql-engine if you are
Teams exposing existing databases as a GraphQL API for apps
- Supports PostgreSQL, MongoDB, ClickHouse and MS SQL Server as data sources
- Connector SDKs in TypeScript, Python and Go for custom logic
| What we compare | appwrite | graphql-engine |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 86, widely used | 67, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 91, healthy | 82, healthy |
| Easy to run | 100, very easy | 33, some setup |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 30, minimal |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 57.7k | 32.1k |
| License | BSD-3-Clause (permissive) | Apache-2.0 (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Oct 2026 | Sep 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Docker | Yes | Yes |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Mentioned | Not stated |
appwrite
Appwrite is a backend platform that bundles Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Sites, Messaging, Realtime and a Firewall behind REST, GraphQL and WebSocket APIs. It runs as a managed cloud or self-hosted via a Docker installer, and offers a hosted MCP server so coding agents can operate on a live project. Client and server SDKs cover Web, Flutter, Apple, Android, React Native, Unity, Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, Rust and others.
Who it is for: Developers who want a self-hosted or managed backend for web and mobile apps
Strengths
- One Docker-based installer sets up the full stack, with Compose and env files also published
- SDKs for 6 client and 10 server platforms, plus REST, GraphQL and Realtime APIs
- Hosted MCP server uses OAuth, so no API keys are needed on Cloud
- Same product runs on managed Cloud or on your own infrastructure
Weaknesses
- Installer needs access to the Docker socket on the host
- Self-hosted instances must use a separate local MCP server, not the hosted one
- Hybrid monolith-plus-workers architecture means many services to operate
- RAM and CPU requirements are not stated in the README
- no GPU
- Docker + Compose
- Needs Docker
- port 20080
graphql-engine
Hasura GraphQL Engine exposes data from PostgreSQL and its flavors, MongoDB, ClickHouse and MS SQL Server through a single GraphQL endpoint. Custom business logic can be added with TypeScript, Python and Go connector SDKs. The repo is a mono-repo holding the V3 engine (which powers Hasura DDN) and the stable V2 engine, with all data connectors open source.
Who it is for: Teams exposing existing databases as a GraphQL API for apps
Strengths
- Supports PostgreSQL, MongoDB, ClickHouse and MS SQL Server as data sources
- Connector SDKs in TypeScript, Python and Go for custom logic
- Core engines and data connectors are Apache-2.0 licensed
- V2 remains available as the current stable version
Weaknesses
- Large mono-repo with long history; README recommends shallow or sparse clones
- V2 and V3 are separate codebases with separate docs
- V3 is documented around the hosted Hasura DDN workflow
- README lists no RAM, port or AI model details
- no GPU
- Compose
- Needs PostgreSQL, MongoDB, ClickHouse, MS SQL Server
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