appwrite vs parse-server
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
parse-server
Node.js backend with REST and GraphQL APIs on MongoDB or PostgreSQL
Verdict
appwrite ranks higher, 93 to 67. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, appwrite leads on 4, parse-server on none and 1 is even.
- Adoptionappwrite leads by 39 points, 86 to 47: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenanceappwrite leads by 13 points, 91 to 78.
- Easy to runappwrite leads by 33 points, 100 to 67: a wide gap.
- Agent-readyappwrite leads by 70 points, 70 to 0: 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 parse-server if you are
Developers self-hosting a REST/GraphQL backend for mobile and web apps
- Runs standalone or embedded in an existing Express app
- Supports both MongoDB (7, 8) and PostgreSQL (16-18) with PostGIS
| What we compare | appwrite | parse-server |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 86, widely used | 47, known |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 91, healthy | 78, fair |
| Easy to run | 100, very easy | 67, easy |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 0, none |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 57.7k | 21.4k |
| License | BSD-3-Clause (permissive) | Apache-2.0 (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| 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
parse-server
Parse Server is a self-hosted backend that runs on Node.js, either standalone via the parse-server CLI or mounted on an Express app. It exposes REST and GraphQL APIs backed by MongoDB or PostgreSQL (with PostGIS), and adds Cloud Code, Live Query, push notifications, file adapters and per-key access scopes. Official Parse SDKs cover the major client platforms.
Who it is for: Developers self-hosting a REST/GraphQL backend for mobile and web apps
Strengths
- Runs standalone or embedded in an existing Express app
- Supports both MongoDB (7, 8) and PostgreSQL (16-18) with PostGIS
- Includes Cloud Code, Live Query, GraphQL, push and pluggable file storage adapters
- Fine-grained access scopes: master, read-only master, session and maintenance keys
Weaknesses
- No built-in admin UI in this repo; a separate dashboard project is needed
- Requires you to provision and operate your own MongoDB or PostgreSQL
- Docker image must be built from the repo; README shows no prebuilt image or compose file
- Node.js version support is tied to specific majors and shifts with each release
- no GPU
- Docker
- Needs Node.js 20, 22 or 24, MongoDB 7/8 or PostgreSQL 16-18 with PostGIS
- port 1337
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