Top pick · highest health
Appwrite
End to end backend server for web, native, and mobile developers 🚀.
Docker
Software Development - API Management
Open source alternatives to Firebase
We track 4 open-source Firebase alternatives, of which 4 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 4 ship a Docker image. Appwrite leads on health at 99/100 with 10001 commits in the last 90 days; across all 4 projects you are choosing between Apache-2.0, BSD-3-Clause, BUSL-1.1 and 1 other licences.
updated Oct 2026 4 alternatives best health 99 ★ 190k combined 10,361 commits / 90d 4 with Docker 1 archived
Top picks to replace Firebase
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Healthiest
Health 99/100: 10,001 commits in 90 days, latest release 2.6.2, Docker image available.
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Most starred
61,626 stars, the biggest community among Firebase alternatives.
Showing 4 of 4 tools
All 4 Firebase alternatives, ranked by health
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Directus
An Instant App & API for your SQL Database. Directus wraps your new or existing SQL database with a realtime GraphQL+REST API for developers, and an intuitive admin app for non-technical users.
DockerNodejs -
Hasura
Fast, instant realtime GraphQL APIs on Postgres with fine grained access control, also trigger webhooks on database events.
DockerHaskellK8S -
PocketBase
Backend for your next SaaS and Mobile app in one file.
Archived DockerGo
Firebase alternatives compared
Appwrite edges Directus 99 to 98. PocketBase has the largest following at 62k stars, yet ranks #4 of 4, held back mostly by archive status (an archived repository).
The most recent release is Directus v12.6.0, published 3 days ago. PocketBase is archived upstream. By stack, Go (1), Haskell (1) and Nodejs (1) are the most common. Appwrite, Hasura and PocketBase are permissively licensed. Directus is source-available rather than open source, which limits commercial reuse.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appwrite Steady at 99 since 11 Sep | 99 | 58k | BSD-3-Clause | today | Yes |
| Directus Steady at 98 since 11 Sep | 98 | 39k | BUSL-1.1 | yesterday | Yes |
| Hasura Steady at 98 since 11 Sep | 98 | 32k | Apache-2.0 | today | Yes |
| PocketBase Down 10 points since 11 Sep | 89 | 62k | MIT | 4 days ago | Yes |
Firebase alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Firebase?
Appwrite scores highest at 99/100, with 10001 commits in the last 90 days, 58k stars on GitHub and its latest release (2.6.2) published 6 days ago. It is also the most active by raw commit count.
Which Firebase alternatives use a permissive licence?
3 of 4 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Appwrite (BSD-3-Clause), Hasura (Apache-2.0), PocketBase (MIT). 0 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Firebase alternatives run in Docker?
4 of 4 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Appwrite, Directus, Hasura, PocketBase. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Appwrite or Directus the better Firebase alternative?
On measured health Appwrite leads, 99 to 98. Appwrite has 10,001 commits in 90 days, 58k stars and 2.6.2 from 6 days ago; Directus has 141 commits in 90 days, 39k stars and v12.6.0 from 3 days ago. Appwrite is ahead or level on every term Repoly measures.
Are the Firebase alternatives still maintained?
4 of the 4 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. PocketBase is archived. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Firebase alternatives written in?
Go: PocketBase. Haskell: Hasura. Nodejs: Directus. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
