Supabase vs Appwrite: Choosing Your Open-Source BaaS on a VPS

What is a BaaS and why self-host it?

A Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) bundles everything a modern application needs on the server side into a single product: database, authentication, file storage, serverless functions, and real-time communication. Firebase popularized this model, but its proprietary nature raises concerns about cost, GDPR compliance, and vendor lock-in.

Self-hosting an open-source BaaS on your own VPS gives you full control over your data, eliminates per-request fees, and lets you meet data residency requirements. Supabase and Appwrite are the two most mature solutions in this space.

Supabase vs Appwrite — 12-criteria comparison

Criterion	Supabase	Appwrite
Database	PostgreSQL	MariaDB (≤ 1.8), PostgreSQL (2.0+)
Minimum RAM	4 GB	2 GB
Recommended production RAM	8 GB	4 GB
Number of containers	~13	~19
Main port	8000 (Kong API Gateway)	80 / 443 (Traefik)
Admin port	3000 (Studio)	80 / console (Traefik)
Included services	Auth, PostgREST, Realtime, Storage, Edge Functions, Studio	Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, Realtime
Auth providers	15+	30+
Functions runtime	Deno only	30+ runtimes (Node, Python, PHP, Go, Dart, Ruby, Bun…)
Client SDKs	JS, Python, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, C#	JS, iOS, Android, Flutter, React Native, Web
Realtime	WebSocket via Realtime service	WebSocket via Appwrite Realtime
License	Apache 2.0	BSD 3-Clause

Deploying Supabase on a VPS

Step 1 — Clone and configure

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/supabase/supabase
cd supabase/docker
cp .env.example .env

Open .env and set at minimum POSTGRES_PASSWORD, JWT_SECRET, ANON_KEY, and SERVICE_ROLE_KEY.

Step 2 — Start the stack

docker compose up -d

Full startup takes 60 to 120 seconds. Kong may return 502 errors during the first 30 to 60 seconds — this is normal. Wait until all containers are healthy.

Step 3 — Verify

Access Studio at http://your-ip:3000. Test a simple API call:

curl http://your-ip:8000/rest/v1/ -H "apikey: YOUR_ANON_KEY"

An empty JSON response {} confirms PostgREST is responding through Kong.

Step 4 — Verify startup

Check all services are healthy:

docker compose ps

Access Supabase Studio at http://YOUR_VPS_IP:3000 and create your first project.

Deploying Appwrite on a VPS

Step 1 — Run the interactive installer

docker run -it --rm \
  --volume /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  --volume "$(pwd)"/appwrite:/usr/src/code/appwrite:rw \
  --entrypoint="install" \
  appwrite/appwrite:latest

The wizard asks for your domain and ports, and generates a docker-compose.yml tailored to your environment.

Step 2 — Wait for database migrations

On first startup, Appwrite runs its MariaDB migrations. This process takes 2 to 5 minutes and results in temporary 503 errors — this is expected. Follow progress with docker compose logs -f appwrite.

Step 3 — Create the admin account

Once migrations are complete, access http://your-domain/console. Create your first admin account, then your first project.

Step 4 — Create the admin account

Access http://your-domain/console and create the first administrator account, then your first project. On first boot, database migrations run and take 2 to 5 minutes — do not restart.

Authentication — Provider Comparison and OAuth

Both platforms handle email/password and phone number (SMS OTP) authentication. Appwrite supports 30+ OAuth2 providers versus 15+ for Supabase.

Supabase uses GoTrue as its authentication service — a lightweight daemon written in Go. Appwrite integrates its own Auth service configurable from the web console per project, with fine granularity per provider.

For mobile applications requiring OAuth deep links, Appwrite offers better native integration through its dedicated iOS and Android SDKs.

Serverless Functions — Deno vs 30+ Runtimes

Supabase Edge Functions run exclusively on Deno — the modern JavaScript/TypeScript runtime. Deno offers security by default (explicit permissions), native TypeScript support, and a growing module ecosystem.

Appwrite Functions support 30+ runtimes: Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go, Dart, .NET, Java, Kotlin, Swift, Bun, and more. Each runtime is an isolated Docker container. This flexibility is a major advantage for polyglot teams.

Real-Time and File Storage

Real-time. Both platforms use WebSockets. Supabase exposes PostgreSQL changes in real time via its Realtime service (logical replication). Appwrite Realtime covers events on documents, files, and teams — less tied to the underlying database and therefore more portable.

Storage. Supabase Storage uses an S3-compatible API with RLS access policies directly from PostgreSQL. Appwrite Storage offers team- and user-based permissions, simpler to configure.

Appwrite: 503 error on first launch — wait for migrations

If the Appwrite console shows a 503 error or remains inaccessible in the first few minutes, do not restart the containers. Appwrite runs its MariaDB migrations on first startup, taking 2 to 5 minutes. Wait for Migrations completed before accessing the interface. Restarting containers during this phase will corrupt the database and require a full reinstall.

Supabase: 502 Bad Gateway from Kong on startup — normal behavior

Kong may return 502 errors during the first 30 to 60 seconds after docker compose up -d. This is normal and transient. Wait until docker compose ps shows all containers as healthy. If 502s persist beyond 2 minutes, inspect Kong logs with docker compose logs kong.

Decision guide — Supabase or Appwrite for your project?

Choose Supabase if: your application is web-first, your team knows PostgreSQL, you're migrating from Firebase, or you need an auto-generated REST API from your database schema (PostgREST).

Choose Appwrite if: you're building a mobile (iOS/Android) cross-platform application, your team works in multiple languages and wants to choose its function runtimes, or you prefer a more accessible admin interface without deep SQL knowledge.

On a VPS with 4 GB RAM, Appwrite offers more headroom (requires 2 GB, recommends 4 GB) versus Supabase which uses its 4 GB minimum from startup.

Common errors and fixes

Supabase — 502 Bad Gateway (Kong): wait 30-60s for all services to be healthy. If persistent: docker compose restart kong.
Supabase — Realtime could not connect to the database: restart with docker compose restart realtime.
Appwrite — 503 on startup: migrations in progress (2-5 min). Do not restart containers.
Appwrite — docker compose down -v: DANGER — deletes all data volumes. Never run in production.
Supabase — PostgREST relation not found: run docker compose exec meta pgrst-reload to reload the schema cache.
Appwrite — SMTP_HOST not configured: add _APP_SMTP_HOST and related variables in .env and restart. Required for invitation emails.

Conclusion: two excellent BaaS platforms, two different philosophies

Supabase and Appwrite are both solid choices for self-hosting an open-source BaaS on your VPS. Supabase shines through its PostgreSQL depth, auto-generated API, and polished Studio. Appwrite stands out for its relative lightness, the richness of its function runtimes, and the quality of its mobile SDKs. In both cases, a dedicated VPS with at least 4 GB of RAM and automated volume backups is the foundation of a reliable deployment.