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Head-to-head · Backend as a Service

Appwrite Realtime vs Back4app

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Appwrite Realtime #2 in Backend as a Service 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Appwrite
Back4app #6 in Backend as a Service 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Back4app

Appwrite Realtime leads on 0 checks, Back4app on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAppwrite Realtime · 8.5/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresAppwrite Realtime · 4 of 4

Appwrite Realtime scores higher on our rubric for backend as a service: 8.5 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.

Appwrite Realtime is the better fit for open-source realtime application backends. Back4app is the better fit for affordable MongoDB-based application backends.

  • Appwrite Realtime fits best

    Open-source realtime application backends

  • Back4app fits best

    Affordable MongoDB-based application backends

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Side by side

Feature Appwrite Realtime 8.5/10 Visit ↗ Back4app 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 7.9
Ranking #2 in Backend as a Service #6 in Backend as a Service
Best for Open-source realtime application backends Affordable MongoDB-based application backends
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $5/unit/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs · 24/7 Email, Tickets, Community
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, 2FA SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Appwrite Realtime 4/4 · Back4app 0/4
Serverless functions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Realtime data ✓ (best) Not checked yet
File storage ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Automatic APIs ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Database type Multi-model Not checked yet
Authentication methods Not checked yet Not checked yet
Free authentication users 75000 users Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • WebSocket subscriptions with channels and event filtering
  • Permissions control which realtime updates clients receive
  • Includes databases, auth, storage, functions, SDKs, and self-hosting
  • Managed MongoDB with automatic REST and GraphQL APIs
  • Free plan plus containers starting at $5 per month
  • Authentication, realtime sync, storage, and scheduled jobs
Cons
  • Realtime is part of Appwrite rather than separately priced
  • Free limits projects to one database, bucket, and two functions
  • Enterprise features are reserved for the Enterprise plan
  • Container pricing is charged per container, per month
  • Deployment regions are limited to 1
  • The platform spans many services, requiring architectural decisions
Our verdict

Appwrite Realtime is a WebSocket-based API for live updates across Appwrite services. It is intended for developers building interactive web, iOS, Android, API, and backend applications that need live data synchronization. Realtime…

Read the review →

Back4app combines managed backend services with container-based deployment for teams building web and mobile applications. Its backend includes managed MongoDB hosting, automatically generated REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication with…

Read the review →
  1. Appwrite RealtimeBackend as a Service 8.5Free plan
  2. Back4appBackend as a Service 7.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Appwrite Realtime — where it wins

    • WebSocket subscriptions with channels and event filtering
    • Permissions control which realtime updates clients receive
    • Includes databases, auth, storage, functions, SDKs, and self-hosting

    Where it doesn't

    • Realtime is part of Appwrite rather than separately priced
    • Free limits projects to one database, bucket, and two functions
    • Enterprise features are reserved for the Enterprise plan

  • Back4app — where it wins

    • Managed MongoDB with automatic REST and GraphQL APIs
    • Free plan plus containers starting at $5 per month
    • Authentication, realtime sync, storage, and scheduled jobs

    Where it doesn't

    • Container pricing is charged per container, per month
    • Deployment regions are limited to 1
    • The platform spans many services, requiring architectural decisions

More comparisons

All backend as a service comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update