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Head-to-head · Backend as a Service

Appwrite Realtime vs Parse Platform

  • 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
Parse Platform #5 in Backend as a Service 8.0/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Parse Platform

Appwrite Realtime leads on 0 checks, Parse Platform 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 planonly Appwrite Realtime
  • Most featuresAppwrite Realtime · 4 of 4

Appwrite Realtime scores higher on our rubric for backend as a service: 8.5 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #5.

Appwrite Realtime is the better fit for open-source realtime application backends. Parse Platform is the better fit for self-hosted multi-platform backends.

  • Appwrite Realtime fits best

    Open-source realtime application backends

  • Parse Platform fits best

    Self-hosted multi-platform backends

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Side by side

Feature Appwrite Realtime 8.5/10 Visit ↗ Parse Platform 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 8.0
Ranking #2 in Backend as a Service #5 in Backend as a Service
Best for Open-source realtime application backends Self-hosted multi-platform backends
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price — Open source
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android, Linux
Support Email, Community, Docs · 24/7 Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Appwrite Realtime 4/4 · Parse Platform 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
  • Supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL with REST, GraphQL, and SDK APIs
  • Offline queries, queued writes, and bidirectional synchronization
  • Official SDKs for Android, Apple, JavaScript, and Flutter/Dart
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
  • Self-hosted deployment requires developer-managed infrastructure
  • Support channels are centered on documentation
  • No vendor-operated hosted plan is included in the offering
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 →

Parse Platform is an open-source application backend built around Parse Server, which runs on Node.js infrastructure managed by the developer. It is designed for teams building web, iOS, Android, and Flutter applications that need data…

Read the review →
  1. Appwrite RealtimeBackend as a Service 8.5Free plan
  2. Parse PlatformBackend as a Service 8.0Open source

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

  • Parse Platform — where it wins

    • Supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL with REST, GraphQL, and SDK APIs
    • Offline queries, queued writes, and bidirectional synchronization
    • Official SDKs for Android, Apple, JavaScript, and Flutter/Dart

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires developer-managed infrastructure
    • Support channels are centered on documentation
    • No vendor-operated hosted plan is included in the offering

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