Nhost

Open source Firebase alternative pairing a powerful PostgreSQL database with an instant Hasura GraphQL API serverless functions and comprehensive authentication.

About Nhost

Nhost is a robust open source backend as a service platform designed for developers who prefer working with GraphQL and relational databases. It fundamentally solves the limitations of proprietary NoSQL backends by providing a fully managed PostgreSQL database as its foundation. Layered immediately on top of this database is Hasura, which automatically generates a secure, real time GraphQL API based on the database schema.

This architecture provides unparalleled querying flexibility. Developers can fetch heavily nested relational data in a single API request, eliminating the over-fetching and under-fetching problems common in traditional REST APIs. Nhost wraps this core data layer with built in user authentication, role based access control, file storage, and serverless compute functions.

Because Nhost utilizes standard open source technologies (PostgreSQL and Hasura), it heavily mitigates vendor lock in. Teams can utilize the managed Nhost Cloud for rapid deployment or choose to self host the entire stack. It is particularly popular within the React, Next.js, and Vue communities where GraphQL data fetching patterns are widely adopted.

Key Features

PostgreSQL Database: Unrestricted access to a production ready relational database.
Hasura GraphQL API: Instant real time GraphQL endpoints auto generated from database schemas.
Authentication: Integrated user management with JWTs social providers and magic links.
Storage: S3 compatible file handling tightly integrated with GraphQL permissions.
Serverless Functions: Custom Node.js edge functions for executing complex business logic.
Role Based Security: Granular row level permissions configured directly via Hasura.

Pricing

Starter Plan: $0/month Free tier for hobbyists including a shared database, 1GB storage, and basic function invocations.
Pro Plan: $25/month Ideal for production applications offering dedicated database resources, automated backups, and higher bandwidth.
Enterprise Plan: Custom Pricing Dedicated infrastructure, custom SLAs, SOC2 compliance, and dedicated technical support.

Use Cases

Data intensive SaaS platforms requiring complex relational queries
Next.js and React applications utilizing GraphQL Apollo clients
Enterprise backends needing strict schema definitions and relationships
Open source projects avoiding proprietary database lock in

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Leverages the immense power and reliability of standard PostgreSQL
Hasura provides one of the fastest and most advanced GraphQL engines available
Complete data portability and no vendor lock in

Cons:

Requires teams to have a solid understanding of GraphQL syntax and concepts
Smaller community ecosystem and third party plugin support compared to Supabase

Integrations

React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt, Svelte, Flutter, Hasura, Apollo Client

FAQ

How is Nhost different from Supabase?

Both use PostgreSQL, but Nhost uses Hasura to expose data exclusively via a GraphQL API, whereas Supabase exposes data primarily via REST APIs and its proprietary PostgREST client SDK.

Can I write standard SQL queries with Nhost?

Yes, because the underlying database is a standard PostgreSQL instance, you can connect directly via a standard connection string and execute raw SQL queries or run migrations.