Napkin vs Appwrite Cloud
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Napkin and Appwrite Cloud.
Quick Verdict
3.5/5
Napkin
0 reviews
3.9/5
Appwrite Cloud
0 reviews
Appwrite Cloud is rated higher (3.9 vs 3.5). Napkin lets you write and run Node.js and Python serverless functions directly in the browser with zero setup, deploying them as authenticated HTTP endpoints. Appwrite is an open source BaaS with database, authentication, storage, functions, and messaging. Self-hostable on Docker. Appwrite Cloud provides managed hosting.
Napkin Write and deploy Node.js and Python functions as HTTP endpoints from a browser editor | Appwrite Cloud Open-source backend platform with built-in database, auth, and APIs | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.5 (0 reviews) | 3.9 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Developers who need an HTTP endpoint today — webhooks, bots, scheduled automations, and prototypes — without opening a cloud console or running infrastructure. | Developers and small teams who want a complete managed backend with a genuine self-hosting exit and refuse Firebase-style lock-in. |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tier | free tieropen sourceself hostableapi access |
| Visit Napkin → | Visit Appwrite Cloud → | |
Napkin
Pros
- + Genuinely free plan: $0/month with 25,000 API calls, unlimited functions, custom domains, and team invites
- + One-click deploy from a browser editor — Node.js and Python, no cloud console or CLI required
- + Clear published limits: 500 MB/0.5 vCPU free (2 GB/2 vCPU Pro), 15s/30s timeouts, explicit rate caps
- + Endpoint SSL, auth, production logs, and scheduled triggers included on both tiers
- + Pro tier is capacity-only at $10 per user per month — no feature gating, no sales call
Cons
- - No published SLA, regions, or data residency; small-vendor reliability story
- - Free tier caps at 5 requests/second and a 15-second timeout — real design constraints
- - Browser-only workflow with no local development story and no obvious export path
- - Node.js and Python only — no Go, Rust, PHP, or Ruby runtimes
- - Stale limit figures circulate on marketing and third-party pages, so verify before budgeting
Appwrite Cloud
Pros
- + BSD 3-Clause open source with full self-hosting on any Docker host
- + Generous Pro resources: 2 TB bandwidth, 150 GB storage, 200K MAU at $25/month
- + Complete backend stack: auth, databases, storage, functions, realtime, messaging
- + Clear published overage rates and budget caps
- + Six regions across NA, EU, and APAC
Cons
- - No published uptime SLA on cloud plans
- - Free tier pauses projects after a week of inactivity; two-project limit
- - Per-project pricing multiplies cost for multi-project architectures
- - Smaller integration ecosystem than Firebase or Supabase
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new hosting and infrastructure providers, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.