API Management · head to head
Appwrite vs Liveblocks
Appwrite
API Management
Open-source Backend as a Service with REST API and SDKs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Liveblocks
API Management
Realtime collaboration infrastructure for building multiplayer features
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Appwrite smaller ecosystem compared to Firebase; fewer third-party integrations and extensions; Liveblocks on the Free plan, each metered feature has a hard cap and simply pauses when exceeded rather than allowing overage.
- They diverge on capability: Appwrite covers REST API, Liveblocks covers Realtime presence and cursors.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Appwrite and Liveblocks actually diverge.
| Attribute | Appwrite | Liveblocks |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Cloud (Managed), Self-Hosted, Docker | web, api |
| Founded | 2019 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Appwrite
- REST API
- Authentication
- Database
- Multiple SDKs
- Cloud functions
- File storage
- Docker support
- Self-hosted support
Only in Liveblocks
- Realtime presence and cursors
- Comments
- Version history
- Custom notifications
- SSO and SOC 2
- Management API
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Appwrite
- API Developmentnot Liveblocks
- API Gatewaynot Liveblocks
- API Testingnot Liveblocks
- API Documentationnot Liveblocks
- Microservicesnot Liveblocks
Liveblocks
- Adding live cursors and presence to a collaborative editornot Appwrite
- Building threaded comments on documents or designsnot Appwrite
- Sending realtime notifications tied to collaborative actionsnot Appwrite
- Restoring previous versions of collaborative contentnot Appwrite
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Appwrite
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Firebase; fewer third-party integrations and extensions
- Analytics, crash reporting, and A/B testing not included (Firebase includes these)
- Requires infrastructure management for self-hosted deployments; not fully managed like Firebase Cloud
- Mobile app support not as mature as Firebase's native iOS/Android SDKs
Liveblocks
- On the Free plan, each metered feature has a hard cap and simply pauses when exceeded rather than allowing overage.
- The jump from Pro ($30/month) to Team (starting at $600/month) is steep for teams that outgrow Pro but don't need full Team scale.
- Multi-region hosting and SCIM provisioning are Enterprise-only and require custom pricing.
Pricing, plan by plan
Appwrite
Free- Cloud FreeFree
- 75K MAU
- 10GB storage
- Unlimited projects
- Cloud Pro$15/month
- More storage
- Priority support
Liveblocks
Free- FreeFree
- 10 projects
- 3 dashboard seats
- 10 simultaneous connections per room
- Pro$30/month
- $30 monthly credits
- Removes Liveblocks branding
- 3 dashboard seats
- Team$600/month
- SSO and SOC 2
- 10 dashboard seats
- 50 connections/room
Which should you pick?
Choose Appwrite if
- You need rest api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud (Managed), Self-Hosted, Docker.
- You also want authentication.
Choose Liveblocks if
- You need realtime presence and cursors.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want comments.
Questions people ask
- Is Appwrite or Liveblocks better?
- Neither clearly leads. Appwrite starts at Free and Liveblocks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Appwrite or Liveblocks?
- Appwrite starts at Free and Liveblocks at Free.
- Does Appwrite or Liveblocks run on more platforms?
- Appwrite runs on Cloud (Managed), Self-Hosted, Docker. Liveblocks runs on web, api.
- Can I use Appwrite for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Appwrite best used for?
- Appwrite is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Liveblocks is typically brought in for.
- What can Appwrite do that Liveblocks cannot?
- Appwrite covers REST API, Authentication, Database, Multiple SDKs. Liveblocks covers Realtime presence and cursors, Comments, Version history, Custom notifications.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Appwrite: Can Appwrite be self-hosted?
Yes. Appwrite is fully open-source and self-hosted with a single Docker command. Self-hosting is completely free with no feature restrictions, unlike the managed Appwrite Cloud.
SourceLiveblocks: What does Liveblocks cost?
Liveblocks offers a Free plan with hard usage caps, a Pro plan at $30/month ($25/month billed annually) including $30 in monthly credits, a Team plan from $600/month, and custom Enterprise pricing.
SourceAppwrite: What is Appwrite Cloud's pricing?
Appwrite Cloud offers a free tier with unlimited projects, 75K monthly active users, and 10GB storage with no time limit. Pro plan starts at $15/month per organization member. Scale plan at $599/month includes dedicated resources and SOC 2 compliance.
SourceLiveblocks: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?
Yes, the Free plan includes 10 projects, 3 dashboard seats, 10 simultaneous connections per room, 3,000 collaboration minutes, 200 comments, and 1GB of realtime data storage, with features pausing once a cap is hit.
SourceAppwrite: What programming languages does Appwrite support?
Appwrite provides SDKs for 15+ languages including JavaScript, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin, Python, Ruby, PHP, .NET, and more, offering more language flexibility than Firebase.
SourceLiveblocks: How is usage metered?
Paid plans include monthly credits covering collaboration minutes, comments, and storage; usage beyond the credit is billed at metered rates such as $0.002 per collaboration minute and $0.01 per comment, with credits resetting each billing cycle without rollover.
SourceAppwrite: What backend services does Appwrite provide?
Appwrite includes Auth (with multi-factor auth), Databases, Storage (with compression and encryption), Serverless Functions, Messaging, Realtime subscriptions, and Sites (for hosting static and full-stack apps).
SourceAppwrite: Does Appwrite include real-time capabilities?
Yes. Appwrite's Realtime service covers all platform services by default through WebSocket subscriptions, enabling real-time updates across databases, functions, and messages.
SourceAppwrite: How does Appwrite compare to Firebase on costs?
Appwrite offers better cost predictability. Firebase's pay-per-read/write model can lead to unexpected bills with runaway queries, while Appwrite's self-hosted model only requires paying for your own infrastructure with completely predictable costs.
SourceRelated pages
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