AI · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Realtime Messaging API in Open Source Firebase Alternative

Appwrite® - complete cloud infrastructure for your web, mobile and AI apps. Including Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, Hosting, Realtime and more - appwrite/appwrite

Realtime Messaging API is an open source Firebase alternative that provides messaging capabilities for developers. It enables real-time communication features in applications without relying on proprietary cloud… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Realtime Messaging API in Open Source Firebase Alternative launched in 2021; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Appwrite – Open-Source and Self Hosted Firebase Alternative▲326

   Appwrite® - complete cloud infrastructure for your web, mobile and AI apps. Including Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, Hosting, Realtime and more - appwrite/appwrite

   2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Open-Source Firebase Alternative Announces Realtime API▲11

   Appwrite® - complete cloud infrastructure for your web, mobile and AI apps. Including Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, Hosting, Realtime and more - appwrite/appwrite

   2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Appwrite Cloud Beta▲486

   Build like a team of hundreds

   2023 · cloud.appwrite.io · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Appwrite – The Open Source Answer to Google's Firebase▲21

   Appwrite® - complete cloud infrastructure for your web, mobile and AI apps. Including Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, Hosting, Realtime and more - Release Version 0.12.0 · appwrite/appwrite

   2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Appwrite Sites▲990

   Appwrite 2.0 brings a new engine, a rebuilt Console, five database types, an S3 API, an OAuth 2.1 server, and organization-level Domains and Firewall.

   2025 · appwrite.io · its alternatives →

6. 6A0
   Appwrite 0.12 – Open Source alternative to Google's Firebase▲45

   2022 · eldadfux.medium.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Firebase, a scalable real-time backend▲526

   Discover Firebase, Google’s mobile and web app development platform that helps developers build apps and games that users will love.

   2012 · firebase.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Open-source Firebase Alternative? It's here▲153

   Announcing Appwrite 0.14 with 11 Cloud Function Runtimes! 🥳

   2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Appwrite – open-source Firebase Alternative▲10

   Build like a team of hundreds_. Appwrite has 162 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

   2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    InstantDB – A Modern Firebase▲1,145

    Hey there HN! We’re Joe and Stopa, and today we’re open sourcing InstantDB, a client-side database that makes it easy to build real-time and collaborative apps like Notion and Figma. Building modern apps these days involves a lot of schleps. For a basic CRUD app you need to spin up servers, wire up endpoints, integrate auth, add permissions, and then marshal data from the backend to the frontend and back again. If you want to deliver a buttery smooth user experience, you’ll need to add optimistic updates and rollbacks. We do these steps over and over for every feature we build, which can…

    2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Console 2.0▲253

    Backend as a Service, reimagined by Appwrite

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Supabase (Alpha)▲463

    An open source Firebase alternative

    2020 · supabase.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Intercom Real-Time▲510

    Have live conversations with users inside your apps

    2015 · fin.ai · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Rapid - Real-time Database Service▲184

    Build real-time apps without maintaining the infrastructure

    2017 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Firebase▲804

    App success made simple by google

    2016 · firebase.google.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Supabase (Beta)▲314

    The open source Firebase alternative.

    2020 · supabase.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Stream Chat▲327

    Build, code and ship in app messaging in a few hours

    2019 · getstream.io · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Cloud Firestore, by Firebase▲275

    Store, sync and query app data at global scale

    2017 · firebase.google.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    FireCMS 2.0▲101

    A CMS based on Firebase. The missing piece for your project!

    2023 · firecms.co · its alternatives →

20. 20
    InstantDB▲320

    Complete backend with auth and storage in one prompt

    Apr 2026 · instantdb.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Ezfire▲88

    Modern tools for a more productive Firebase

    2021 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Hacker News iOS client using the new official API▲82

    This is probably the first Hacker News client on AppStore that uses the newly introduced official Firebase HN API. One of the cool features of the new API are updates pushed in real time. There’s...

    2014 · hnclient.weebly.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Altogic▲450

    Backend as a service platform to develop apps in minutes

    2022 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Etebase – An open source and end-to-end encrypted Firebase alternative▲308

    An open-source and end-to-end encrypted SDK and backend

    2020 · etebase.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →