Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AppWrite VS Chat by Stream

Compare AppWrite VS Chat by Stream and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

AppWrite logo AppWrite

Appwrite provides web and mobile developers with a set of easy-to-use and integrate REST APIs to manage their core backend needs.

Chat by Stream logo Chat by Stream

Build and ship in app messaging in a few hours
  • AppWrite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28
  • Chat by Stream Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-08

AppWrite features and specs

  • Open Source
    AppWrite is an open-source platform, allowing developers to inspect, modify, and contribute to the code base, ensuring transparency and flexibility.
  • Self-Hosted
    Being self-hosted, AppWrite gives developers complete control over their data and server environment, enhancing security and customization options.
  • Comprehensive Backend
    AppWrite offers a wide range of backend services out-of-the-box, including authentication, database management, storage, and serverless functions, reducing the need for additional third-party services.
  • Multi-Language Support
    AppWrite supports various programming languages, which makes it versatile and developer-friendly, allowing the integration with different tech stacks.
  • Community and Documentation
    AppWrite has an active community and well-documented guides, tutorials, and API references, which are essential for learning and troubleshooting.

Possible disadvantages of AppWrite

  • Resource Intensive
    Being a self-hosted solution, AppWrite may require significant server resources for optimal performance, which can be costly.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    The initial setup and configuration can be complex and time-consuming, particularly for those less experienced with server management.
  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    As compared to some other backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms, AppWrite has fewer pre-built third-party integrations, which might limit its extensibility.
  • Newer and Evolving
    AppWrite is relatively new and still evolving, which can mean fewer features compared to more mature platforms and the potential for more bugs.
  • Maintenance Responsibility
    Since it is self-hosted, the responsibility for server maintenance, updates, and security falls solely on the user, which can be a drawback for smaller teams or solo developers.

Chat by Stream features and specs

  • Scalability
    Chat by Stream is designed to handle large volumes of messages and users, making it suitable for applications with rapid growth or high traffic.
  • Customizability
    The API offers robust customization options, enabling developers to tailor chat functionalities to meet specific project requirements and UI/UX design.
  • Rich Features
    It comes with a wide range of built-in features like message threading, reactions, and typing indicators, enhancing user engagement.
  • Developer-Friendly
    Comprehensive documentation and SDKs for multiple platforms (e.g., iOS, Android, React) make it easier for developers to integrate and implement chat functionalities.
  • Performance
    Chat by Stream offers low-latency messaging and optimized performance that ensures smooth real-time communication.
  • Security
    Provides end-to-end encryption, along with compliance with data protection standards to safeguard user information.
  • Support
    Offers extensive support including detailed guides, a troubleshooting section, and responsive customer service.

Possible disadvantages of Chat by Stream

  • Cost
    Pricing can become high for larger applications or projects with a significant number of users, making it potentially prohibitive for startups or small businesses.
  • Complexity
    The extensive customization options and features can result in a steep learning curve for developers who are new to the platform.
  • Dependency
    Relying on a third-party service for critical functionality means that outages or changes in the service can impact your application.
  • Limited Offline Support
    Features might not work as efficiently or be fully available in offline scenarios, which could be limiting for certain applications.
  • Integration Time
    Although the platform is developer-friendly, integrating and fine-tuning the chat features to fit perfectly within an application can still be time-consuming.

Analysis of AppWrite

Overall verdict

  • AppWrite is a solid option for developers looking for an open-source backend solution with robust features. Its well-documented APIs and active community support make it a viable choice for both small projects and growing applications.

Why this product is good

  • AppWrite is considered a good choice, particularly for its comprehensive backend-as-a-service (BaaS) features that cater to web and mobile developers. It provides a suite of services such as user authentication, databases, file storage, and serverless functions, allowing developers to streamline their development process. Its open-source nature means developers have access to the full code base and the community-drive contributions, ensuring transparency and continuous improvements. AppWrite also emphasizes developer experience, offering easy integration with client-side SDKs and providing extensive documentation.

Recommended for

    AppWrite is recommended for developers building applications who require a scalable backend solution without the overhead of managing infrastructure. It is particularly suited for developers who prefer open-source platforms and those who want to avoid vendor lock-in. AppWrite's features make it a good fit for startups, hobby projects, and even educational purposes where full control over the backend is desirable.

Analysis of Chat by Stream

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Chat by Stream is a good option for anyone looking to implement a robust chat functionality within their applications. It is particularly well-regarded for its ease of integration, scalability, and wide array of features.

Why this product is good

  • Chat by Stream is considered a powerful and flexible chat solution because it offers a variety of features such as real-time messaging, scalability, and customizable UI components. It supports multiple platforms, including web and mobile, and offers excellent performance and reliability. Additionally, it provides strong developer documentation and robust SDKs, making it easier to integrate and customize according to specific needs.

Recommended for

  • Businesses needing scalable real-time chat systems
  • Developers looking for easy-to-integrate chat SDKs
  • Applications requiring customizable chat experiences
  • Organizations wanting reliable customer support chat solutions
  • Gaming platforms that require seamless in-game chat

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AppWrite and Chat by Stream)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Communication
0 0%
100% 100
Backend As A Service
100 100%
0% 0
Chat SDK
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare AppWrite and Chat by Stream

AppWrite Reviews

  1. Appwrite is awesome, free and open-source!

    I've use it instead of Firebase on a 15$ DigitalOcean droplet and saved around ~$150 a month. Managing my own infra does take some extra time, but definitely worth it. The APIs and SDK are also surprisingly much easier to consume than Firebase. Waiting for the cloud version.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Firebase
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Easy to use|Cost effective|Open-source|Great user experience|Super simple|Self hosted
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Self hosted

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
Appwriteโ€™s self-hosted nature gives you complete control over your data and infrastructure, great for those who are security-conscious. It also offers a comprehensive set of features, including user authentication, database management, storage, cloud functions, and more. Itโ€™s like having your very own Firebase, but on your terms.
Source: genezio.com
Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Appwrite is an open-source backend-as-a-service platform that provides a comprehensive set of tools and APIs to help developers build modern applications. It focuses on simplicity and developer experience.
Source: signoz.io
Best Serverless Backend Tools of 2023: Pros & Cons, Features & Code Examples
Appwrite is a self-hosted BaaS platform giving you all the tools you need to build all sorts of application.
Source: www.rowy.io
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Appwrite permits the development to benefit from its open-source version without paying anything. However, its official website also declares that it will share the pricing details for Appwrite Cloud soon.
12 Best Open-source Database Backend Server and Google Firebase Alternatives
Appwrite is a self-hosted backend server for building web, mobile and desktop apps. It supports multiple applications natively without hacks or workarounds.It features a dashboard for apps, database, user, functions and storage management, real-time analytics per project, live connections monitor, background tasks and webhooks.Appwrite also is suitable for creating Geo-data...
Source: medevel.com

Chat by Stream Reviews

We have no reviews of Chat by Stream yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AppWrite should be more popular than Chat by Stream. It has been mentiond 178 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

AppWrite mentions (178)

  • Creating a Chatbot that actually Stands Out! (vibe coded version)๐Ÿฆ–
    Initially, I was using the Supabase free tier, but I was hitting the limits, and my app was becoming stale. Then I switched to Appwrite. Both are totally different; one is SQL, while the latter one is NoSQL. Although use node-appwrite package to skip the manual schema add-ons. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • The future of coding: Cursor, AI, and the rise of backend automation with Appwrite
    Appwrite is an open-source platform that simplifies backend setup by providing authentication, databases, storage, functions, and hosting all in one place. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • How to Use Appwrite in Android Jetpack Compose
    I love Appwrite. My first hackathon was actually from Appwrite (using Appwrite) 2 years ago, and I've been using it ever since. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (July 2025)
    Appwrite | Remote | Platform Engineers, AI, Interns | https://www.appwrite.careers Appwrite (https://appwrite.io) is an open-source backend platform that helps developers build secure web and mobile apps faster. Weโ€™re hiring engineers across multiple teams to improve infrastructure, expand developer tooling, and scale our platform. Open roles: โ€“ Platform Engineer. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Build a React File Sharing App with Granular Access Controls (ReBAC)
    Appwrite is a backend-as-a-service platform that provides authentication, storage, and database. Appwrite is used for authentication and storage. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

Chat by Stream mentions (40)

  • Deconstructing TikTokโ€™s Live Shopping UX
    The stream must deliver high-quality video and audio while also keeping features like real-time chat and updated product information responsive. This becomes more challenging during flash sales, where traffic and purchases suddenly spike. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • ActiveFence Competitors โ€“ Comparing the Top 8 Alternatives
    Because moderation is an add-on to Stream's existing suite (Chat, Video and Audio, and Activity Feeds), it doesn't need to cover its costs through premium enterprise contracts. That makes Stream far more cost-effective than standalone moderation vendors, especially for startups or growing communities that want enterprise-grade safety tools without a sales cycle. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • What is MCP: The Infrastructure Powering Agentic AI
    We'll build an MCP server that exposes five tools for working with Stream Chat: creating channels, sending messages, querying channels, creating users, and querying messages. The complete code is about 200 lines, and you can see precisely how MCP works in practice. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • 14 Best In-App Chat Features That Shape Better User Experiences
    In this post, we share the 14 top features for engaging in-app chat, helping you decide what to integrate and how they will add value to your product. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • How to Build a Secure React Native Chat App with End-to-End Encryption
    In this guide, we'll learn how to implement E2EE in a React Native chat app using Stream's chat infrastructure. We'll combine public-key cryptography with efficient symmetric encryption to achieve strong security. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AppWrite and Chat by Stream, you can also consider the following products

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

SendBird - SendBird is messaging-as-a-service.

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

Pusher - Pusher is a hosted API for quickly, easily and securely adding scalable realtime functionality via WebSockets to web and mobile apps.

Clerk - Clerk.io, the artificial intelligence for e-commerce that knows your customers interests.

GetStream.io - APIs for the development of scalable newsfeeds and chat applications.