Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AppWrite VS Join Secret

Compare AppWrite VS Join Secret and see what are their differences

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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.

Join Secret logo Join Secret

Unlock $1M+ in software savings with Secret โ€” the ultimate startup perks platform. Access 700+ exclusive discounts on top tools like AWS, Notion, and HubSpot. Join 100K+ startups and grow faster with the best software, resources, and partner offers.
  • AppWrite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28
  • Join Secret Save thousands of dollars on the essential SaaS tools your business needs to GROW
    Save thousands of dollars on the essential SaaS tools your business needs to GROW //
    2025-08-29
  • Join Secret Explore our marketplace full of deals to help you get started and save on the best tools, from AI and Project Management to HR and Finance!
    Explore our marketplace full of deals to help you get started and save on the best tools, from AI and Project Management to HR and Finance! //
    2025-08-29
  • Join Secret Access hundreds of deals for FREE and even more with our Premium Subscription
    Access hundreds of deals for FREE and even more with our Premium Subscription //
    2025-08-29
  • Join Secret Secret's whitelabel program and API gives hundreds of VCs, accelerators, incubators, agencies, fintech, and marketplaces the resources they need for their community
    Secret's whitelabel program and API gives hundreds of VCs, accelerators, incubators, agencies, fintech, and marketplaces the resources they need for their community //
    2025-08-29
  • Join Secret Not satisfied with the software you're using or looking for a new alternative? Look no further! Secret's alternative feature gives you the information you need to make the best decision + great offers for a smooth transition.
    Not satisfied with the software you're using or looking for a new alternative? Look no further! Secret's alternative feature gives you the information you need to make the best decision + great offers for a smooth transition. //
    2025-08-29
  • Join Secret Read the success stories of our users and become part of a worlwide, growing community
    Read the success stories of our users and become part of a worlwide, growing community //
    2025-08-29

Secret gives you instant access to hundreds of deals and thousands of savings through promo codes and free credits on must-have software and services for startups and small businesses. From cloud to e-mail marketing, Secret gathers all the best tools to kickstart and grow your startup.

We negotiate all our SaaS discount codes and coupons directly with the vendors and add amazing new deals each week. Over 500 Premium offers and 200+ Free promotions are already available for you to discover like:

  • AWS
  • Stripe
  • Notion
  • Airtable
  • HubSpot
  • Brevo
  • Google Workspace
  • Shopify
  • DigitalOcean
  • Make
  • ClickUp
  • Apollo.io
  • Intercom
  • Mixpanel
  • Auth0
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Fiverr
  • Wix
  • Squarespace
  • Coda
  • Softr
  • Mailchimp
  • Asana
  • FreshBooks

and more plus great alternatives to each tool to help you make the right decision!

With possible savings of over $1,000,000 with Secret, 100,000+ startups have already begun saving on the software they use on a daily basis. Gain access also to an ecosystem that provides you with exclusive additional resources like agencies, online training, and experts to help them reach your full potential.

Are you running a VC, accelerator, incubator, agency, fintech or marketplace? Check out Secret's Whitelabel & API solution to give your community access to perks from your very own website, not only offering a lot of value to your users but also hassle-free on your side.

AppWrite

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Release Date
-
Startup details
Country
Israel

Join Secret

$ Details
freemium $149.0 / Annually (Unlimited access to all deals)
Release Date
2019 April
Startup details
Country
France
City
Paris
Founder(s)
Edouard Rosenblum, Jean-Loup Karst
Employees
1 - 9

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.

Join Secret features and specs

  • Cost Savings
    Join Secret offers startups access to significant discounts on software and services, helping them reduce operational costs and stretching limited budgets.
  • Wide Range of Products
    The platform provides a diverse selection of deals on various types of software and tools, offering startups access to resources that can support different aspects of their business operations.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform is user-friendly, making it simple for startups to browse, access, and redeem deals without complicated procedures.
  • Exclusive Deals
    Join Secret often features exclusive deals that are not typically available elsewhere, providing additional value to its users.
  • Great for Early-Stage Startups
    It targets early-stage startups that need to leverage numerous software tools at a reduced cost, helping them grow efficiently during initial phases.

Possible disadvantages of Join Secret

  • Membership Cost
    Access to Join Secret's full range of deals often requires a paid membership, which might be a deterrent for very early-stage startups with minimal budgets.
  • Limited to Online Services
    The platform primarily focuses on software and online services, which may not suffice for startups seeking discounts in other operational areas such as hardware or physical goods.
  • Overlapping Offers
    Some deals available on Join Secret might also be found through other means or directly from the providers, which could lead to questions about the platform's exclusivity.
  • Variable Value
    The actual value of the deals can vary significantly depending on a startup's specific needs, meaning not all startups will find equal benefit in the available offers.
  • Saturation Risk
    As more startups tap into the platform's deals, there may be concerns about market saturation, where the competitive edge provided by these deals diminishes over time.

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 Join Secret

Overall verdict

  • Join Secret is a worthwhile platform for startups seeking to leverage discounts and make their resources go further. It provides substantial value by aggregating relevant deals and allowing cost savings on popular business tools and services.

Why this product is good

  • Join Secret is a platform that offers startups access to exclusive deals and discounts on software and tools needed to grow their business. Companies can benefit from significant savings on essential services like cloud hosting, marketing tools, and more. The platform is beneficial for new businesses looking to reduce operational costs while accessing high-quality resources.

Recommended for

    Join Secret is recommended for early-stage startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses that need to be budget-conscious while seeking access to industry-standard software and services. It's particularly useful for those looking to explore new tools without a significant financial commitment upfront.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AppWrite and Join Secret)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Software Deals
0 0%
100% 100
Backend As A Service
100 100%
0% 0
App Deals
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing AppWrite and Join Secret.

What makes your product unique?

Join Secret's answer:

Join Secret is all about helping startups and small businesses save money on the tools they actually use every day. Instead of endless coupon sites, we negotiate directly with SaaS companies so our members get real, exclusive discounts they canโ€™t usually find elsewhere. On top of that, weโ€™ve built a community and support system around it, so itโ€™s not just โ€œhereโ€™s a codeโ€; itโ€™s a way to make your software stack way more affordable without wasting hours hunting deals.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Join Secret's answer:

Most โ€œdealโ€ platforms just throw up offers anyone can Google. Secret goes further. Weโ€™ve locked in partnerships with companies like AWS, Notion, Stripe, and JetBrains โ€” the kind of tools youโ€™d be paying full price for anyway. The savings usually pay back the membership fee in a single day. Plus, our team is hands-on and actually helps if you run into eligibility issues, which is rare in this space.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Join Secret's answer:

Our core audience is founders, early-stage startups, and small businesses trying to grow on a budget. But itโ€™s not just them! We also work with VCs, incubators, and accelerators who want to give their startups extra perks, and even agencies that want access to better deals for the software they rely on every day.

What's the story behind your product?

Join Secret's answer:

Secret started with a simple frustration: startups spend a ton on software, and most discounts are either hidden behind accelerators or impossible to find. So the idea was to create one place where any founder could get access to those same perks without needing to be part of Y Combinator or have a huge network. Over time, itโ€™s grown into a platform that helps tens of thousands of entrepreneurs save millions collectively, while also serving communities like VCs and accelerators.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Join Secret's answer:

Secret runs on a custom-built web platform that manages all the deals, eligibility checks, and redemption flows. Thereโ€™s also the behind-the-scenes stuff that makes partnerships work, like our vendor dashboard, affiliate tracking, and the private community setup. Basically, itโ€™s a mix of marketplace tech, automation, and support tools all stitched together to make claiming deals super simple.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Join Secret's answer:

Our community is pretty broad; over 30,000 entrepreneurs and startups worldwide. That includes founders at early-stage SaaS companies, agency owners, and teams inside accelerators and incubators. Youโ€™ll also see testimonials from founders at places like The Saasy People and InsuredNomads who talk about saving thousands through the platform.

User comments

Share your experience with using AppWrite and Join Secret. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

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

Join Secret Reviews

  1. stef
    ยท writer at best air fryer for family ยท

    Itโ€™s my pleasure to find this amazing website that provides mostly unseen information about best air fryer for family Emeril Lagasse French Door Air Fryer 360 Instant Pot Air Fryer Lidevery single topic which is what I really like about it.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: air fryers

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AppWrite seems to be a lot more popular than Join Secret. While we know about 178 links to AppWrite, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Join Secret. 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 / 6 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 / 9 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 / about 1 year 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 / over 1 year ago
View more

Join Secret mentions (2)

  • Agency jobs/Workflow Software
    Joinsecret.com has a great deal for Airtable-- over $1k in free credits (not affiliated, but I use them both). Cheers!! Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Business Plan - Proposal and also Angel Investor Seed Round Capital
    Have you looked at joinsecret.com ? We have deals on both Stripe Atlas & Clerky. Cheers! Source: about 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AppWrite and Join Secret, you can also consider the following products

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

AppSumo - AppSumo promotes great products to help you in your career and life.

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

Keybase Chat - End-to-end encrypted chat built into Keybase

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

FounderPass - The founder perk membership giving you $3,500,000+ of discounts on software, tools and subscriptions! From Free AWS credits, 12 months free of Webflow, Intercom, Make, GitHub, 75% off Brevo, $6k of Notion credit and much more.