Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Dropbox Paper VS AppWrite

Compare Dropbox Paper VS AppWrite 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.

Dropbox Paper logo Dropbox Paper

A collaborative document-editing service

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.
  • Dropbox Paper Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-03
  • AppWrite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28

Dropbox Paper features and specs

  • Collaboration
    Real-time collaboration features allow multiple users to edit documents simultaneously, making it easier for teams to work together.
  • Integration with Dropbox
    Seamless integration with Dropbox cloud storage allows for easy access and management of files within the same ecosystem.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Simple and clean interface makes it easy for users to create, edit, and manage documents without a steep learning curve.
  • Multimedia Support
    DropBox Paper allows embedding of various multimedia elements like images, videos, and links, enhancing the richness of the document.
  • Task Management Features
    Users can assign tasks, add due dates, and create to-do lists directly within documents, turning them into actionable workflows.
  • Markdown Support
    Supports markdown, making it useful for those who prefer writing with markdown syntax.

Possible disadvantages of Dropbox Paper

  • Limited Formatting Options
    Compared to other document editors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, Dropbox Paper has fewer formatting tools and options.
  • Offline Access
    Offline functionality is limited, which can be a drawback for users who need to work without an internet connection.
  • Export Options
    Exporting documents to other formats like PDF or Word is less robust and can be inconvenient for users who need to use those formats.
  • Integration Limitations
    While Dropbox Paper integrates well with the Dropbox ecosystem, it has limited integrations compared to other productivity tools.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues when dealing with large documents or teams, affecting the overall user experience.
  • Less Feature-Rich
    Not as feature-rich as competitors like Google Docs or Microsoft OneNote, lacking advanced features like AI-assisted writing.

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.

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.

Dropbox Paper videos

Dropbox Paper: Full Review (2019)

More videos:

  • Review - Google Docs vs Dropbox Paper
  • Review - How I Use Dropbox Paper to Run My Business

AppWrite videos

No AppWrite videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Dropbox Paper and AppWrite)
Task Management
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Backend As A Service
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Dropbox Paper and AppWrite. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

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

Dropbox Paper Reviews

20 Obsidian Alternatives: Top Note-Taking Tools to Consider
Typically referred to as Paper, Dropbox Paper is a collaborative document editing software. According to the company, Paper is perfect for collaborating on creative work. With Paper, you can make meeting notes, assign to-dos or tasks, and mention people without leaving the document.
Source: clickup.com
8 Best Free Google Keep Notes Alternatives for Easy Note-Taking
Dropbox Paper is a powerful note-taking platform that allows for collaboration and integrates with Dropbox for seamless file sharing. It supports various media formats, including YouTube videos, code scripts, and audio recordings. You can create to-do lists, schedule work and meetings, and enjoy unlimited cloud storage and sync. Dropbox Paper is available on all major...
The best encrypted note taking apps
Dropbox Paper: Dropbox Paper is a familiar product to existing Dropbox users. It provides a very simple, minimalist text editor with a basic set of features for planning, distributing tasks, and working together - suggesting a more team-based usage context. Notes, as with all files on Dropbox, are not end-to-end encrypted. For Dropbox users, we recommend reading our blog on...
Source: www.skiff.com
The 11 Best Slite Alternatives in 2022- Free Tools Included!
Cloud storage giant Dropbox has its own Slite alternative known as Dropbox Paper. Paper is a collaborative document editor that brings coordination and creation in one place.
Source: remoteverse.com
Best Evernote Alternatives in 2021 for Serious Note Takers
Dropbox Paper is another powerful alternative to Evernote that’s ideal for team collaboration. In addition to allowing you to add and edit notes as a team, Dropbox Paper offers a task management tool that lets you assign to-do lists, add due dates, and mention team members in real time within the document. You can also drop a link to nearly anything in your note — YouTube...

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.

    Competitors: Firebase
    Pros:    Easy to use|Cost effective|Open-source|Great user experience|Super simple|Self hosted
    Cons:    Self hosted

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
Appwrite’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. It’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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AppWrite seems to be more popular. 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.

Dropbox Paper mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Dropbox Paper yet. Tracking of Dropbox Paper recommendations started around Mar 2021.

AppWrite mentions (178)

  • Creating a Chatbot that actually Stands Out! (vibe coded version)🦖
    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 / 7 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 / 10 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. We’re hiring engineers across multiple teams to improve infrastructure, expand developer tooling, and scale our platform. Open roles: – 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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Dropbox Paper and AppWrite, you can also consider the following products

Quip - Quip is the modern productivity suite that simplifies your life and helps your team get work done faster.

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

Google Docs - Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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

Evernote - Bring your life's work together in one digital workspace. Evernote is the place to collect inspirational ideas, write meaningful words, and move your important projects forward.

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