Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Liveblocks VS AppWrite

Compare Liveblocks VS AppWrite and see what are their differences

Liveblocks logo Liveblocks

Build amazing real‑time collaborative products

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.
  • Liveblocks Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-08
  • AppWrite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28

Liveblocks features and specs

  • Real-time Collaboration
    Liveblocks enables real-time collaboration by synchronizing data across different users, which allows multiple people to work together seamlessly.
  • Scalability
    The service is designed to scale, making it suitable for small projects as well as large applications with a high number of simultaneous users.
  • Cross-platform Support
    Liveblocks can be integrated into web and mobile applications, providing flexibility in terms of where the real-time features can be used.
  • Developer-friendly API
    The API is straightforward and well-documented, which makes it easy for developers to integrate real-time capabilities into their applications.
  • Customization
    Liveblocks offers customization options, allowing developers to tailor the experience to meet the specific needs of their applications.

Possible disadvantages of Liveblocks

  • Complexity for Beginners
    Developers new to real-time frameworks might find the integration process complex and require a learning curve.
  • Cost
    For larger applications or those that need advanced features, the cost of using Liveblocks might be a concern, especially for startups or individual developers.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Since Liveblocks is a real-time service, a stable internet connection is critical for optimal performance. Poor connectivity can impact the user experience.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    The platform has limited functionalities when it comes to offline usage, which might pose a challenge for use cases requiring offline access.
  • Integration Complexity with Legacy Systems
    Integrating Liveblocks with older or legacy systems could present technical challenges and require additional development work.

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.

Liveblocks videos

Liveblocks & Livekit - Console DevTools Podcast S1E4

AppWrite videos

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

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Liveblocks and AppWrite)
Developer Tools
12 12%
88% 88
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Backend As A Service
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Liveblocks Reviews

We have no reviews of Liveblocks yet.
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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 should be more popular than Liveblocks. 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.

Liveblocks mentions (20)

  • Multi-player Mode is Everywhere, Even in Dev Tools
    Of course, you don’t have to code this functionality from scratch! You can also look at open-source software like Yjs, text-crdt, Automerge and so many more. Alternatively, you can check out tools like Liveblocks, Ably, etc. Which enable collaborative multi-player features. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • How to secure Liveblocks Rooms with Clerk in Next.js
    Liveblocks is a platform that enables developers to easily integrate collaborative features and custom real-time functionality within their applications. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • How to Build a Collaborative Editor with Next.js and Liveblocks
    // app/api/liveblocks-auth/route.ts Import { Liveblocks } from "@liveblocks/node"; Import { NextRequest } from "next/server"; Const liveblocks = new Liveblocks({ secret: process.env.LIVEBLOCKS_SECRET_KEY!, }); Export async function POST(request: NextRequest) { const userId = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10) % USER_INFO.length; const roomId = request.nextUrl.searchParams.get("roomId"); const session =... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Edit This Blog Post
    Absolutely! The real complexity comes from conflict resolution. If someone edits the top, and someone else edits the bottom, which version do you go with? What if they're editing the same area? Entire companies exist to provide elegant solutions to this[0], so it's no simple task. 0: https://liveblocks.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Show HN: I created a Chrome extension to add realtime features to any website
    I can imagine, browser extensions are a pain in the butt. Are you planning to open source the code? Did you build everything by yourself or on top of https://liveblocks.io/? - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
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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 Liveblocks and AppWrite, you can also consider the following products

Tip Tap - Select a mode, tap on the screen!

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

Hyperbeam - A better way to watch together online

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

Ably - The realtime platform that just works. We power more WebSocket connections than any other pub/sub platform, serving over 2 billion devices monthly.

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