Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SendBird VS AppWrite

Compare SendBird 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.

SendBird logo SendBird

SendBird is messaging-as-a-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.
  • SendBird Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-17
  • AppWrite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28

SendBird

$ Details
-
Release Date
2013 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
City
San Mateo
Founder(s)
Brandon Y Jeon
Employees
100 - 249

AppWrite

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

SendBird features and specs

  • Scalability
    SendBird supports enterprise-level scalability, enabling businesses to handle millions of users and messages with ease.
  • Feature-rich
    The platform offers a wide range of features including chat, voice, and video capabilities, as well as support for rich media, GIFs, and file sharing.
  • Customizability
    SendBird provides extensive APIs and SDKs that allow developers to customize and integrate the chat functionality seamlessly into their applications.
  • Robust moderation tools
    The service includes powerful moderation tools such as profanity filters, user banning, and admin message controls, which are essential for maintaining community standards.
  • Real-time messaging
    SendBird offers low-latency, real-time messaging that ensures a smooth and interactive user experience.
  • Cross-platform support
    SendBird is compatible with various platforms including iOS, Android, and web, which ensures a consistent user experience across devices.
  • Analytics and reporting
    The platform provides comprehensive analytics and reporting tools that help businesses gain insights into user behavior and engagement.

Possible disadvantages of SendBird

  • Cost
    SendBird can be quite expensive, especially for startups and small businesses, with pricing plans that may not be feasible for all budgets.
  • Complex setup
    The platform's extensive features and customization options can result in a steep learning curve and a complex setup process for new users.
  • API limitations
    Some users have reported limitations and restrictions in the API that can hinder more advanced customizations and integrations.
  • Customer support
    While SendBird offers customer support, some users have experienced slower response times and less satisfactory support resolutions.
  • Third-party dependencies
    The platform's performance may be affected by third-party dependencies and integrations, which can introduce unpredictability in service reliability.

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 SendBird

Overall verdict

  • Yes, SendBird is considered a good option for those looking to implement reliable and feature-rich chat functionalities into their applications. Its user-friendly set-up, comprehensive features, and strong support make it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes.

Why this product is good

  • SendBird is a widely recognized platform for integrating chat functionalities into apps and websites. It is praised for its scalability, robust features, ease of integration, and strong customer support. The platform supports various communication capabilities such as group chats, 1-on-1 messaging, and chat moderation tools, catering to different business needs across industries. Additionally, SendBird provides a comprehensive API and SDKs for smooth and efficient deployment, making it suitable for developers aiming for customizable chat solutions.

Recommended for

    SendBird is recommended for enterprises, startups, and developers looking to enhance user engagement on their platforms with real-time chat features. It is particularly beneficial for industries such as e-commerce, healthcare, social media, and any other vertical that requires efficient user communication solutions.

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.

SendBird videos

Sendbird Launches the Sendbird Calls API for In-app Voice and Video

More videos:

  • Review - The Beginning of SendBird and Entering Silicon Valley

AppWrite videos

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

Add video

Category Popularity

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

User comments

Share your experience with using SendBird 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 SendBird and AppWrite

SendBird Reviews

Best Whitelabel AI Virtual Assistants (Ranked & Reviewed)
AI ProvidersHighlightsCountriesG2 ReviewsRatings1. ApphitectSelf-hosted & white label solution and custom work-flowUAEG2 -5.5/5(โญโญโญโญโญ)2. CONTUS TECHBuild 100% custom AI virtual assistant in 48 hoursIndia & USAG2 -4.6/5 (โญโญโญโญโ˜†)3. SendbirdMonthly subscriptions & SaaS productsUSAG2 -4.6/5 (โญโญโญโญโ˜†)4. MirrorFlyComplete data control, 100% custom features & full source code...
5 Best CometChat Alternatives, Competitors & Pricing
Sendbirdโ€™s pricing typically offers a range of plans tailored to various needs, including a free tier with limited features and paid tiers with more advanced functionalities. In contrast, CometChatโ€™s pricing structure may vary, but it generally offers competitive pricing options, allowing businesses to choose based on their specific requirements and budget constraints.
Top 10 Agentic AI Companies In 2026 โ€“ Manually Reviewed
Sendbird, primarily an omnichannel communication solution platform, was founded in 2013.
15 Best Twilio Alternatives 2022
Therefore, the biggest Sendbirdโ€™s advantage is something Twilio canโ€™t do, and itโ€™s to make an app social which is why Sendbird might be the right alternative for you if you run an app.

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AppWrite seems to be a lot more popular than SendBird. While we know about 178 links to AppWrite, we've tracked only 14 mentions of SendBird. 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.

SendBird mentions (14)

  • Chat API pricing: Comparing MAU and per-minute consumption models
    The Monthly Active Users (MAU) model is one of the most widely used pricing models in the industry. Providers like CometChat, Sendbird, Twilio, and Stream charge based on the number of unique active users per month. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • WebSocket vs. HTTP communication protocols
    Fortunately, you donโ€™t need to choose one over the other. The two communication protocols can, and often should, be used together, allowing each to do what it does best. If you need to implement real-time communication and streaming functionality in your applications, check out Sendbird. Sendbirdโ€™s APIs and client SDKs handle the technical heavy lifting for in-app chat, calls, and live streaming. Sendbirdโ€™s chat... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • SwiftUI vs. UIKit: What is the best choice for building an iOS user interface in 2024?
    After you've analyzed the SwiftUI vs. UIkit comparison, consider adding customer communications to your app to enhance user engagement, retention, and CSAT. You can do this with Sendbird, an all-in-one communications API platform for web and mobile apps. Sendbird's highly abstracted APIs empower developers to build robust and scalable communication experiences (for chat, notifications, and in-app calls) across web... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • 5 Best Instant Messaging APIs
    Sendbird Chat enables developers to implement chat and instant messaging by providing an SDK with ready-made chat UI components. They cover all the essential features you might expect, including voice and video, which makes it possible to deliver a comprehensive experience. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Custom vs. off-the-shelf React web notification systems: Which is better?
    Sendbird focuses on in-app messaging but also offers push notifications. It's designed to be highly customizable and can be a great fit if you want to offer your users a more interactive experience. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
View more

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

What are some alternatives?

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

Twilio - Brings voice and messaging to your web and mobile applications.

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

Chat by Stream - Build and ship in app messaging in a few hours

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

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

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