Self-host Nhost

Backend & BaaS

deployed & timed by usprices checked · Jul 2026

Open-source Firebase alternative built on Postgres and Hasura's instant GraphQL API, with authentication, file storage, and serverless functions in one Docker Compose stack.

Firebase / yr$300

Self-hosted / yr~$55

You keep$245/yr

Key facts

CategoryBackend & BaaS

LicenseMIT

StackPostgreSQL, Hasura

Min RAM2048 MB

Dockeryes

Difficulty

Our recommendation

Reach for Nhost when you want Hasura's instant GraphQL API over Postgres bundled with auth, storage, and functions — a strong fit if your app is GraphQL-first rather than REST-first. Budget 2 GB and expect to do more assembly than Supabase's official stack: the self-hosted path is a community Docker Compose reference, not the product Nhost sells as managed cloud.

What you need

Any VPS with at least 2048 MB of RAM
A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
About the better part of a day

Install with Docker Compose

Save this as compose.yml and run docker compose up -d:

# Nhost — official Docker Compose reference implementation
git clone https://github.com/nhost/nhost
cd nhost/examples/docker-compose
cp .env.example .env
# community reference only — not officially supported without a support agreement
docker compose up -d

vps picksBest VPS for self-hostingbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly

What you take on

Nhost is Postgres and Hasura underneath, both mature — but the self-hosted packaging asks more of you than the hosted product does:

non-negotiableSelf-hosting is community-maintained, not the core product. Nhost's business is managed cloud; the Compose setup is a community reference implementation without an official support agreement — treat docs gaps as expected, not a bug.

non-negotiableHasura adds a piece to operate. You're running and understanding a GraphQL engine on top of Postgres, not just Postgres — budget time to learn Hasura's permission and metadata model.

non-negotiableBackups are your own Postgres discipline. Same as any self-hosted Postgres app: pg_dump/WAL-archiving and a tested restore, because nothing does it for you.