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Self-host Nhost

updated Jul 2026prices checked · Aug 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Jul 2026 · how we test

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
Pocket the difference — spin it up on a cheap VPS in minutes.Start free on Kamatera → (opens in new tab)

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

Run these commands on your server:

# Nhost — self-hosting reference stack (community-maintained; no formal support without a paid agreement)
git clone https://github.com/nhost/nhost
cd nhost/examples/docker-compose
cp .env.example .env
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.

An alternative to

Firebase →

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