Nhost review 2026: see how this open-source Postgres and GraphQL backend platform compares on features, pricing tiers, and top Firebase and Supabase…
Nhost is an open-source backend platform built to give developers a production-ready backend without writing custom server code. At its core is a managed PostgreSQL database paired with the Hasura GraphQL Engine, which automatically exposes the database schema as a fully-featured GraphQL API complete with realtime subscriptions and fine-grained permissions.
Founded in 2019 and based in Stockholm, Sweden, Nhost is frequently described as an open-source alternative to Firebase, but with a relational Postgres foundation instead of a proprietary NoSQL database. The platform bundles authentication, file storage, and serverless functions alongside the database and API, so teams can build a complete application backend from a single dashboard and CLI.
The GraphQL API is generated directly from the Postgres schema, meaning developers get queries, mutations, and live subscriptions as soon as tables are created, without hand-writing resolvers. Row-level permissions can be attached per role, and remote schemas let teams stitch in third-party APIs or legacy services alongside their own data.
Authentication supports email and password, passwordless magic links, and OAuth sign-in with providers like Google and GitHub, with unlimited users included even on the free tier. Storage is S3-compatible for files and media, and serverless Functions written in Node.js or TypeScript can run custom business logic that hooks into the same GraphQL layer, all deployable through the Nhost CLI and git-based Infrastructure-as-Code workflows.
Nhost uses a usage-based freemium model. The free Starter plan is meant for prototyping and side projects, capped at 1 GB of database storage and 1 GB of file storage on a single project that pauses after a week without traffic.
Paid plans begin with Pro at 25 dollars per month, which raises resource limits and adds automated backups and monitoring, followed by Team at 599 dollars per month for SOC 2 compliance and SLA support, and a custom-quoted Enterprise tier for dedicated infrastructure and account management.
Nhost is used as a backend-as-a-service for web and mobile apps, providing a managed Postgres database, an auto-generated GraphQL API, authentication, file storage, and serverless functions so developers do not need to build and host their own backend infrastructure.
Yes. Nhost's core stack, including its database tooling, Hasura-based GraphQL layer, authentication service, and storage service, is open source and can be self-hosted, in addition to being available as a managed cloud service.
Both are open-source, Postgres-based backend platforms, but Nhost centers its API layer on GraphQL through Hasura, while Supabase centers its API layer on REST through PostgREST. Teams that prefer GraphQL as their primary API paradigm tend to gravitate toward Nhost.
Yes, Nhost offers a free Starter plan with 1 GB of database storage, 1 GB of file storage, and 5 GB of egress, suitable for small projects and prototypes, though the single free project pauses after a week of inactivity.
Nhost serverless Functions are written in Node.js using JavaScript or TypeScript.
Nhost is a Stockholm, Sweden-based startup founded in 2019 that raised a 3 million dollar seed round in 2021 led by Nauta Capital, with angel backing from the founders of GitHub and Netlify.
Yes, through GraphQL subscriptions, Nhost pushes live updates to connected clients automatically whenever the underlying database rows change, without requiring custom WebSocket infrastructure.