Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best Backend As A Service (2026)
The cheapest backend as a service is Appwrite at $0/mo. 8 offer a free tier (Appwrite, Back4App, Convex). This page compares 8 options on entry price, free tier, HIPAA/SOC 2 and best-for — every figure linked to its source, updated June 2026.
8 options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked cheapest-first. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it; quote-only tiers show “—”, never a guess.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest: Appwrite at $0/mo (Free).
- Typical paid price: from $15/mo, median $25/mo, up to $85/mo — across 6 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Appwrite, Back4App, Convex, Firebase (Google), Nhost, PocketBase, Supabase, Xano.
- HIPAA-ready: Appwrite, Back4App, Convex, Firebase (Google), Supabase, Xano.
- Tracked: 8 vendors, data current through 2026-06-19.
Comparison
| # | Backend As A Service | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appwrite | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | self-hosted deployments | appwrite.io |
| 2 | Back4App | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Parse migrations | back4app.com |
| 3 | Convex | $0/mo Free & Starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | TypeScript-first teams | convex.dev |
| 4 | Firebase (Google) | $0/mo Spark (No-Cost) | Yes | Yes | Yes | mobile apps | firebase.google.com |
| 5 | Nhost | $0/mo Starter | Yes | — | Yes | GraphQL-first apps | nhost.io |
| 6 | PocketBase | $0/mo Open Source (Self-Hosted) | Yes | — | — | solo developers | pocketbase.io |
| 7 | Supabase | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | startups | supabase.com |
| 8 | Xano | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | no-code/low-code builders | xano.com |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest backend as a service?
Appwrite has the lowest published entry price at $0/mo (Free), as of 2026-06-19.
How much does backend as a service cost per month?
Across the 6 backend as a service with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $25/mo, ranging from $15/mo to $85/mo, as of 2026-06-19. 8 also offer a free tier.
Which backend as a service have a free plan?
Appwrite, Back4App, Convex, Firebase (Google), Nhost, PocketBase, Supabase, Xano offer a free tier.
Which backend as a service support HIPAA?
Appwrite, Back4App, Convex, Firebase (Google), Supabase, Xano state HIPAA support (a BAA). Always confirm current scope with the vendor.
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How we compiled this
Official pricing pages were fetched directly for each vendor: supabase.com/pricing, firebase.google.com/pricing, appwrite.io/pricing, nhost.io/pricing, back4app.com/pricing/backend-as-a-service, convex.dev/pricing, xano.com/pricing, and pocketbase.io. Security/compliance pages were fetched for each (supabase.com/security, appwrite.io/docs/advanced/security, convex.dev/security, nhost.io/pricing); supplemental WebSearch corroborated Appwrite SOC 2 (Type I only), Firebase HIPAA-eligible services via the Google Cloud BAA, and Back4App HIPAA being Dedicated-plan-only. Xano publishes annual-billing prices only; Essential ($85/mo) and Pro ($224/mo) are the billed-annually monthly-equivalents (noted per plan). Convex Professional is per-developer ($25/dev/mo). PocketBase is open-source self-hosted software with no official commercial SaaS pricing; monthlyUsd is 0. Enterprise/Custom tiers with no published price have monthlyUsd=null. accessedAt 2026-06-19.
Last verified 2026-06-19. We re-check published prices and compliance on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
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