Nhost Review: Overview, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2025

Tired of building backends from scratch?

If you’re like most developers, you’ve wrestled with boilerplate API code and complex auth setups instead of actually shipping your app. That’s probably why you’re considering Nhost as an alternative.

In my analysis of Nhost, I actually established that hours disappear to repetitive backend tasks if you stick with DIY approaches instead of an integrated solution.

Nhost fixes this by combining Postgres, Hasura-powered GraphQL, authentication, file storage, and serverless functions—all managed for you, all open-source. What stands out is how tightly these features work together, letting you skip the patchwork and get right to coding features your users want.

In this review, I’ll show you how Nhost removes backend busywork and empowers you to move faster from prototype to production.

You’ll get a rundown of core capabilities, pricing, real-world usage, and alternatives in this Nhost review—everything needed to make an informed choice.

You’ll walk away knowing which features you need to simplify, scale, and actually launch your next project confidently.

Let’s dive into the analysis.

Nhost Overview

Nhost has been around since 2019, based in Stockholm. My research shows they’re on a mission to simplify your backend development with powerful, integrated open-source tools.

They primarily target individual developers, startups, and digital agencies that need to build and scale modern applications without the usual backend complexities. My analysis shows their GraphQL-native experience with PostgreSQL is what truly sets them apart.

Following their significant $15M Series A funding, I’ve watched them accelerate product innovation. This financial stability is a critical indicator for any serious Nhost review.

Unlike proprietary, closed-source platforms like Firebase, Nhost is built entirely on open technology. This approach gives you more control over your data and, from my perspective, crucially helps your business avoid expensive vendor lock-in.

You’ll find Nhost is trusted by innovative startups and agile agencies building the next generation of scalable apps that require a powerful yet simplified backend infrastructure.

What impressed me most is their laser-focus on an exceptional developer experience. They’re betting that providing a cohesive platform on trusted tech like PostgreSQL and Hasura is exactly what your modern team needs to build faster.

Now let’s examine their core capabilities.

Nhost Features

Building a backend from scratch is slow and painful.

Nhost features provide a complete, integrated backend-as-a-service, letting you focus on your frontend. These are the five core Nhost features that accelerate app development.

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1. Postgres Database with Hasura GraphQL API

Writing endless API endpoints?

Building backend APIs for basic data operations wastes valuable developer time. This slows your project down significantly.

Nhost’s managed Postgres with Hasura automatically generates a real-time GraphQL API. What I found is that you get instant, powerful data access just by defining your database schema. This feature removes the need for manual API coding.

This means you can ship data-driven features much faster, focusing on the user experience instead of boilerplate.

2. Authentication

User management giving you headaches?

Implementing secure user sign-up and login is complex and prone to errors. Getting it wrong exposes your application to risks.

Nhost Auth offers robust, pre-built user management with multiple sign-in methods, from social logins to magic links. This is where Nhost shines; it integrates seamlessly with Hasura’s permission system. This feature allows you to define granular access rules easily.

You get secure user management out-of-the-box, ensuring data privacy and saving you countless hours of development.

3. Storage

Struggling with file uploads?

Managing user-generated content securely, like profile pictures or documents, can be tricky. You need reliable, scalable storage.

Nhost provides an S3-compatible object storage service that’s deeply integrated with its authentication and permissions layers. From my testing, uploading files directly from the client is simple, and access rules are easy to set. This feature ensures your files are secure and easily accessible.

You can reliably handle all your application’s media and document storage, serving content efficiently and securely to your users.

4. Serverless Functions

Need custom backend logic?

Not all application logic fits into standard database operations. You often need custom code for payments or integrations.

Nhost’s Serverless Functions let you run custom TypeScript/JavaScript code for specific tasks. What impressed me most is how functions can be triggered by database events or webhooks. This feature provides the flexibility to extend your application beyond core CRUD.

This means you can implement complex business logic like sending welcome emails or processing payments without managing separate servers.

5. Nhost CLI & Local Development

Local environment setups causing friction?

Ensuring consistency between local development and cloud deployments is a common developer pain point. It often leads to deployment surprises.

The Nhost CLI allows you to run the entire Nhost backend stack locally, mirroring your production environment. From my evaluation, local testing and database migrations become foolproof with this feature. You can build and test with confidence.

Your development workflow becomes more predictable and efficient, bridging the gap between local coding and live deployments seamlessly.

These Nhost features work together to create an integrated backend-as-a-service platform that significantly streamlines development. You get a cohesive environment where every component enhances the others for rapid application building.

Nhost Pricing

Finding transparent backend-as-a-service pricing? It’s here.

Nhost pricing offers clear, scalable tiers, making it straightforward to understand costs from hobby projects to full-scale production applications. What I found regarding pricing is its refreshingly transparent approach.

Plan	Price & Features
Free	$0/month • All core features (Postgres, GraphQL, Auth, Storage, Functions) • Community support • Up to 5 team members • 1 GB database storage • 10 GB bandwidth
Pro	$25/month per project • No project pausing • Daily backups • Unlimited team members • 8 GB database storage • 50 GB bandwidth
Enterprise	Custom pricing (contact sales) • Dedicated infrastructure (VPC) • Point-in-time recovery • Custom security questionnaires • SLAs • Dedicated support channels

1. Value Assessment

Great value for your development budget.

From my cost analysis, Nhost’s free tier is incredibly generous, allowing you to build and test extensively before committing financially. The Pro plan offers robust resources at a predictable monthly rate, making scaling your application budget-friendly. This pricing avoids complex variable costs of hyperscale cloud providers.

This means your development costs are clear, letting you focus on building features rather than managing unpredictable expenses.

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2. Trial/Demo Options

Evaluate Nhost without financial risk.

Nhost’s comprehensive Free Plan functions as an ongoing trial, giving you full access to all core features. What I found useful is that you can fully develop a small application without upfront costs, ensuring Nhost fits your project needs before upgrading.

This allows you to experience the platform’s power firsthand, confidently evaluating its suitability before committing to any Nhost pricing.

3. Plan Comparison

Choosing the ideal Nhost plan for you.

For hobbyists, the Free Plan is an unparalleled starting point. Startups and agencies find the Pro plan’s predictable Nhost pricing and resources sufficient for production applications. What stands out is how Pro plan overage costs provide flexible scaling for unexpected growth.

Budget-wise, you can confidently select the tier that aligns perfectly with your current project stage and growth projections.

My Take: Nhost’s pricing is designed for developers, offering remarkable transparency and scalability from free exploration to enterprise-level demands. It’s ideal for those seeking predictable costs in their backend infrastructure.

Overall, Nhost’s pricing model offers a straightforward and highly competitive structure, particularly for projects moving from development to production. It represents excellent value for your backend development investment.

Nhost Reviews

Real Nhost customer experiences analyzed.

From my review analysis, Nhost reviews offer a clear picture of user sentiment. I’ve gathered feedback from various platforms to give you balanced insights into what customers truly think about the software.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users seem highly impressed.

My analysis of user feedback shows Nhost consistently garners strong positive ratings, often described as a “force multiplier.” What stood out in these Nhost reviews is the widespread satisfaction with its efficiency, particularly among small teams and startups. This reflects a generally positive user sentiment for the platform.

This indicates that for developers seeking accelerated development, Nhost often exceeds expectations, delivering on its promise of speed.

2. Common Praise Points

Speed and integration win users.

Users consistently praise Nhost’s development speed, citing the Postgres and Hasura combination as a “game-changer.” From customer feedback, the all-in-one platform—combining database, auth, storage, and functions—is highly valued for its streamlined workflow. This comprehensive integration simplifies backend management significantly.

This means you can expect drastically reduced time-to-market and simplified infrastructure management, freeing you to focus on frontend development.

3. Frequent Complaints

Some specific challenges emerge.

While largely positive, Nhost reviews do highlight a learning curve, especially with Hasura’s permission system and advanced configurations. Review-wise, some users also mention minor bugs or documentation gaps for edge cases, typical for a growing platform. Maturity and comprehensive guides are areas needing refinement.

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These issues generally appear to be minor hurdles rather than deal-breakers, often resolvable with responsive support or deeper dives into documentation.

The overall Nhost reviews reflect a strong positive sentiment, particularly for its speed and integrated services. My analysis reveals genuine satisfaction with significant time savings as the key takeaway for users.

Best Nhost Alternatives

Navigating Nhost alternatives can feel complex.

The best Nhost alternatives include strong options, each better for different business sizes, budgets, and technical preferences. I’ll guide you through making the right choice for your specific needs.

1. Supabase

Prefer REST-first APIs or specific client libraries?

Supabase, a direct alternative, also builds on Postgres and is open-source. What I found comparing options is that Supabase offers strong RESTful API focus, while Nhost shines with its native Hasura GraphQL integration. This alternative suits teams already comfortable with REST-centric development.

Choose Supabase if your primary interface is REST or you are already using their dedicated client libraries for your development workflow.

2. Firebase (Google)

Building on NoSQL or heavily integrated with Google Cloud?

Firebase, the market incumbent, uses NoSQL databases and integrates deeply with the Google Cloud ecosystem. From my competitive analysis, Firebase offers deep Google service integration, which differs significantly from Nhost’s open-source, SQL-first approach. Pricing is usage-based and less predictable.

Opt for Firebase if you prefer NoSQL databases or require tight integration with other Google services like AdMob or Analytics.

3. AWS Amplify

Need enterprise-grade power within the AWS ecosystem?

Backed by Amazon, AWS Amplify provides immense power and scalability through a framework for various AWS services. Alternative-wise, Amplify brings enterprise-level AWS integration but with significantly more setup complexity. Nhost focuses on simplicity and a much faster developer experience.

Select AWS Amplify for large enterprise applications needing deep AWS ecosystem integration, accepting higher complexity and costs.

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4. Appwrite

Is self-hosting simplicity your top priority?

Appwrite is another popular open-source BaaS known for its simplicity and ease of self-hosting. For your specific needs, Appwrite excels in effortless self-hosting from the start or when you prefer its specific API design. Nhost offers a more powerful Postgres/Hasura data layer.

Consider Appwrite if self-hosting is a key requirement or you prefer its specific API design and SDKs for your project.

The best Nhost alternatives depend on your project’s core requirements and strategic alignment, offering specialized advantages for various situations. Focus on your specific use case to make the most informed decision.

Compare Nhost With Alternatives →

Setup & Implementation

Nhost implementation: Simpler than you think.

Nhost’s deployment is designed for developer velocity, simplifying the backend. This Nhost review explores what a real-world implementation entails, focusing on practical preparation and realistic expectations for your business.

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1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Expect quick setup, but plan for depth.

Getting started with Nhost is remarkably fast, particularly for developers comfortable with modern web frameworks and the Nhost CLI. From my implementation analysis, initial project setup can take under an hour, making it highly agile. However, full solution deployment depends on your frontend complexity.

You’ll want to prepare your development team for rapid iteration, leveraging Nhost’s ability to mirror the cloud environment locally for streamlined workflows.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Your team’s technical comfort is key.

To effectively leverage Nhost, your team needs comfort with a modern JavaScript frontend framework (like React or Vue) and basic API concepts. What I found about deployment is that understanding GraphQL and Hasura’s permissions is critical for advanced database interactions and security. SQL knowledge also proves beneficial.

Prepare your IT readiness by assessing your team’s familiarity with these technologies and planning for any upskilling necessary for full backend control.

3. Training & Change Management

User adoption: It’s all about GraphQL.

While Nhost’s core platform is intuitive, the main learning curve centers on GraphQL and Hasura’s powerful permission system. From my analysis, developers new to Hasura will require focused training to fully unlock its potential. Change management largely applies to your dev team’s workflow adjustments.

Plan for dedicated time for your developers to master Hasura’s nuances. This investment ensures your team maximizes Nhost’s capabilities and avoids potential configuration pitfalls.

4. Support & Success Factors

Solid support fuels your implementation.

Nhost offers responsive community support via Discord and GitHub, with dedicated channels for paying customers. Quality implementation support is crucial for addressing unique scenarios. What I found about deployment is that proactive engagement with support ensures smoother progress through any technical challenges or documentation gaps.

For your implementation to succeed, actively utilize Nhost’s documentation and support channels. Prioritize having clear project goals and consistent team communication to stay on track.

Implementation Checklist

• Timeline: Days for basic setup, weeks for full integration
• Team Size: Frontend developers with API and JS framework skills
• Budget: Primarily developer time for setup and learning
• Technical: Grasp of GraphQL, Hasura permissions, and SQL
• Success Factor: Developer familiarity with modern web frameworks

The overall Nhost implementation emphasizes rapid developer workflows and quick backend deployment, especially for teams comfortable with its open-source stack. The overall Nhost implementation is straightforward for technically capable teams.

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Who’s Nhost For

Does Nhost fit your development workflow?

This Nhost review analyzes who benefits most from its integrated backend platform. I’ll help you determine if its focus on speed, open-source tools, and developer experience aligns with your specific business profile.

1. Ideal User Profile

Frontend developers, startups, agencies seeking speed.

Nhost is perfect for frontend developers eager to build full-stack apps without deep backend expertise. Startups needing to launch an MVP quickly, or agencies on tight client deadlines, will find it ideal. From my user analysis, teams prioritizing rapid development and a GraphQL-native experience thrive here.

You’ll benefit if minimizing backend development time and focusing on user-facing features is your primary objective.

2. Business Size & Scale

Small, agile teams needing backend acceleration.

Nhost excels for individual developers, small startup teams, and agencies (SMBs) needing to build and scale apps quickly. What I found about target users is that smaller teams often find Nhost a powerful force multiplier, enabling more with fewer resources. While enterprise plans exist, its core strength benefits agile, developer-centric groups.

You’ll find it a good fit if your agile team values a pre-integrated stack, emphasizing speed over deep custom infrastructure needs.

3. Use Case Scenarios

Building real-time web/mobile applications.

Nhost excels when building web and mobile applications with standard requirements like user accounts, data storage, and file uploads. It’s ideal for rapid prototyping. From my analysis, projects where real-time data via GraphQL subscriptions are key benefit immensely, accelerating time-to-market.

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You’ll appreciate Nhost if your primary goal is to minimize backend development, focusing on user-facing features and fast iteration.

4. Who Should Look Elsewhere

Need deep customization? Look elsewhere.

Nhost might not be ideal if you need deep customization beyond its opinionated stack, or extensive integration with complex, pre-existing enterprise infrastructure. From my user analysis, teams new to Hasura or GraphQL may face a learning curve. Also, some users report minor bugs with less-used features.

Consider alternatives like AWS Amplify or Heroku if your project demands extensive backend flexibility, or if your team isn’t ready for GraphQL.

Best Fit Assessment

• Perfect For: Frontend developers, startups, agencies minimizing backend dev
• Business Size: Individual developers, small startup teams, and SMBs (agencies)
• Primary Use Case: Rapid prototyping, web/mobile apps with real-time data (GraphQL)
• Budget Range: Ideal for those valuing predictable costs and faster time-to-market
• Skip If: Need deep backend customization or complex enterprise infrastructure integration

Ultimately, this Nhost review shows your best fit depends on prioritizing rapid development and an opinionated, open-source stack. If speed and developer experience are key, Nhost is likely a strong contender for your project.

See If Nhost Fits Your Needs →

Bottom Line

Nhost emerges as a powerful development accelerator.

My Nhost review provides a comprehensive look at its value, revealing how it can significantly impact your development process. Here’s my take on who benefits most from this innovative platform.

1. Overall Strengths

Nhost truly excels at accelerating your development workflow.

The platform’s all-in-one approach, combining Postgres, Hasura, authentication, and storage, drastically cuts setup time. From my comprehensive analysis, its open-source core minimizes vendor lock-in, offering a highly efficient foundation for rapid application building.

These strengths translate into less backend setup time, accelerating your market entry. You can focus on core product features and the user experience.

2. Key Limitations

Nhost, despite its strengths, presents a few understandable challenges.

While powerful, Hasura’s GraphQL and its permission system can introduce a learning curve for newcomers. Based on this review, some minor bugs and documentation gaps exist for less common features, reflecting its relative newness compared to established alternatives like Firebase.

These limitations are generally manageable, often addressed by responsive support, and shouldn’t be deal-breakers for most experienced developers or small teams.

3. Final Recommendation

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I strongly recommend Nhost for specific user profiles.

You should choose Nhost if you’re an individual developer, startup, or agency prioritizing rapid backend development with an open-source, GraphQL-native stack. From my analysis, it excels for lean teams building MVPs or scalable applications quickly, greatly reducing time-to-market.

My recommendation is confident for those comfortable with Hasura and seeking a unified, powerful BaaS. Your next step should be a thorough trial.

Bottom Line

• Verdict: Recommended for rapid, GraphQL-native backend development
• Best For: Individual developers, startups, and lean agencies
• Biggest Strength: All-in-one, open-source stack for rapid deployment
• Main Concern: Initial Hasura learning curve for new users
• Next Step: Sign up for a free trial to test the workflow

This Nhost review confidently concludes that Nhost offers immense value for focused teams. Its strengths genuinely outweigh its minor drawbacks for its target audience, making it a compelling choice for your next project.

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