Overview
Nhost is a fully managed, extensible backend platform designed for developers who want to launch applications quickly without managing infrastructure. It provides a complete backend stack including an enterprise-grade Postgres database, instant GraphQL API, authentication, file storage with CDN, serverless functions, and AI toolkit capabilities.
The platform is built for production from day one, with features like CI/CD pipelines, built-in observability, and autoscaling. Developers can run the entire Nhost stack locally via CLI, then deploy globally with a single git push. The service scales from indie projects to production applications serving millions of users.
Key features
- Managed Postgres database
- GraphQL API with real-time subscriptions
- Built-in authentication and OAuth
- File storage with global CDN
- Serverless functions (JS/TS)
- Bring your own containers
- AI toolkit with auto-embeddings
- Git-based CI/CD deployments
- Local development CLI
- Built-in observability and monitoring
Pros
- Complete backend stack out of the box
- No DevOps expertise required
- Fast local development and global deployment
- Scales from free tier to enterprise
- Production-ready infrastructure
- Flexible with custom containers and external databases
Cons
- Free tier limited to 1 project with 1-week inactivity pause
- Requires git-based workflow for deployments
- Some advanced features only on higher tiers
Use this if
You need a complete managed backend with Postgres, GraphQL, and authentication built-in. You want to avoid infrastructure management and deploy via git. You're building production applications that need to scale.
Skip this if
You prefer managing your own infrastructure or need a different database technology. You require on-premise deployment. You need a simpler, lightweight backend solution.
Best for
Rapid backend developmentProduction-ready applicationsScaling startupsFull-stack developersTeams avoiding DevOps overheadGraphQL-first projects
Alternatives
FirebaseSupabaseAWS AmplifyHasura CloudConvex
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