Compare Fusio to Appwrite

This page compares Fusio, an open-source API management platform focused on building and managing APIs, with Appwrite, an open-source backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that provides a suite of backend services for modern web and mobile applications. While both are tools for backend development, they serve different goals and developer workflows.

🔍 Feature Comparison

Feature	Fusio	Appwrite
Type	API management platform	Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS)
Primary Use Case	Build, secure, and expose REST APIs	Full backend functionality for apps
Open Source	✅ Yes (Apache 2.0)	✅ Yes (BSD 3-Clause)
Hosting	Self-hosted (Docker, Composer)	Self-hosted (Docker), managed cloud options
Database Support	Connects to external SQL databases	Built-in database / NoSQL-like collections
API Generation	Manual API definitions with custom logic	Auto-generated REST APIs + real-time subscriptions
Authentication	Built-in OAuth2	Built-in Auth + OAuth/JWT providers
Real-Time Features	⚠️ Possible via custom logic	✅ Built-in real-time subscriptions
Custom Logic	PHP/JS/SQL actions	Cloud Functions (multiple runtimes)
Storage	Integration with filesystem / external storage via actions	Built-in file/storage API
SDK Support	SDK generators for different languages	SDKs for many languages/platforms

🎯 Key Differences

The main difference between Fusio and Appwrite lies in their architectural focus and intended use cases.

Fusio is a developer-centric API management platform designed for teams who want full control over APIs and backend logic:

Create and manage structured REST APIs with fine-grained control
Define request/response schemas and security policies
Secure endpoints using built-in OAuth2 authentication
Integrate with existing SQL databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL)
Execute backend logic via PHP, JavaScript, or SQL actions

Fusio is responsible for API design, backend logic, and lifecycle workflows and excels when you need precise control over API behavior and documentation.

Appwrite is an all-in-one backend platform that provides a suite of services to build full applications quickly:

Built-in user authentication with multiple methods
Database and collections with flexible data models
Real-time subscriptions and event support
File and object storage APIs
Cloud Functions supporting multiple programming languages
SDKs for web and mobile platforms to accelerate client development

Appwrite focuses on delivering a rich developer experience for complete app backends, reducing the need to assemble multiple backend services manually.

📌 When to Choose Which

Choose Fusio if:

You want full control over API design, security, and logic
You plan to connect APIs to existing SQL databases or enterprise systems
You need built-in API management features like OAuth2 and OpenAPI docs
You prefer a self-hosted, provider-independent backend stack
Your project is API-first or enterprise/backend focused

Fusio is ideal for teams that want to build custom APIs that integrate deeply with existing data and business logic.

Choose Appwrite if:

You want to rapidly build full web or mobile backends with minimal setup
You need auth, real-time capabilities, storage, and functions out-of-the-box
You value SDK support for many client platforms
You prefer a backend-as-a-service model that includes most common backend features
Your focus is on application development over API infrastructure

Appwrite is great for frontend developers, MVPs, and teams building full-stack apps without assembling multiple services.