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SurrealDB alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave SurrealDB: younger ecosystem with fewer ORMs and tools, and surrealQL is another language to learn. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces SurrealDB, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. MongoDB Atlas currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1MongoDB Atlas logoMongoDB AtlasFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 466.5
2Supabase logoSupabaseFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
3Firebase logoFirebaseFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 459.6
4PocketBase logoPocketBaseOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS +14 of 457.2
  1. MongoDB Atlas logo

    1. MongoDB AtlasTop pick

    Best for: Teams building on MongoDB who want it managed on their preferred cloud

    Free plan + paidWeb

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from SurrealDB

    Mature managed document database with vector search.

    Pros

    • Run by the MongoDB company on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure
    • Built-in full-text and vector search
    • Free cluster for learning and prototypes

    Cons

    • Dedicated clusters get expensive as data grows
    • Database only, with no end-user auth or storage layer
    • Document modelling can be awkward for heavily relational data
    Visit MongoDB Atlas Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is MongoDB Atlas a good SurrealDB alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free cluster
    512MB storage, free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mongodb.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Flex cluster
    Up to $30/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mongodb.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Dedicated cluster
    From $56.94/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mongodb.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Search
    Full-text and vector search built in
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mongodb.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Supabase logo

    2. Supabase

    Best for: Developers who want Postgres plus auth, storage and realtime without running servers

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from SurrealDB

    Postgres with pgvector, auth and realtime in a widely used platform.

    Pros

    • Real Postgres underneath, so SQL, extensions and standard tooling all work
    • Auth, storage, realtime and functions in one dashboard
    • Open source and self-hostable with Docker
    • Large community and many framework guides

    Cons

    • Free projects pause after a week of inactivity
    • Usage charges for compute and egress can be hard to predict
    • Self-hosting the full stack takes real operations work
    Visit Supabase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Supabase a good SurrealDB alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0/month, 2 active projects
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    From $25/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free project pausing
    After 1 week of inactivity
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Firebase logo

    3. Firebase

    Best for: Mobile and web teams who want realtime sync, auth and push messaging from one vendor

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from SurrealDB

    Managed realtime document database with client SDKs.

    Pros

    • Mature SDKs for Android, iOS, Flutter and web
    • Realtime sync and offline support built into the client libraries
    • Wide set of mobile services such as crash reporting and push messaging

    Cons

    • Ties your app closely to Google Cloud
    • NoSQL query limits often force data duplication
    • Pay-as-you-go bills can spike with heavy reads
    Visit Firebase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Firebase a good SurrealDB alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Spark plan (no-cost)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plan
    Blaze, pay as you go
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Database
    Firestore, a NoSQL document database
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SQL option
    PostgreSQL via Firebase SQL Connect
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. PocketBase logo

    4. PocketBase

    Best for: Solo developers and small apps that want a full backend on one cheap server

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from SurrealDB

    Simple self-hosted backend with realtime and auth on SQLite.

    Pros

    • One binary with no external database or dependencies
    • Built-in admin dashboard, auth and realtime
    • Free and MIT-licensed
    • Easy to back up and move between servers

    Cons

    • Scales only on a single server
    • SQLite only, with no plans for other databases
    • No company, hosted cloud or paid support behind it
    • Pre-1.0, so upgrades can include breaking changes
    Visit PocketBase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is PocketBase a good SurrealDB alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Hosting
    Self-hosted only
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pocketbase.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Database
    Embedded SQLite
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pocketbase.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Scaling
    Single server (vertical) only
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pocketbase.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best SurrealDB alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

MongoDB Atlas logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for most people

MongoDB Atlas

Mature managed document database with vector search.

PocketBase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for a free option

PocketBase

Simple self-hosted backend with realtime and auth on SQLite.

Supabase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Supabase

Postgres with pgvector, auth and realtime in a widely used platform.

Supabase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for open source

Supabase

Postgres with pgvector, auth and realtime in a widely used platform.

Supabase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for self-hosting

Supabase

Postgres with pgvector, auth and realtime in a widely used platform.

PocketBase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for Mac

PocketBase

Simple self-hosted backend with realtime and auth on SQLite.

PocketBase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for Windows

PocketBase

Simple self-hosted backend with realtime and auth on SQLite.

PocketBase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for Linux

PocketBase

Simple self-hosted backend with realtime and auth on SQLite.

Firebase logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for iPhone and Android

Firebase

Managed realtime document database with client SDKs.

MongoDB Atlas logo

Best SurrealDB alternative for working in the browser

MongoDB Atlas

Mature managed document database with vector search.

SurrealDB alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to SurrealDB?

MongoDB Atlas ranks first right now. Mature managed document database with vector search. Supabase and Firebase follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to SurrealDB?

Yes. MongoDB Atlas (free plan + paid), Supabase (free plan + paid), Firebase (free plan + paid) and PocketBase (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to SurrealDB?

Yes: Supabase and PocketBase. Supabase and PocketBase can also be self-hosted.

Which SurrealDB alternatives work on Linux?

PocketBase runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from SurrealDB?

The complaints we hear most: younger ecosystem with fewer ORMs and tools; surrealQL is another language to learn; business Source Licence rather than a standard open-source licence.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces SurrealDB, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.