# Cohesivity vs Appwrite

Appwrite: “Build faster and scale bigger than ever.”

Appwrite gives you the backend pieces and lets you decide where they run. Auth, databases, storage, functions, realtime, and hosting, all open source, so you can self-host the whole thing on your own box or use Appwrite Cloud and sign up. It has real MCP tooling for Claude Code and Cursor too. That openness is the heart of what Appwrite is.

Cohesivity is hosted, and it does not ask for a signup. Its coding agent provisions the database, storage, auth, hosting, and AI over one HTTP API, and the project runs for 72 hours before you claim it. So the honest fork is this. Appwrite gives you code you can run yourself, with a cloud option behind a signup. Cohesivity gives you a hosted backend the agent stands up with no account, and no code of yours to operate.

side by side

## Cohesivity and Appwrite, on the points that differ

__Comparison of Cohesivity and Appwrite__
|             | Cohesivity                                                                          | Appwrite                                                             |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| how it runs | Hosted. The agent provisions services over HTTP.                                    | Open source: self-host it yourself, or use Appwrite Cloud.           |
| signup      | None. The agent provisions, then you claim the project.                             | None if you self-host. Appwrite Cloud requires an account.           |
| the backend | Postgres, Redis, a vector store, storage, auth, an AI gateway, a browser, an inbox. | Auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging, realtime, and sites. |
| ops         | Zero. Cohesivity runs the services; the app just calls them.                        | Yours if you self-host. Managed on Appwrite Cloud.                   |
| billing     | Free $0, Plus $20, Pro $100, one shared balance.                                    | Free to self-host. Cloud has a free tier and paid plans.             |

where Cohesivity fits

- No servers to run and no account to make. The agent provisions a hosted backend over HTTP, so there is nothing to deploy yourself and no cloud signup before it works.
- A wider set of services from one call. Alongside auth, a database, and storage, the same API gives you a vector store, an AI gateway, a headless browser and an email inbox.
- Claim later. A project runs 72 hours before you commit, which fits an agent trying an idea before anyone owns the infrastructure.

when Appwrite is the better call

Pick Appwrite if you want open source. Reading the code, self-hosting on your own hardware, and never depending on someone else's cloud is a real advantage, and Cohesivity does not offer it.

Pick Appwrite if data residency or full control of the environment matters. Running the backend yourself puts every byte where you decide, which some teams require.

This comes down to hosted-and-no-signup versus open-and-self-hostable. Appwrite gives you the code and the choice of where it runs. If owning and running the backend yourself is the goal, Appwrite is built for exactly that.

questions

### Is Cohesivity an Appwrite alternative?

For the case where you want a hosted backend provisioned by an agent with no signup, yes. Cohesivity provisions a database, storage, auth, hosting and AI over one API. Appwrite is an open-source backend you either self-host or run on Appwrite Cloud behind an account.

### Is Cohesivity open source like Appwrite?

No. Appwrite is open source and self-hostable. Cohesivity is a hosted service. If open source or self-hosting matters to you, that is a strong reason to prefer Appwrite.

### Do I need to sign up or self-host to start?

Neither. Cohesivity provisions a hosted backend with no signup, and a project runs 72 hours before you claim it. Appwrite means either running it yourself or creating an Appwrite Cloud account.

### Can my agent provision the backend automatically?

Yes. The agent provisions the database, auth, storage and the rest with HTTP calls, with nothing to deploy or configure first.

related comparisons

Appwrite details verified 2026-07-22 from appwrite.io, including its open-source and cloud options and MCP tooling. Cohesivity details from its own docs. Features and pricing change, so check current terms with each provider.

Try it against Appwrite.

Copy the onboarding prompt and your agent stands up the backend in seconds.